A feat of engineering in the service of the canal.
The lake is no accident of geography: it is a feat of engineering. Between 1878 and 1882, the engineers of the Ponts et Chaussées dammed the valley of the Armançon to feed the Canal de Bourgogne, which the summer low-water levels threatened. The dam was completed in 1882 and the reservoir filled in 1883. Six million cubic metres — a sixth reservoir serving a canal then at the height of its activity.
Today the structure still plays its hydraulic role — feeding the canal, buffering the spring floods, supplying drinking water to some sixty communes via the Pont-et-Massène pumping station — while welcoming swimmers, paddlers and walkers.
Beach, watersports and the lake circuit.
The fine sandy beach, supervised in the summer season, slopes gently into calm water that warms up nicely from June onwards. The Terre d'Auxois watersports club hires out paddleboards, pedalos, kayaks and electric boats; sailing and wakeboarding enthusiasts are equally well served.
On land, a waymarked path of twelve to thirteen kilometres loops right around the lake — half a day on foot, or a good two hours by bike, through woods, clearings and quiet coves. Shaded picnic areas, free parking, toilets open from April to October, a snack bar and restaurants right beside the campsite: everything is in place for a day with the family or as a couple.
From Maison Jazey, the beach is five minutes away. The lake is not an excursion — it is an extension of your stay: an early-morning swim before breakfast, a circuit of the lake as the light rakes across the ramparts of Semur in the distance.
The full circuit of the lake.
Thirteen almost flat kilometres, covered in three to four hours' walk. The first two kilometres, from the beach, run along the busiest shore.
Beyond that, the path plunges into the undergrowth and becomes a genuine hiking trail, punctuated by viewpoints over the dam and the valley of the Armançon.
Maison Jazey, your stopover by the Lac de Pont
Five minutes from the lake, right in the heart of the medieval town of Semur-en-Auxois, Maison Jazey offers two spacious apartments in its hôtel particulier, a private mansion. Secure parking included, towels lent for swimming, a refined breakfast.
Book direct and you enjoy the best rate guaranteed and a personal welcome — the Lac de Pont pairs perfectly with discovering Semur on foot and, for the more energetic, the 13 km circuit of the lake.
See our roomsMaking the most of the Lac de Pont: swimming, activities and access.
- Address
- Lac de Pont
21140 Pont-et-Massène - From Maison Jazey
- 4 km · 5 min
- Supervised swimming
- July – August, times posted on site
- Facilities
- Sandy beach, shaded picnic area, toilets (April – October), free parking
- Watersports
- Terre d'Auxois watersports club — paddleboard, pedalo, kayak, electric boats, waterskiing, wakeboarding
- Walking
- Waymarked path around the lake, 12 – 13 km, 3 – 4 hrs' walk
- Food & campsite
- Snack bar and restaurants nearby
Camping du Lac de Pont, 50 m from the beach - Official website
- terres-auxois.fr/lac-de-pont
The heritage nearby.
Fontenay Abbey
30 min · UNESCO 1981, a Cistercian jewel founded in 1118 by Bernard de Clairvaux.
DiscoverFlavigny-sur-Ozerain
15 min · One of France's Most Beautiful Villages and anise-sweet maker — a Benedictine monastic thread.
DiscoverChâteauneuf-en-Auxois
30 min · A medieval fortress commanding the Canal de Bourgogne, one of France's Most Beautiful Villages.
DiscoverChâteau de Bussy-Rabutin
15 min · A Renaissance château and satirical portraits, the writer's place of exile.
DiscoverForges de Buffon
25 min · An 18th-century ironworks belonging to the naturalist Buffon.
DiscoverVézelay
1 hr · UNESCO · The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica, the eternal hill and the road to Compostela.
DiscoverMuseum of Semur-en-Auxois
5 min on foot · Fine arts, natural sciences and archaeology in the heart of Semur.
DiscoverAlésia
20 min · The site of Vercingétorix's battle and its immersive MuséoParc designed by Bernard Tschumi.
Discover