Lac de Gérardmer

Gérardmer

Nicknamed the "Pearl of the Vosges," Lac de Gérardmer is the largest natural lake in the Vosges massif at 115 hectares. Its true origin is glacial, but popular tradition gives it a mythological birth. According to the Cinthyperléïade, an epic composed in the 18th century by Philippe-Antoine de Chainel, the Titans defeated by the gods of Olympus in Thessaly are said to have taken refuge in the Vosges, raising a mountain chain there as a rampart. Pursued as far as the Gérardmer basin, they fought a final battle there. Victorious, the gods judged the Titan leaders — Typhon, Pelor, Hippolyte and Palibotte — at the Château-sur-Perle and condemned them to eternal imprisonment in underground caves, said to be the origin of the region's thermal springs. A storm unleashed by Aeolus is then said to have opened three chasms, giving birth to the lakes of Gérardmer, Longemer and Retournemer, while the Titans' children, turned into "hurlins," came to populate these waters. Today, the lake is the beating heart of a tourist resort popular in both summer and winter, ringed by fir woods and bordered by a 7 km promenade. Swimming, sailing, pedal boats and a Christmas market keep this site, one of the most visited in the Vosges, alive.

Getting there : Right in the centre of Gérardmer (Vosges), accessible by car via the N415 or by train to Gérardmer station, then a 15-minute walk.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound