The banks of the lake
Chorges

The banks of the lake

Lake and glacier
Panorama
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This easy route winds its way through Mediterranean flora along the paths that border the Lac de Serre-Ponçon.
“The sections along the lakeshore really give you the impression of running beside the sea, with the smell of the pine trees, the sound of the waves and the bright sunshine, but with the added bonus of mountain views".

8 points of interest

  • Fauna

    The field cricket

    Just 18 to 26 mm long, this little insect has a black head which looks a little like a helmet. The female can be told apart from the male by the presence of a third long appendage at the rear of the body. The cricket’s song is heard from April onwards. The male sings his chirping song from the entrance to his burrow. The fertile females lay their eggs in the ground, which remain there for two weeks before the larvae emerge.
  • Flora

    Common juniper

    This bush is a resinous evergreen conifer. It is characterised by its greenish to blue (glaucous) needles with a white line on their upper side, and fruits resembling blue-black berries. It usually tends to grow in warm environments receiving plenty of sunlight. It grows in grassy or scrub covered areas up to 2,000 metres above sea level.
  • Fauna

    Common magpie

    This bird can be identified by its black and white plumage with blue-green tints on the wings and tail. Its tail is remarkably long. It can be found all year round in varied open environments. Its omnivorous diet consists of invertebrates, seeds and berries, small rodents, eggs and nestlings and even human rubbish. Except during the nesting period when it is solitary, the magpie is gregarious species which gathers into rather raucous groups in the winter.
  • Fauna

    Grey heron

    This is a tall bird (85 to 102 cm). Its white head is adorned with two large black eyebrows. Its back and wings are ash grey, hence its name. Its legs and beak are yellowish in colour. It uses its long, powerful beak to catch large prey (fish, amphibians etc.). In flight, its neck is folded back forming an «S». This species is wholly protected by regulations.
  • Fauna

    Western green lizard

    This lizard can be spotted from April through to late September. The species is in hibernation for the rest of the year. It hunts in areas with dense vegetation and feeds primarily on insects and invertebrates. It exhibits sexual dimorphism, that is to say, during the breeding season only, the males have bright blue colouring on the throat and sides of the head. Mating takes place around May. The males engage in fights, in which they occasionally lose their tails.

  • Flora

    Downy oak

    The oak has a dark grey bark which is deeply fissured. Its lobed leaves, downy on their undersides, remain dried out on the tree until the spring. The fruits, called acorns, ripen in the autumn. The oak can grow at up to 1,500 metres above sea level, on well exposed slopes. Also called the white oak, the downy oak is well known for hosting truffles among its roots. This fungus develops 30 to 40 cm underground, and the difficulty in finding it makes it a culinary delicacy.
  • Fauna

    Burnet moth

    This is a medium-sized moth (25 - 35 mm wingspan), often brightly coloured: the inner wing has a maximum of six spots. This burnet moth is found on the edges of calcareous meadows, steppe-like slopes, dry bushes and clearings in dry forests. This remarkable species is a sign of the quality of the habitats but it is not at risk so does not appear on the list of threatened species.
  • Fauna

    Eurasian jay

    The Eurasian jay has a colourful plumage. Its black tail and blue wing streak helps to identify this relatively shy bird. It regularly utters raucous caws, but also frequently imitates the calls of several other species. In late winter, jays assemble in groups and sing as a choir, uttering whistles and chirps in a cheerful chatter. They all display their finest feathers and adopt comical attitudes, in preparation for forming into pairs.


Description

  1. From the forecourt of the Tourist Office, head opposite onto Route du Fein. Pass under the bridge over the main road, then turn left until you cross the D3. Cross it and continue to the right along the pavement.
  2. Leave the main road and turn left onto the secondary road. Stay on this route over the railway line and pass the hamlet of Pré Long. At the intersection, take the track on the left. At the next crossroads, continue uphill to the right to reach "Champ de Gorny".
  3. Take a left fork onto the path, passing 2 chicanes, then take a direct right uphill to join a track. Continue left up the hill. At the crow's-foot intersection, leave the main track and continue right on the flat. Pass under the power lines twice, then leave the main path and turn left onto a downhill path.
  4. Continue left along the track until you reach some fields. At the signpost, continue straight ahead through marl until you reach Les Trémouilles. Bear left onto the lakeside path past Pra de l'Ase.
  5. At the crossroads, continue left on the flat and stay on it until you reach the "serre de l'aigle" post. From here, continue straight ahead on the path until you reach the hamlet of Chanteloube. Cross it downhill, then turn right in front of the chapel to join an uphill track. Stay on this path until you reach the hamlet of Pré Long.
  6. From there, the return journey takes the same route.
  • Departure : Tourist Office, Chorges
  • Arrival : Tourist Office, Chorges
  • Towns crossed : Chorges

Altimetric profile


Information desks

Tourist office Chorges

Grand rue, 05230 Chorges

https://www.serreponcon.comchorges@serreponcon-tourisme.com0492506425

October to may : Monday to Saturday, 9.00 - 12.30 & 13.30 - 17.00.
April, may, june & september : Monday to Saturday, 9.00 - 12.30 & 14.30 - 18.00
July and August : Monday to Saturday, 9:00 – 12.30 & 14.30 – 19.00 Sunday 9.30 – 12.30

Closed on Thursdays outside French holidays’ periods
Closed on French national holidays, except 14th of July and 15th of August

Find out more

Tourist office Savines-le-Lac

9 Avenue de la Combe d'Or, 05160 Savines-le-Lac

https://www.serreponcon-tourisme.com/savineslelac@serreponcon-tourisme.com0492443100

October to march : Monday to Saturday, 9.00 - 12.30 & 13.30 - 17.00. 
April, may, june & september : Monday to Saturday, 9.00 - 12.30 & 14.30 - 18.00
July and August : Monday to Saturday, 9.00 - 13.00 & 15.00 - 19.00. Sundays, 10.00 - 13.00 & 15.00 - 18.00

Closed on French national holidays, except 14th of July, and 15th of August
Closed on Thursdays outside French holidays’ periods

Find out more

Tourist office Embrun

Place Général Dosse - BP 49, 05202 Embrun

https://www.serreponcon-tourisme.com/embrun@serreponcon-tourisme.com0492437272

October to march : Monday to Saturday, 9.00 - 12.30 & 13.30 - 17.00. 
April, may, june & september : Monday to Saturday, 9.00 - 12.30 & 14.30 - 18.00
July and August : Monday to Saturday, 9.00 - 19.00. Sundays, 10.00 - 12.30 & 16.00 - 19.00


On French national holidays (except 14th of July and 15th of August) : 9am to 1pm. Closed on the 1st of January, 1st of May, 25th December and 11th November
Closed on Thursdays outside French holidays’ periods

Find out more

Transport

Public transport: www.pacamobilite.fr

Access and parking

From Gap or Embrun, take the N94 towards Chorges, and from there go to the Tourist Office in the town centre.

Parking :

Grand Logis car park

More information


Source


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