If you have not visited Lake Genin, you should put it on your to-do list. Lake Genin is situated between Bellegarde-sur- Valserine and Nantua. This lake is truly a little gem that I wish someone would have told me about sooner. It is easily accessible from Pays de Gex and Geneva if you have access to a car. It is one of the places that you can visit no matter what season and whatever the weather. In the spring and autumn, it is the perfect place for walking. In the summer you swim in the lake. In the winter you can ice skate, sledge, or go snowshoeing.

I discovered Lac Genin for the first time a few years ago on a nice and hot summer day. I was equipped with a towel and determent to have a swim, even if the water would be really cold. The water was not that cold, and from what I have since learned the normal temperature is around 20 degrees Celsius in the summer.

The lake itself is not very big.  With a length of 380 meters and a width of 330, its size is probably the reason for the nice water temperature in the summer even if the lake gets frozen in the winter.

On the nice summer days, you will not be the only one there. The green grass on one side will be full of colourful bathing towels, and both children and adults will be enjoying the sun and the water. In the summer season, you will normally find lifeguards observing and making sure that everybody is safe. You will find a playground, toilets, a snack bar, a restaurant, and a hotel. I have not tested the restaurant myself, but I have heard that the people come from far away to eat there. The specialities are barbeques and local trout.

For an adult to walk around the lake it will take you around 25-30 minutes if you take it relatively slow.

If you think 30 minutes around the lake is not enough exercise and you are not tempted by a swim in the lake, you have the possibility to walk the 11,5 kilometres from Lac Genin to Oyonnax. This walk should take you around 4-4.30 hours to complete. For map and walking instructions in French, click here.

If you need a walk that is a little shorter, but still a little longer than just around the lake you have the option to do De La Vouivre, or in English, the Wyvern walk. This walk is 3,5 kilometres and takes around 1.30 to 2 hours to complete.

The Wyvern is a two-legged dragon with a barbed tail. The possibility to get a glimpse of this monster should be a good motivator for both children and adults.

The Patrimones de Ain have put together an activity book for children in French that can be downloaded. You will also find a map of the walk there.

If you visit Lake Genin in the autumn, you will see that the forest there must be the perfect place to go mushroom hunting. This year I was unprepared, next year I will be ready in September with my basket and mushroom guide.

Lake Genin is often referred to as “Little Canada”. The reason for this is its location in a clearing surrounded by pine forest and the harsh weather in the winter season.  

During the winter months and on those cold and crisp mornings it is therefore the perfect starting point for snowshoeing. There should be marked trails, but I did not see specific snowshoe trails when I was there yesterday. I only saw the normal hiking trails, but I think they will work for snowshoes to. We followed the trails made by other snowshoers which guided us around the quiet and peaceful landscape. There were lots of kids (and adults) out enjoying sledging in the slopes around the lake. When the lake is frozen it is possible to enjoy ice skating, but before you do so, always check with the hotel if the ice is thick enough and if it is safe to walk on the ice.

For those of you not equipped with snowshoes, sledges, or ice skates the hotel has a renting-out service. On the nice and sunny winter days, you should check availability before you go so that you are not disappointed if it is all rented out.

There’s adventure to found so close to where we live. Lake Genin is just one of these places that are waiting for you to explore.

Feel free to share!