This lake was never on our radar when we set off for a 6-week trip around Europe in Spring 2023, in fact France wasn’t really going to feature much. However, the weather had other ideas and after extensive flooding in the area of Germany we had planned to visit, we decided to cut our losses and head over to the west coast of France where the sun was shining!
We needed a couple of stopovers enroute, and as we’ve stayed at Lac D’Orient a few times already, the hubby found Lac du Der on google maps near to Saint-Dizier, so we headed over planning to stay for just a night or two at most to recharge before the long trip across to the west coast. I think its safe to say that we were mightily impressed by the views, the lake and the vast off-road cycle trails when we arrived, and as the sun was planned to be in the sky for a few days we set up camp near to Eclaron and extended our stay to 4 nights.
The Lake
Lac du Der is the largest artificial lake in Europe and was completed in 1974 to support the regulation of water levels on the River Marne. It creates a buffer to prevent flooding in Paris, and feeds irrigation streams during low water level periods to enable boats to stay afloat on the Seine. As well as its essential role, it is also a fantastic holiday destination for those who love water sports during the Spring/Summer months and there is plenty to do walking and cycling all year round; it has such a natural feel and breath-taking landscape to enjoy. There are 6 sandy man-made beaches dotted around the lake to enjoy, and it is very safe to swim in the lake. It is surrounded by a forest of 300-year-old oak trees that have cycling trails throughout, as well as the 20-mile circular lake path to follow.
The colour of the water takes on a turquoise hue when it fills up in the Spring, it is an astounding colour to see, and photographs do not do it justice. Backdropped by the lush green trees, it creates a vibrant natural image for any budding or professional photographer. There are around 300 species of birds that live and migrate to the lake, and at dawn you can observe thousands of cranes take flight, I didn’t get up early enough but was told by a fellow camper it is a spectacle to behold! I’d like to visit in Winter to see the difference to the landscape when the lake empties, I imagine that is quite something.
When the lake was created, three of the local villages were lost. Enroute to Giffaumont we cycled to see the church that remains on the edge of a peninsula that was once Champaubert-aux-Bois village. Sadly, this is the only building left of that village, although it provides a beautiful view over the lake.
Things to Do
Day 1 was a full day out - we donned our helmets and rode 6 miles from our camp directly onto the cycle trail towards Giffaumont-Champaubert. This was initially through the forest which unexpectedly had a couple of fairly steep hills in the first section that my little legs on my non-electric bike struggled with (I’m not expecting to enter the Tour-de-France just yet), but it flattened out after the first couple of miles as we neared the water’s edge where we followed the lake path. We took a couple of slight detours to nosy at campsites and the church, finally arriving in Presqu’ile de Champaubert where I can imagine in the summer it is packed with tourists as it is one of the main beach and water sport areas on the lake.
At the Station Nautique there are boats for rent, and a pleasure boat that offers trips on to the lake, unfortunately this wasn’t running whilst we were there. We took the tourist train along the lake’s longest dike which took around 50 minutes, 6km to Site de Chantecoq (there is a camping Aire here) and back along the lakeside. There was commentary from the driver, but only in French, about the history of the lake and surrounding countryside so we only caught snippets of information.
We had lunch at La Pirogue Bleue Creperie just set back from the lake front where there were a few restaurants and an ice-cream/gift shop. Lunch was fabulous and I’d highly recommend this eatery. I had a croque-madam with a difference - goat’s cheese, pineapple and mushroom topping, it was delicious and very filling. Hubby had a galette with ham and cheese, very unusual presentation with apple and pickles on the side; again, very tasty. We burned off our ice-cream dessert on the 6-mile ride back to camp!
Day 2 was a bit of a rest day as it was so hot. We rode into Eclaron which took 20 minutes from the site and got some supplies from the small supermarket that was surprisingly very well stocked. It is a small village set back away from the lake, a typical French feel to it, not touristy and the only café was closed!
On Day 3 we rode the opposite way, anti-clockwise from camp to Sainte-Marie-du-Lac-Nuisement, around 7.5 miles through forest and lake trails, this was a flatter route than to Giffaumont. There was an old wooden Catholic Church, and a small museum but that was closed. We couldn’t get refreshments here so headed back and stopped off at Camping de la Cornee for a drink, it was signed as a 2-star campsite, hubby said it had 5-star beer and that’s all that matters!
Where to Stay
We stayed at Yelloh! Village En Champagne at Eclaron which was very peaceful. It is quite a small site and had lots of residential and rental statics. The pitches were of a very good size but not overly groomed, although hedged around for privacy. We were lucky to get a partial hardstanding one as it had rained a lot prior to our arrival so the grass ones were very wet. They did have a few pitches with private facilities that looked lovely. There are 2 shower blocks, both had a very good disabled shower room, bizarrely one of them was behind the restaurant. They were clean and had hot water, pretty standard for France, nothing special to write home about but they did the job.
The pool was nice, and the restaurant had an indoor and outdoor area that looked over the pool. We ate there one night; the food was delicious (especially the café gourmand) and very well priced. I also had a fancy crepe one afternoon; they had a speciality menu from 2pm-4pm. There was a small beach that you could access from the bottom of the site and the sunset was amazing from there, but there isn’t much else in walking distance.
There are many other campsites around the lake, and although we really liked the site in Eclaron, I think we’d stay at one closer to Giffaumont, purely based on location out of season, mainly for the restaurants and other attractions, but I think it would be too busy for me in high season.
There are also lots of Aires around the lake, with paid barrier access and usual facilities offered. Some also have toilets close by that were open until dusk in Spring, possibly later in the main season as they are based at the car parks close to the Aires. Wild camping outside of the Aires on the sides of the road and in laybys was not permitted. I can see why because the area would be overrun with campers during the main season, making it difficult to navigate the roads around the lake which are a good width normally, but not with parked vehicles either side.
Summary
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Lac du Der and would happily return as we only managed to see one half of the lake. Now I’ve got my electric bike I could probably make it all the way around the lake in one go! It was really lovely in early May and very quiet, not sure it would feel the same in high season but if you’ve not been then I recommend you put it on your list for a future trip, particularly if you enjoy leisure cycling as the trails through the forest and around the lake are really good and very safe; you can avoid roads completely.
Enough waffle for this week, if you have been to the area, please drop me a comment on the blog letting me know what you thought of it. If you enjoy reading my blogs, please like and subscribe to my website so you get notified when the next blog is published. It’s completely free, I don’t fill your inbox with unwanted spam, and it really means the world to me to know my experience has helped someone else.
Happy Travels
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