Lake Settons (Lac des Settons)
A granite-dammed lake in the heart of the Morvan, built to float firewood to Paris.
- Nature and viewpoint
- 1 h 03 from Beaune
- Allow 2 hours to half a day
- Montsauche-les-Settons
€225one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 03 by road (80 km), €225 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
The Lac des Settons lies at 586 metres in the heart of the Morvan, ringed by forests and small wooded islands. It was created in the 1850s to send timber down the rivers to Paris. Today it is a quiet place for walking, sailing and fishing, and one of the great lakes of the Morvan.
What you will see
The lake covers 366 hectares, with a shoreline of more than 13 km. A marked path runs all the way round the lake, and other trails head off into the forest. In summer a sailing school and a leisure base offer sailing, canoeing and rowing, and boats can be hired. Anglers come for pike and trout. Stop by the granite dam to see the work of the 1850s builders.
History
Studies for a dam began under Louis XVI but came to nothing. André Dupin, member of parliament for the Nièvre, revived the project. Work started in 1854 and the dam was blessed on 13 May 1858. It is 20 metres high and built of granite blocks, hauled by oxen from the forest of Breuil-Chenue, 15 km away. Further works followed in 1861, after water damaged the structure.
The lake was built to regulate navigation on the Yonne and to float logs to Paris. Loose logs were released on great surges of water, stopped at Arcy-sur-Cure, then bound into rafts 100 metres long at Cravant. Coal ended the trade, and the last timber floated in 1924. The site of the dam was protected in 1937, and the first campsite opened on its shores in 1956.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Allow two hours for a walk and a drink by the water, or half a day on the full lakeside loop. The lake is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Beaune and combines well with Saulieu or the Maison du Parc at Saint-Brisson. Water sports run mainly in summer. Check with the Morvan park tourist office for opening times of activities.
Around here
What to combine with Lake Settons on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Lake Settons is about 1 h 03 from Beaune by road (80 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €225 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? Logs from the Morvan were cut to a standard length of 1.14 metres and stamped at each end with their owner's mark before being floated towards Paris.
Sources
Lake Settons with a private driver
€225 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests