🌊 Lakes & swimming
Where to go lake swimming in the Grand Est
The Grand Est has no shortage of lakes for cooling off in summer: glacial lakes in the High Vosges such as Gérardmer and Longemer, large reservoirs in Champagne such as the Lac du Der and the Forêt d’Orient lakes, and purpose-built leisure lakes such as Madine or Les Vieilles-Forges, deep in the Ardennes forest. The swimming season is short, concentrated in July and August, with a few extra weeks at Madine. Be clear on two terms: “monitored” water is tested by the Agence régionale de santé (ARS, the regional health agency), while a “supervised” bathing area has lifeguards. A site can be monitored without being supervised.
With young children, choose a supervised beach: the Union Nautique base at Gérardmer, the beaches at Madine or the beach at Les Vieilles-Forges, in season. At the Lac de la Plaine, next to Pierre-Percée, there is a beach at the leisure centre: ask on site about lifeguard cover. The natural areas around Lake Gérardmer and Lake Longemer, where the Plage de la Clairière is monitored by the ARS, are not supervised: you swim at your own risk. At the Lac du Der and the Lac d’Orient, several beaches have facilities; ask on site which ones are supervised and on which dates. Wherever you go, check the latest water test results published by the French Ministry of Health before setting off.
How to choose?
If you are visiting with young children
These three sites have supervised swimming in season, with toilets and facilities nearby.
🌊 Swimming & Sailing on Lake Gérardmer🌊 Lac de Madine🌊 Lac des Vieilles-Forges
If you are looking for a free beach
Access to the beaches and shores is free; only water sports cost money.
If you prefer nature and peace and quiet
Lakes surrounded by forest, with a walk around Lake Longemer; at Longemer, swimming is not supervised.
If you want to combine swimming and water sports
Sailing dinghies, paddleboards and pedalos can be hired from local operators in season.
🌊 Swimming & Sailing on Lake Gérardmer🌊 Lac de Madine🌊 Lac d’Orient – Forêt d’Orient
ComparisonData taken from each listing, checked against official sources
| Place or activity | When | Time needed | Who it suits | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming & Sailing on Lake Gérardmer📍 Gérardmer · Vosges (88) | Summer for swimming; water sports during the summer season | Half a day to a full day | Families; with children, choose the supervised Union Nautique beach | No railway station in Gérardmer: stations at Remiremont (30 min), Saint-Dié (40 min) or Épinal (45 min), then a Fluo bus |
| Lac de Madine📍 Nonsard-Lamarche · Meuse (55) | Leisure base open all year round; lifeguarded swimming from mid-June to 20 September (weekends only outside July and August) | Lap of the lake: about 2 hours by bike, 5 hr 30 min to 6 hours on foot | Families, water-sports fans, birdwatchers; disabled parking and hire of mobility scooters | By car: Nonsard-Lamarche or Heudicourt-sous-les-Côtes (Meuse), car parks P1 to P3 with disabled spaces |
| Lac des Vieilles-Forges📍 Ardennes (08) | All year for walking; supervised beach and water sports in summer | From a few hours for a walk to a full day in summer | Families, swimmers, anglers, walkers; Wi-Splash from age 7; animals accepted on the site | By car: Les Mazures, north-west of Charleville-Mézières; car park, including for coaches |
| Lac de Pierre-Percée📍 Pierre-Percée · Meurthe-et-Moselle (54) | All year for walks; beach at Lac de la Plaine during the summer bathing season | Half a day to a full day depending on activities | Families, walkers, mountain bikers and anglers | By car, in the south-east of Meurthe-et-Moselle, near Badonviller; swimming at the Celles-sur-Plaine leisure centre |
| Lac du Der📍 Marne / Haute-Marne | All year round; summer for swimming, mid-October to mid-March for common cranes | Half a day to a full day (lake circuit by bike: 36 km) | Families, cyclists, birdwatchers, anglers | Car: D384 from Saint-Dizier, D13 from Vitry-le-François; nearest SNCF station: Saint-Dizier |
| Lac d’Orient – Forêt d’Orient📍 Mesnil-Saint-Père · Aube (10) | Open access all year; boating from the first weekend of March to the third weekend of October | Half a day to a full day | Families, swimmers, non-motorised boaters, birdwatchers | A5 exit 23 “Thennelières”, then follow “Grands Lacs”; stations at Vendeuvre-sur-Barse, Troyes or Bar-sur-Aube; greenway from Troyes |
| Lake Longemer📍 Xonrupt-Longemer · Vosges (88) | All year round for walking; monitored bathing season from 6 July to 30 August 2026 | 1 hr 30 for the lake circuit (5.2 km); half a day with a swim | Families and walkers of all abilities; delta path not suitable for pushchairs | By car: via the D417 from Gérardmer; parking at the car park at 530 route de la Plage (Xonrupt-Longemer) |
Map: Where to go lake swimming in the Grand Est
When to go?
- JanPossible
- FebPossible
- MarPossible
- AprPossible
- MayPossible
- JunPossible
- JulPeak season
- AugPeak season
- SeptPossible
- OctPossible
- NovPossible
- DecPossible
Peak season Possible Off season
📅 Aim for July and August, when most supervised beaches are running and the water is at its most pleasant. Madine opens its supervised swimming from mid-June until 20 September, at weekends outside the summer.
Tips & insider advice
- Choose supervised beaches
With children, choose a site with lifeguards and stay within the marked zone, following the flags.
- Check the water quality
Health test results are published on baignades.sante.gouv.fr; a bathing site may be closed temporarily.
- Beware of cold water
Even in summer, the water in the Vosges mountain lakes can be chilly: ease yourself in gradually.
- Watch the local signs
In hot weather, blooms of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) can lead to a swimming ban: follow the signs on site.
- Leave the dog dry
Animals are banned from several bathing areas, such as the Plage de la Clairière at Longemer.
- Plan your journey
Gérardmer has no railway station: from Remiremont, Saint-Dié or Épinal, take the Fluo bus; the other lakes are mainly reached by car.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I swim with lifeguards in the Vosges?
In Gérardmer, the Union Nautique base, run by the town, has two purpose-built bathing areas supervised by qualified lifeguards, with a giant 60 m water slide. Admission is charged. The lake’s other natural areas are not supervised.
Is swimming supervised at Lake Longemer?
No. Water quality at the Plage de la Clairière is tested by the ARS during the season (6 July to 30 August in 2026), but there are no lifeguards. Children must be constantly supervised by an adult.
When can you swim at Lake Madine?
Swimming is supervised from mid-June to 20 September, at weekends only outside July and August. The beaches are free; activities, hire and lockers are charged. Check opening times on the lake’s official website.
Can you swim in the Lac du Der?
Yes, several beaches with facilities welcome swimmers in summer, and access to the lake is free. Lifeguard cover and its dates vary from beach to beach: check lacduder.com or ask the tourist office before you settle in.
Information checked in October 2026. Opening hours, prices and conditions may change: check the official website before you travel.
Sources consulted (7)
- mairie-gerardmer.fr/tourisme/union-nautique
- lacmadine.com
- grand-est.ars.sante.fr/media/125675/download?inline
- baignades.sante.gouv.fr
- guide-tourisme-france.com/BAIGNADE/baignade-baignade-clairiere-xonrupt-longemer-3884.htm
- guide-tourisme-france.com/BAIGNADE/baignade-les-vieilles-forges-mazures-965.htm
- guide-tourisme-france.com/BAIGNADE/baignade-madine-plage-nonsard-nonsard-lamarche-2937.htm