Lake Serre-Poncon: a lake in the French Alps

The lake of Serre-Poncon isn't natural; the whole valley had to be flooded to create it, and it certainly has its flaws..... but seeing it, photographing it, admiring it on a fine sunny day is something unforgettable! It is big, really big, and you can see it from many different places, different villages, viewpoints, roads, mountains, in a thousand ways, from a thousand angles. Many are the villages on its shores and the attractions that spring from it.... The sports on the lake are windsurfing, kitesurfing, rowing and swimming. Suitable for swimming, with little beaches, lakeside eateries, lakeside hotels, villages on the lake, walks that run alongside it. It is a romantic place, immersed in the wild nature of the French Alps. The meeting of mountain and water of an almost fluorescent blue-green has that something extra that other places don't have.

There are many boat trips on the lake and they aren't too expensive; the lake has a very small islet with a little church, and a large green rock is the second small, tiny atoll emerging from the freezing water of the lake. The fun doesn't stop there...... round dinghies that carry 2 people towed by fast speedboats........ organised beaches along the shores, the dam...... the lake gives a lot to the little villages and they give a lot to the lake. I spent 2 days on the lake, the first of which was a beautiful sunny, warm day and the second rainy and cool....... well, the lake is always fascinating, but from the scenic point of view, when the weather is fine you really enjoy MAGNIFICENT views! You'd never stop looking at it, photographing it, in every nook, every little wave, in every cove, little harbour, sail that plies it...... from shades of blue in many gradations, to ice colours....

to grey, green, blue...... there are some wonderful high viewpoints over the lake, first of all the dam with its top-mark belvedere, the very blue water and the gaze wandering among the mountains and along the elongated lake. One of the loveliest little towns on the lake is Savines-le-Lac, and in the area there are lots of attractions to visit. A museum of the lake and the dam is located near the dam (barrage in French); fish? The lake is fished, but I don't know the quality of the catch..... I recommend a visit for lovers of nature, photography and why not? relax and the mountains. The mountains plunging sheer into the waters of the lake offer beautiful glimpses of various colours, valleys, plains, soft waves of grey rock bathing in the blue-green of water that comes from the Durance, the lake's tributary.

Beautiful from any observation point; there are also sailing schools and sports clubs, little harbours and inlets hidden by green trees that conceal oases of peace and calm waters. Tourism in the area is very developed and is based largely on the lake, that lake which beneath hides the houses and everything that was there before.... The Savines bridge connects one shore of the lake to the other; there isn't just that bridge, the others are smaller, but the bridge is handy for reaching well-known spots without necessarily doing the full circuit of the lake, which is very vast. The waters are cold, but the local swimmers seem not to mind too much..

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The boat trip is interesting and very scenic on the lake, and the ideal is to do it on a fine sunny summer day..... we did it on a rainy, cool Sunday and couldn't fully enjoy the beauties of the place. You set off from the pier next to the Savines bridge, and the crew is friendly and helpful, kind. They set off once the twentieth person arrives; there are 3 trips a day, but on days of great demand they schedule even more. On board the boat is nice, spacious, nothing exceptional but well kept, with on-board facilities and background music when the crew isn't explaining the history of the lake, the dam and Savines.

The day was, indeed, rainy, but La Carlines set off anyway; we sat at the back, on an open little balcony, to be able to take better photos and get some fresh air. Setting off right on time, we head towards Sauze, and the landscapes you enjoy from the boat on the lake are enchanting, despite the big black clouds and the crisp air! Only from the lake do you have access to some little beaches and nooks of the lake that otherwise remain hidden from the eye; in navigation that day the lake wasn't very rough despite the weather. At a certain point you glimpse the dam in the distance, though you don't reach it by boat. It's a lovely trip, long and satisfying; you pass close to the lake's islet, which is little more than a rock on which stands a tiny picturesque chapel.

The points to photograph are endless; the Alps that plunge grey and steep into the lake are very beautiful, and the reflections of light on the water give material for beautiful photos. If you understand French well you can follow the whole interesting and curious commentary; the lake is artificial and to create it the entire hamlet of the former Savines was flooded and now lies underwater..... You return on time, and on disembarking the girls of the crew (dressed in special, scenic outfits) greet every passenger with their harmonious French. For those who love photography, the 10:00 morning trip is recommended. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A little town right on the lake, beautiful, welcoming, simple, not too busy and in July not yet crowded with tourists.

I liked it for its simplicity and beauty; the lake gives a lot to this tourist town, which has several restaurants and several venues in the centre. Savines has a small and picturesque town centre; the church square has the view of this modern church that stands out in its beauty, tall and white, with square shapes but distinctive. Also in the town hall square there is the hôtel de ville, very colourful and well kept; the fountain in front of the town hall gives that touch of beauty and refinement. There is a souvenir shop and a bar high on the square, with a lovely view from the summer outdoor seating. From the centre you can see the lake, huge and beautiful, especially in the evening, at sunset. The central road leading into Savines is very flowery and well kept; the tourist office is on this road, and the hotel where I slept was 500 m from the centre.

The centre is slightly uphill, but after all we're in the heart of the Alps. Savines is connected to the other shore by a long bridge over the lake; the bridge is very busy and trafficked. Some small well-kept and organised beaches lie near the centre; the town has a lot of nature on the lake shores. It is a quiet place, good for resting and for nature tourism; in the evening there isn't much life, but a pleasant stroll from the centre towards the lake is very popular. There is a sailing school and a pier for the lake boat tour about 600 m from the centre. Savines has a small harbour for mooring small boats on the lake. It is a mountain lake centre, one of the liveliest and most beautiful towns of the lake, which keeps its natural beauty and peace.