An hour and a half from Epernay,
Head south to Vitry-le-François and then to the Lac du Der for a unique experience!
With its 4800ha of water, the Lac du Der is much more than a reservoir of the Marne. In spring, it becomes ‘the sea in Champagne’ with its nautical pleasures around the 6 sandy beaches, the 3 marinas displaying the Blue Flag and its numerous fishing spots .
A generous nature and preserved landscapes
You can admire these landscapes during a walk or a bike ride. The one not to be missed, the tour of the lake and its 36 kms (less than 3h by V.A.E).
You can also link the main towns around the lake by bike, via the canals as in Saint-Dizier or Vitry-le-François, or cross the Der forest to link the villages of the Blaise Valley or the Porte du Der.
More than 150 kms of greenways and 250 kms of marked trails to do on foot or mountain bike, have been developed between beaches, oak forests, villages of the bocage and dikes.
The Lac du Der is now a rare ornithological site in Europe where nearly 310 species of birds, some of which are endangered, can be observed in all seasons.
Beautiful meetings
As soon as spring arrives,nature awakens with a whole range of flora and fauna to admire around the observatories of the lake. You may have the chance to observe one of the rare pairs of white-tailed eagles in France.
In autumn, the lake empties as if to make way for the arrival of tens or even hundreds of thousands ofmigratory birds, including the Grey Crane, which has become the emblematic bird of Lac du Der.
The Lac du Der, a destination made of beautiful encounters, those of the wine growers of the Coteaux Vitryats around a glass of Champagne “Bulles Der”; those of inhabitants passionate about their town who share the know-how and the savoir-vivre of our towns and villages with their timber-framed churches, unique in France; those around sports and cultural events every season such as the Moov’o’Der festival and the Der Marathon in the spring, the free concerts of the Summer Musical Festival in Saint-Dizier or the International Photography Festival in Montier-en-Der in the fall.