Lac d'Allos (Mercantour)

Allos

At the foot of the mont Pelat (3,051 m), in the Mercantour national park, the Lac d'Allos occupies a cirque carved by the glaciers of the upper Verdon. Its altitude is given as between 2,227 and 2,230 m depending on the sources, its area between 43 and 54 hectares and its maximum depth around 50 metres: the figures do not agree. The sources present it as the largest natural high-altitude lake in Europe. It has no visible outlet: the water drains away through an underground passage to the source of the Chadoulin, which joins the Verdon. In the 12th century, it is called Levedone, according to Wikipedia. On its shore stands the chapel of Notre-Dame des Monts, dedicated to the Virgin; a sundial of 1757 there bears the inscription ‘Dieu seul est éternel ; déjà loin de toi’. Until the creation of the park in 1979, the lake's trout and Arctic char were caught with nets. Wikipedia adds that the explorer Alexandra David-Néel stayed there at the age of 80 (information not cross-checked). No legend of the lake or pilgrimage date was found in the sources consulted: the chapel attests a place of devotion, without further verified details.

Getting there: Mountain hike, check the weather. About 1 h of walking from the Laus car park (tourist office); allow about 1 h to walk around the lake. Protected site in the Mercantour national park (dogs, mountain bikes, drones and picking forbidden according to the tourist office). Coordinates: OpenStreetMap marker ‘Lac d'Allos’ (Nominatim), consistent with Wikipedia (44.2333; 6.7083).

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

Ambient sound