The biggest natural lake in France at 18 km long, Lake le Bourget is surrounded by the Epine Massif, Mont du Chat, the Chambotte, Mont Revard and the Bauges. This lake, celebrated by the greatest poets, offers the pleasures of water sports and bathing.
Lake Le Bourget offers shimmering, romantic shores in Aix-les-Bains. On the other bank, from Bourget-du-Lac, the undeveloped bank runs alongside the tree-covered mountainside of the Dent du Chat. To the north and running alongside the Savières canal, you will find the Chautagne with its hills and its poplar grove. To the south, you will fall under the spell of le Bourget-du-Lac and Chambéry, and Art and History. From the lakeside to the mountains of la Chambotte and Mont Revard, a host of landscapes open to the visitor.
Beaches and water sports
Since 2000, Aix-les-Bains has been one of the municipalities to hold the « France Station Nautique » (France water sports resort) label. Lake le Bourget has a major range of water sports on offer: sailing, rowing, canoe-kayak, rafting, fishing, diving, water-skiing, wake-boarding…
Ideal for bathing, lake le Bourget also has 16 ports with more than 2,600 pleasure moorings. The lake is also recognised for its fishing and is home to about thirty species of fish including some of renown such as the lavaret and the omble chevalier.
Outdoor Activities
Cycling and mountain biking can be enjoyed all over the area with a cycle tour of the lake, several fairly easy trails in Chautagne, the green route which links le Bourget du Lac and Chambery, numerous cols with remarkable view points and more than 180 km of mountain bike trails on the Revard plateau.
Situated at Aix-les-Bains, the 18-hole golf course is the oldest in Savoie. Two accrobranche sites close to the lake at Motz on the Savoie Grand Revard offer visitors the chance to move from tree to tree in complete safety. The more intrepid can take part in paragliding in locations such as the Col du Sapenay, Mont Revard, the Sire and the Chat mountain.
Walks and hiking
The banks of the Lake le Bourget have a lot to offer from the guided tour of Aix-les-Bains or Chambéry to the longest walk. The Massif des Baugate Regional Natural Park, only 25 minutes from the lake, offers many walking and hiking opportunities including the Belvédère du Revard and the Croix du Nivolet. By heading towards the Chautagne you will come across the GR® 65, the Saint Jacques de Compostelle trail, with its view over the Jura.
To the south of the lake, the Dent du Chat and the Molard Noir are also very much appreciated. If you push on towards Chambéry, you will find a good number of walking trails starting from the conurbation including the one that will take us in the footsteps of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Tour and heritage
To the east of the lake, Aix-les-Bains has its thermal baths, its Roman remains and its Belle Époque style. On the other bank, The Abbaye d’Hautecombe, the splendid necropolis of the Counts of Savoie in an exuberant Gothic style, watches over the lake.
To the north, the Savière canal, the flower-bedecked village of Chanaz and its vineyards make up the pride of the Chautagne. On the opposite side of the lake, le Bourget-du-lac is home to a Priory, the remains of Thomas II’s château and the fishing village of Bourdeau. Ten kilometres away, Chambéry, the former capital of the Duchy of Savoie, combines past and present.
Art of living
To the north, the Chautagne invites you to explore its vineyards and discover its grape varieties which include Gamay, Pinot, Mondeuse, Roussette, Chautagne and Aligoté. To the south, le Bourget du Lac is home to no fewer than four establishments with stars in the 2013 Michelin Guide: The Bateau Ivre 2*, Atmosphères 1*, the Grange à Sel 1* and the Auberge Lamartine 1*.
The pleasure of living on the banks of the lake goes hand in hand with relaxation and well-being. The thermal resort of Aix-les-Bains is renowned for its thermal treatments and fitness holidays. It has two thermal establishments, of which one specialises in rheumatology and the other in ORL.
View Points and Panoramas
The Mont Revard, with its panoramic viewpoint and its altitude of 1,562m was reached in the past by rack railway, then by cable car until 1969. It can now be reached by car by taking the road from Saint-Albens-Leysse towards la Féclaz. In recent times, a glass platform has enabled you to experience the startling « step into the void ».
The Chambotte viewpoint, above Chindreux, offers an overhead view of lake le Bourget, the Abbaye d’Hautecombe, the Savières, Aix-les-Bains and the valley of Chambery. You can also get something to eat there.
The Dent du Chat can be reached on foot starting from the Col du Chat. This enjoyable walk passes mostly through the forest.
The Grand Colombier, on the borders of the Chautagne, is the highest peak in the southern Jura (1534m). It offers a view over the upper Rhône, the Chautagne, the Savières canal and lake le Bourget.
Source : Savoie Mont Blanc