Lac du Der-Chantecoq
Just 20 kilometres west of Vitry-le-François, Lac du Der-Chantecoq is the largest artificial lake in Europe — a shimmering inland sea covering 4,800 hectares that was created in 1974 to regulate the Seine and Marne rivers. It is one of France's premier birdwatching sites and an outstanding spot for cycling, sailing and swimming.
Cranes, Ospreys and the Great Autumn Migration
Every October and November up to 60,000 common cranes stop over on their migration south from Scandinavia, roosting on the lake's shallow margins in vast, noisy flocks. The Maison du Lac at Giffaumont-Champaubert has observation towers and guided dawn excursions that put you metres from the birds as they lift off in the morning mist — it is genuinely one of the great wildlife spectacles of northern France.
Spring brings nesting ospreys, black-necked grebes and marsh harriers. The lake's 77-kilometre shoreline includes several managed hides maintained by the LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux) that are free to use and clearly marked on the cycling trail maps available at the Maison du Lac.
On the Water and Around the Shore
The lake has four designated swimming beaches (Giffaumont, Nemours, Arrigny and Chantecoq) that are supervised in July and August. Sailing schools and kayak hire operate from the Giffaumont harbour, where you can also rent electric boats for a quiet afternoon exploring the wooded inlets on the western shore.
The 77-kilometre véloroute around the lake is mostly flat and well-surfaced, passing through the reconstructed half-timbered villages of Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement and Nuisement-sur-Coole, whose original buildings were relocated stone by stone before the valley was flooded. Bike hire is available at the Giffaumont harbour from April to October.
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