Divonne-les-Bains lake is 60 years old

In 2024, the lake at Divonne-les-Bains turned 60. We wanted to talk about it here because this lake has changed the town in a remarkable way, and reminds us every day how pleasant it is to live so close to water.

To celebrate the lake, the town has put on a wonderful exhibition explaining how the lake came into being, how it was built and how it has evolved. While of course it can't compete with neighbouring Lake Geneva - the largest natural lake in the Alps and Western Europe being 73 km lenght - Lake Divonne is widely appreciated by a diverse public: walkers, sports enthusiasts and families. The lake has a perimeter of 3.3 km and is entirely pedestrianised, making it the ideal place to get some fresh air or unwind. Its surroundings include a children's playground, a skate park, a beach with a bar/restaurant, a basketball court, a golf course, a riding school, a racecourse (inaugurated in September 1965), a water sports centre (inaugurated in July 1964) and the superb Esplanade du Lac, inaugurated in 2005, with its media library, auditorium and covered canopy.

Here is a reminder of the events that led to its construction (reference: exhibition panels displayed along the lake):

• As early as 1945, Jean Debaud, a painter (1908-1996), had the idea of creating a lake, and he was soon joined by his friend Paul Morel (1904-1987), a geologist and engineer;

• In 1958, Jean Debaud presented his idea to the Town Hall, supported by Paul Morel's more scientific research, proving that the land would be watertight; all that remained was to come up with an idea to finance it!

• In 1960, Jean Debaud proposed a financing solution to the municipality: create a gravel pit to build a racecourse and sell the gravel to the companies building the Geneva-Lausanne motorway;

• Work began in March 1961;

• In 1963, after many ups and downs, the work was nearing completion;

• In the spring of 1964, the lake was filled using groundwater and by diverting a stream from the River Divonne. The lake filled up in 13 days.

The lake was born on 10 June 1964.

What a decade it was for Divonne-les-Bains! We'd like to thank Jean Debaud and his friend Paul Morel; it took them 20 years to bring this crazy project to fruition, and we can imagine that the energy deployed to make it happen was considerable. Today, thanks to the tenacity of a few men, we can all enjoy such a pleasant environment, which has shaped the image of the town for its residents and tourists alike.

PANELS FROM THE LAKESIDE EXHIBITION :