Five minutes from the houses
Eighty hectares of water in the Armançon valley, a beach, a trail all the way round, and a wild shore on the Montigny-sur-Armançon side, the village where the two houses stand.
Swimming
On the north shore, at Pont-et-Massène, the beach slopes gently into the water, with grassy terraces, a shower and beach huts. Redesigned in 2018 and 2019, it is accessible to people with reduced mobility, and swimming is supervised in summer.
Coming with your dog? Dogs are not allowed on the beach.
On the water
The water sports club rents out pedal boats, kayaks, paddleboards and electric boats, and offers water skiing. It opens at weekends in May and June, then every day in July and August. Anglers come for the perch, pike-perch, pike, carp and catfish.
On foot
A 12.7 km waymarked loop of medium difficulty: allow three to four hours. The path follows the water under the trees, crosses wooden footbridges and passes shelters and panels that tell the lake's story. In winter, when the water is at its lowest, the Pont de la Ronce offers a shortcut of about 9 km; in summer, the Pont des Romains disappears below the surface.
The Montigny side
To the south, on the Montigny-sur-Armançon side, the water grows shallow. Sedges, bulrushes and water crowfoot grow there, fish spawn and water birds nest: it is the wildest part of the lake, a refuge for plants and wildlife, where you may come across an egret or a swan. Close by, the Pisserotte stream, which gave one of the houses its name, tumbles down the slope into the lake.
A little history
Lac de Pont is a reservoir. Its 24-metre dam, built between 1878 and 1882, holds back the Armançon to feed the Burgundy Canal; the lake was first filled in 1883. It also regulates the river and supplies drinking water to several dozen villages and towns. Drained in 2015 for major works, it was reopened in 2016.
Stay
Both houses are in Montigny-sur-Armançon, the village at the tail of the lake. Each sleeps up to five, with a garden, and pets are welcome.
Lifeguard hours, the water sports club and the restaurants change from one season to the next: the Terres d'Auxois tourist office keeps them up to date. Practical info on the tourist office website(opens in a new tab)
