View of the Saint Gilles castle from the royal abbey of Hautecombe

The most important town on its shore is Aix-les-Bains. Chambéry, the préfecture of Savoie, lies about 10 km south of the lake. The lake was named after the town Le Bourget-du-Lac, on its south shore. It is mainly supplied with water by the river Leysse (and by other small rivers), and drains towards the river Rhône through the canal of Savières, an artificial channel.

More details:

• Surface area: 44.5 km² (4,450 hectares)

• Max.length: 18 km

• Max. width: 3.5 km

• Average depth: 85 m

• Max. depth: 145 m

• Water volume: 3,6 billion m³

• Water renewal: 8 years

• Surface elevation: 231.5 m

The average water temperature is about 7 °C in January and about 23 °C in July.

Near the lake, there is an interesting aquarium in Aix-les-Bains that presents the aquatic species living in the lake and in its surroundings. 50 species of fresh water fish are presented. The aim of this aquarium is not only to help preserve the local fauna but also to educate people during the visits.

• Address:

Aquarium du Lac du Bourget - Le Petit Port - 73 100 AIX-LES-BAINS

• Phone: +33 04 79 61 08 22 or +33 04 79 88 83 27

• Fax: + 33 04 79 61 32 12

• E-mail (for more information): info@aquarium-lacdubourget.com

• E-mail (administration) : administration@aquarium-lacdubourget.com

• Website: http://www.aquarium-lacdubourget.com

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View of the Leman lake and France from a balcony in Lutry, Switzerland (picture above)

]]> http://arras-france.com/more-pictures-of-the-leman-lake-part-i/feed/ http://arras-france.com/leman-lake-in-the-haute-savoie-department/ http://arras-france.com/leman-lake-in-the-haute-savoie-department/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:35:03 +0000 Arras Guide http://arras-france.com/?p=1442 Leman lake also called lake Geneva (in French: le lac Léman, le Léman, lac de Genève) is the largest natural freshwater lake in western Europe (582 km²). It is also the most important lake in continental Europe in terms of volume (89 km³). 60% of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland (cantons of Vaud, Geneva, and Valais), and 40% under France (Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region).

The crescent-shaped lake, formed by a withdrawing glacier, narrows around Yvoire on the southern shore, thus dividing the lake into the “Grand Lac” (Large Lake) to the east and the “Petit Lac” (Small Lake) to the west.

The lake lies on the course of the Rhône river. The river has its source at the Rhone Glacier near the Grimsel Pass to the east of the lake and flows down through the Canton of Valais, entering the lake between Villeneuve and Le Bouveret, before flowing slowly towards its egress at Geneva. Other tributaries are La Dranse, L’Aubonne, La Morges, La Venoge, and Veveyse.

The Leman lake has an alpine character. The Chablais Alps border its southern shore, the western Bernese Alps lie over its eastern side. The high summits of Grand Combin and Mont Blanc are even visible from a few places.

By the 1960s, the lake had ceased being a transport artery for commercial and construction materials. In the late 1960s pollution made it dangerous to swim at some beaches of the lake; indeed, tourists taking a ride in the local submarine had near zero visibility. By the 1980s, intense environmental pollution (eutrophication) had almost wiped out all the fish. Today, pollution levels have been dramatically cut back, and it is considered safe again to swim in the lake. The major leisure activities include sailing, wind surfing, boating (including water skiing and wakeboarding), rowing, scuba diving and bathing.

On a scientific footnote, in 1827, Leman lake was the site for the first measurement of the speed of sound in (fresh) water. French mathematician Jacques Charles François Sturm and Swiss Physicist Daniel Collodon used two moored boats, separated by a measured distance, as the transmit and receive platforms for the sounds of exploding gunpowder. The loud airborne sound coupled into the lake, establishing a loud underwater sound that could be measured at a distance. The flash of the exploding gunpowder provided the visual starting cue for the timepiece, and the underwater explosion sound striking a bell provided the finish cue.

The shore between Nyon and Lausanne is called “La Côte” because it is “flatter”. Between Lausanne and Vevey is Lavaux, famous for its hilly vineyards.

Name

The first recorded name of the lake is Lacus Lemanus from Roman times; it became Lacus Lausonius, although this name was also used for a town or district on the lake, Lacus Losanetes and then the lac de Lausanne in the Middle Ages. Following the rise of Geneva it became lac de Genève (translated into English as lake Geneva). In the 18th century, lac Léman was revived in French. It is often called lac de Genève in Geneva and lac Léman elsewhere but the customary name in French is now lac Léman or even le Léman. Some maps name the lake “le lac d’Ouchy” (after the port located on the Lausanne lake shore). In contemporary English, the name lake Geneva is predominant.

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The two famous presenters of the Fort Boyard TV programme: Anne-Gaëlle Riccio and Olivier Minne. They guide the team around the Fort giving advice (and sympathy) when needed!

Le père Fouras (the Fouras’ father) asking one of the team members to solve a riddle in his Watch Tower.

The three famous dwarfs of the Fort Boyard.

The dwarf named “Passe-partout“

André BOUCHET has been playing the role of “Passe-partout” since 1990. It’s him who guides the team from challenge to challenge, who opens the doors, and locks people in when their time is up. He is the keeper of the keys won by the team.

The dwarf named “Passe-temps“

Alain PREVOST has been playing the role of “Passe-temps” since 1990. He is the right hand man of “Passe-partout” and it’s him who leads some members of the team to the Pere Fouras’ watch tower to solve a riddle. There, he is in charge of the hourglass (the riddles are timed).

The dwarf named “Passe-Muraille“

Anthony LABORDE has been playing the role of “Passe-Muraille” since 2004. He plays a minor role in the TV programme and only makes brief apparitions.

La Boule

Yves MARCHESSEAU has been playing the role of “la Boule” since 1994. La Boule is a massive French-man who strikes the gong to manage the time, and leads prisoners to the cages, which he guards while sitting in the sun. Strong and imposing, he is a sailor lost on the Fort.

Mr Tchan

Roberty Long has been playing the role of “Mr Tchan” since 2007. He is in charge of the challenge that bears the same name. He chooses one of the team’s members and asks him/her to lie down on a bed, while another member of the team has to solve a difficult puzzle. If the puzzle isn’t solved on time, the person who was lying down disappears and becomes a prisoner.

Les Maîtres des Ténébres (the masters of darkness)

The “Maîtres des Ténébres” have been present in the TV programme since 1995. Their name has successively changed even though they have always played the same role. First called “Maîtres des Jeux” (the Masters of the Games), they were then called “Maîtres du Temps” (the Masters of Time), and then “Maîtres des Ténébres”. Half men, half tigers, they challenge the team members in the “salle du conseil” (the council room). If the team members win their challenges, they win extra time for the Treasure room.

Félindra

Monique Angeon played the role of “Félindra” from 1991 to 1997, and again from 1999 to 2005. She has been playing that role again since 2007. She is the keeper of the Treasure Room and is the tigers’ master. She is also in charge of validating the word-code proposed by the team members by turning the famous tiger head. If the word-code is wrong, the team members cannot go and fetch the gold coins.

The Magician

Serge AVRIL has been playing the role of the “Magician” since 2001. His role is to manipulate several black glasses in which he is hiding a key and a team member has to guess where the key is. The team member has several attempts to guess where the key is.

The teams participating to this TV programme are always different and are made of various personalities (singers, actors, actresses, sport professionals etc). The money that they can win in the Treasure room is given to the foundation they are supporting (foundations against cancer, against a particular disease etc).

For more pictures, click on this link: http://www.passe-muraille.com/photos-les-figures-du-jeu.htm