Lake Bourget Cycling Tour
A lap around France's largest natural lake, past Savoyard vineyards, a royal abbey, and Alpine panoramas.
Two days to circle Lac du Bourget, the largest natural lake entirely within France, immortalised by Lamartine in his poem Le Lac. The route starts at Aix-les-Bains, a belle epoque spa town with its Roman baths, follows the shore to Hautecombe abbey, burial place of the princes of Savoy set at the water's edge, then Le Bourget-du-Lac and its Cluniac priory with the south-shore greenway, Chanaz, the little Venice of Savoie on the Savieres canal, and finally the Chambotte viewpoint. The south shore is flat greenway; the climb to La Chambotte, by contrast, is a serious effort, more than four hundred metres of ascent for a view that justifies it. Hautecombe abbey can also be reached by boat from Aix.
Practical info
- Stops
- 5
- Duration
- 2 days
- Transport
- 🚲 Bike
- Distance
- ≈ 40 km
- Best time
- Spring and summer
Itinerary
- 1
Aix-les-Bains
Station thermale belle epoque, Esplanade du Lac et thermes romains.
- 2
Abbaye de Hautecombe
Necropole des rois de Savoie au bord du lac, architecture neo-gothique.
- 3
Le Bourget-du-Lac
Prieure clunisien, plages et voie verte le long de la rive sud.
- 4
Chanaz
Petite Venise savoyarde, canal de Savieres et moulins a huile de noix.
- 5
Belvedere de la Chambotte
Point de vue epoustouflant sur le lac et les Bauges, montee sportive.
