Hiking "Lakes and swamps of St Jean de Chevelu"

The signs describe the birth of the lakes, their conservation and management, as well as the ancient use of the marshes and their close relationship with the vines planted all around them and exploited very early on by the clerks of the old strongholds.

The route passes through a number of hamlets, woods and meadows.

The birth of the lakes:

The two small Chevelu lakes are nestled in a small basin between the Lierre mountain and the Mont de la Charvaz. They were formed when part of the Dent du Chat collapsed following the retreat of the last Würm glaciers. This collapse is thought to have created a dam giving rise to a lake. Initially a single lake, the basin gradually filled in and split into two smaller lakes. They are relatively small (6.4 and 4.4 ha) and no more than 8 m deep. Together with the surrounding marshes, springs and streams, they form a natural basin with high added value.