The Lac de Joux in the Vaud Jura is located at 1000m in the high valley of the same name (Vallée de Joux). The austere beauty and unspoiled nature of the high valley with its lake attracts numerous guests all year round, in summer mainly for water sports, biking and hiking and in winter for ice skating and cross-country skiing. Description
Nestled between the Mont Tendre (1679m) and the heavily wooded Risoux chain, along whose ridge the border between Switzerland and France runs, the Lac de Joux is the largest body of water in the Jura massif. Known for its favorable wind conditions, the lake attracts many sailors and windsurfers, but is also suitable for rowing, water skiing and wakeboarding. Water temperatures between 18 and 24 degrees also attract many bathers. Extensive cycling and mountain biking routes as well as a wonderful network of hiking trails extend through the hilly natural paradise around the lake.
Lac de Joux and the almost adjacent but much smaller Lac Brenet have no surface drainage: the water seeps underground and only comes to the surface again a few kilometers further on at Vallorbe. In July and August, a single scheduled boat runs on Lac de Joux every day from Le Pont at the northeast end of the lake for an afternoon round trip. In June and September, the boat only runs on Saturdays and Sundays. This makes the Lac de Joux shipping company one of the smaller ones in Switzerland and a trip on the lake a real rarity.
In winter, the frozen lake becomes a huge ice rink and a paradise for ice skaters, but also for ice hikers. Otherwise, in winter, the Vallée de Joux is above all a limitless cross-country skiing paradise with around 200 kilometers of groomed trails in almost untouched nature. The Jura landscape with its rolling hills and extensive forests also offers excellent opportunities for wonderful snowshoe tours - even lasting several days - or fast-paced dog sledding.
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