Savoie has four natural lakes. The Lac du Bourget is the largest natural lake in France. It is 18 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide, with a depth of 140 meters at its deepest point.
The Lac du Bourget is one of the lakes that are not exploited in the hydrological sense of the term. No dam, no hydroelectric pumping, the lake is only used for drinking water supply and for recreational activities. This provides users with a body of water that can be fully exploited and used, twelve months a year.
It is the Savières dam which comes, via the eponymous canal, to regulate the level of the lake, passing from 231.50 meters in summer to 231.20 meters in winter, to absorb water from melting snow during the winter season. This drop in water level occurs between October 1st and November 1st.
Open to all practices
The Lac du Bourget offers 3 main categories of activities. Hiking, culture and, of course, boating.
Eighteen kilometers long and three kilometers wide, the Lac du Bourget has three campgrounds.
The western shore, almost uninhabited, offers a hiking trail that overlooks the lake at an altitude of 100 meters.
To the east, there is another somewhat tormented hiking trail. The walk between Bourdeau and the Hautecombe Abbey ( about eight kilometers ) offers both a mountainous and nautical view of a lake with many faces. Please note that this trail is not suitable for people with reduced mobility or for strollers. It is also recommended to bring walking shoes.
City dwellers are not left out. A shuttle bus offers to transport them and their bicycles between Aix-les-Bains and Le Bourget. On the way back, a protected path, on its own site, offers the possibility of returning on foot or by bicycle.
Tourism on Lac du Bourget is kept moderate. Adaptation to the environment is the key word for activities on the lake, which all the actors ( municipalities, associations, clubs ) put forward in any innovation. For example, there is no discotheque on the banks of the Lac du Bourget.
AULB, Association of Lac du Bourget Users tries to orchestrate all the actions and to balance the desires of all.
Shared water feature
Maud Archer is in charge of development at the Yacht-Club Chambéry Le Bourget du Lac. She guides us on the shores of the Lac du Bourget, in the company of Eric and Régis, sailing instructors.
All three are passionate about the water and its practitioners. " Le Bourget can be sailed all year round " begins Maud. " As a result, we also keep the club open twelve months a year, which requires the presence of four permanent staff. "
In terms of nautical equipment, the Lac du Bourget has 13 ports of which only one has a crane Aix-les-Bains. The 10-ton crane is managed by the harbor master's office. 2,950 moorings are available to boaters, all managed by the public establishment " Grand Lake ". All ports have sanitary facilities ( shower and toilet ).
On the other hand, 3 wedges launching sites are available around the lake, in Charpignat, Petit Port and Conjux. " A sticker is required to use the facilities in high season. Count 15 euros per day and 100 euros for the whole season. Navigation is free on the lake itself all year round "adds the manager.
Note that a shared calendar is available to users to access both the notice to skippers and local nautical events.
As with most water bodies, a special police regulation ( RPP ) is in place on the Lac du Bourget, freely and without charge available on the website of the management establishment. Finally, the lake is under the coastal maritime regime. It is therefore compulsory to carry the corresponding equipment on board, as well as to turn on the lights, both when sailing and when anchored.
Jet-skis and towed buoys are the only devices prohibited on the surface of Lac du Bourget.
" On board, it is compulsory to have the navigation map published by Grand Lac as well as the passport of good conduct " says the manager. " There is no warning device in case of gale. It is therefore necessary to refer to the information from the Aix-lés-bains pioupiou to know the wind speed. "The harbour master's office of Aix nevertheless proposes a minimum of weather information on the participative site Weather Cloud .
A major point of vigilance, only the exclusion zones, about ten in number, are marked on the lake. The channels and swimming areas are not marked.
" Two boats ensure the safety of users on the lake, armed by the firefighters . You must call 18 or the 112 to contact them in case of need "says Maud.
" There are many different ways to practice on the Lac du Bourget? About everything that floats finds its place on the water " according to Maud." Provided that you accept the principle of sharing the water. "
This sharing, moreover, is an imperative, especially in the 200-meter strip from the shore. " It should be passed as if crossing a traffic separation device, perpendicular to the bank "adds Maud " at low speed, paying close attention to swimmers and other swimmers ". The speed limit in this band is 5 kilometers per hour .
Finally, the beaches at Le Bourget and Aix are not free. The maritime character of the lake applies the littoral law and thus maintains free access to go around the lake, regardless of payment.
Never a day without wind at Le Bourget!
" The water body is wedged between two mountain ranges, hence a particular wind regime "The yacht club explains. " The wind is generally from the north, with a lot of thermals and westerly flow in the evening ".
As a result, never a whole day without wind. The person in charge of the Yacht-Club explains " In the middle of summer, the thermals appear around 1 pm, once the summits have warmed up. "
Local tips and tricks
" Navigation on the lake is not complicated. You have to think in terms of time, whereas at sea you think in terms of tide "Régis begins. The winds are generally calm at the beginning of the day and increase as the temperature rises. " They are always subject to the venturi effect due to the shape of the lake on the one hand and the embankment on the other. The result is calm zones at the edge of the mountain and wind in the middle. "
Located in a mountainous region, Lac du Bourget is subject to rapid and abrupt changes in weather. " The weather report is essential before going sailing, because the mountain winds can be complicated to understand " adds the instructor. " The most complicated part is the launching of the boat when the weather is very good, because you have to be patient. "
The lake is free of shoals and specific currents, making it possible to navigate safely on the entire body of water.
" Tip: the municipal campground of Swan Lake has its own private docks. These are the only non-municipal pontoons on the lakefront "explains Maud. There are about fifty berths available.
The guide's advice
What are the good plans and the dream places of our three local experts?
In terms of gastronomic three addresses hold the top of the pavement. They are the fishermen's house; the Week-end hotel ( whose frying is praised in the evening at sunset ) and the Brasserie du Lac, in Le Bourget.
For Eric, then, it is absolutely necessary to go to see the wild coast, between Bourdeau and Hautecombe. " There is a tiny port in Bourdeau. It is at its maximum capacity with only 3 boats. " he explains. " It is an old fishermen's harbor placed at the foot of a castle and a cliff. "Not to be missed nearby, the Lamartine cave, where the poet wrote.
For Régis, " You have to cross the lake with friends. Leave as early as possible in the morning and sail with the challenge of being the last to start the engine. Take advantage of the thermals and the breeze to sail and have fun. "
As for Maud, she proposes a more sportive program: " Leave Chambéry by bike. Go for a jog along the river banks. Then go for a swim and stop for a hot chocolate at the week-end hotel. "
