Grand-Lieu, tropical lake

The Grand-Lieu Lake in Loire-Atlantique, France, spreads its blue waters over 3500 hectares with no end in sight. In winter, its surface doubles, pushing it to the ranks of the largest natural lake in the French plains.

Grand-Lieu is one of the most beautiful humid zones of Europe. A tropical jewel, much like the African lakes in their lack of depth, its luxurious vegetation reminds one of the Danube deltas.

Its biological heritage, with 550 vegetal species, 220 algae and 360 vertebrates, is of great value and is recognised worldwide. But undoubtedly, it is the birds that constitute the major interest of Grand-Lieu. It shelters one of the most important ornithological reserves in Europe: grey herons, great egrets, great cormorants, ibis…Close to 110 000 couples of birds come here to nest, away from all eyes.

The depression in which the lake is situated is about 50 million years old, making it the oldest lake in France, which was covered by the seas quite often in the past. Its current form is about two million years old, about the age of the first men on earth…

As stupefying as it may seem, Grand-Lieu is a tropical lake right at the heart of the Nantes countryside.