An almost perfect circle of water 800 metres across and 92 metres deep: Auvergne's deepest lake fills a crater born 6,900 years ago, between Besse and Super-Besse. The walk around it takes an hour.
Seen from the crater rim, the Pavin draws an almost perfect circle 800 metres across, sitting at an altitude of 1,197 metres between Besse and Super-Besse. Below the surface, it goes down 92 metres: this is the deepest lake in Auvergne, born from a volcanic explosion about 6,900 years ago, the most recent in the region.
The Pavin is a meromictic lake, which is rare: its deep waters never mix with the surface waters. Below 60 metres there is no more oxygen, there are dissolved gases, a world of its own that scientists monitor closely. The name is said to come from the Latin pavens, “terrifying”, and the lake has fed legends since the Middle Ages, several of them starring the devil. In the 17th and 18th centuries, people said that a stone thrown into it set off lightning and thunder.
The walk around the lake is easy: a 2.7 km loop through the woods, allow an hour at a relaxed pace. Swimming is strictly forbidden, but you can fish from a boat: trout, perch and Arctic char. You need a special fishing permit (2026 season: 25 April to 27 September).
Parking is free, 100 metres from the lake, and the Pavin is the second most visited site in the Massif du Sancy. Our advice: on the loop, take the out-and-back detour up to the lake viewpoint, then finish in the medieval streets of Besse.
What you will find
- A circle of water 800 metres across, sitting in a crater
- 92 metres deep, the deepest of Auvergne's lakes
- The edges of the lake turning turquoise in summer
- The path through the beech woods that goes all the way round the lake
Local tip
On the walk around the lake, don't miss the out-and-back detour to the lake viewpoint. In July and August, a free exhibition also tells the story of the Pavin.
Good to know
- Parking is free and 100 metres from the lake, with disabled parking spaces. Motorhomes are allowed during the day, not overnight.
- Allow an hour at a relaxed pace for the easy 2.7 km loop through the woods. With very young ones, bring the baby carrier: the path isn't suitable for pushchairs.
- In places, the path around the lake gets slippery: wear shoes with good grip.
- Swimming is strictly forbidden; fishing, on the other hand, is done from a boat with a special permit, from late April to late September (2026 season).
Practical information
- Best time to go
- Summer, when the edges of the lake turn turquoise.
- Getting there
- Free access all year round, weather permitting.
- Parking
- Free car park 100 m from the lake, with disabled parking spaces. Motorhomes: daytime parking allowed, overnight parking not allowed.
- With children
- Easy 2.7 km loop, doable with children. With very young ones, bring the baby carrier: the path isn't suitable for pushchairs.
- With a dog
- Dogs allowed on a lead. Swimming is not allowed, dogs included.
