Lac de Vassivière

The or Lake (; Template:Langx), one of France's largest artificial lakes, is a large man-made reservoir of about . It is situated on the in the départements of and . It is the largest area of water in the Limousin region of France and provides water supplies, hydroelectricity, and leisure facilities.

Construction

The lake was constructed after World War II and opened at Christmas 1950. It is the product of two dams in the valley of the Maulde River, an important tributary of the Vienne River.

File:Vassivière sketch map.png

Sketch map of Lake.

The Maulde is the most important source of water for the lake, and the , a reservoir to the east, is able to feed it via an underground canal.

The feeds water to a hydro-electric station at Mazet, to the west.

Geography and environment

The is surrounded by more than of land of ecological or natural interest (: Template:Langx), level 1, grouped in 15 distinct areas. These present the full range of landscapes characteristic of the : peat bog, wetland, heath and forest. The bogs, in particular, are unique and fragile small ecosystems, composed of many strata of plant material, and forming a carbon sink. They are the sources of many of the streams and rivers that flow from the region.

The climate is heavily influenced by the elevated, inland location. winters are cold with snowfalls heavy enough for some winter sports. Spring is generally cool and wet, and summer is warm and pleasant, albeit with occasional fierce thunderstorms. Autumn often brings a period of considerable sun and warmth.

The is the 16th largest lake in France by area, but sixth among the artificial lakes, and tenth among fresh water lakes. It is surrounded by many different communes, including:

• in : ,
• in : ,

Amenities

As the is entirely inside the Regional Natural Park, large parts of its shoreline are protected from excessive development, and form an important haven for wildlife, and wild flowers in particular.

However, with of shoreline there has still been room for a good deal of tourist development, mostly at well-separated, small sites. This provides camping and picnic facilities, small-scale catering, hotels, artificial beaches, and small ports. There are demarcated zones for motor boating and water skiing, but most of the surface is dominated by small sailing boats. Much of the surrounding housing caters for tourists. There are numerous organised cycling and walking events. The lake has, in fact, become the most important area for sport, and especially water sports, in the region.

Isle of

The Isle of is an island at the centre of the lake with an area of . It is dominated by a château and features a number of exhibition and performance spaces, a landscape sculpture park and small menagerie. It is also the site of the lake's main lighthouse, designed in 1988 by Aldo Rossi.

The island is connected to the shore by a causeway. Only authorised vehicles are allowed, so it is normally accessed on foot or by road train.

Transport

The lake is entirely encircled by roads and footpaths. The nearest railway station is . As well as guided tours by boat, there is a free water taxi on the lake.

Gallery

• Château on the Isle of Script error: No such module "Lang".
  Château on the Isle of
• Small port and leisure facilities on the lakeside at Script error: No such module "Lang".
  Small port and leisure facilities on the lakeside at
• Leisure beach on the south side of the lake, with typical Script error: No such module "Lang". landscape in the background
  Leisure beach on the south side of the lake, with typical landscape in the background

External links

This article has been expanded with material from the corresponding page in French Wikipedia