Réserve Naturelle Nationale du Bout du Lac d'Annecy

The Bout du Lac nature reserve is a wetland area crossed by two rivers, the Eau Morte and the Ire, which feed Lake Annecy. This marshy area to the south of the lake is an exceptional habitat. Wet forests, reedbeds, wet meadows and alkaline peat bogs make up this ecosystem, offering a diversity that is conducive to the establishment of a large number of common, rare or sensitive animal and plant species.

The site's major interest lies in the presence of the underwater herbarium, which supports the development of a fauna of invertebrates and fish, and also in the reed bed, which is a refuge for the common toad, a protected area for the European beaver and for the reptiles of Haute-Savoie.

Breeding birds such as the reed bunting, spotted locustella and three warblers can be found in the higher parts of the reedbed. The bittern sometimes completes this list. Wintering birds (tufted duck, common pochard and ruddy duck) spend the cold season here in good conditions. Next on the list are the willow and alder thickets, the pedunculate oak woodlands, the arable and hay meadows and the gallery forests along the watercourses. The remarkable diversity of these biotopes supports a remarkable flora. Protected species include gentian pneumonanthe, snake's tongue, water ragwort, sweet-smelling orchid and Swiss woodruff.

Visit by yourself: 1h30; Guided tour: 3h00.
Guided visits from 26 june to 4 september 2009: natrue trail tour every thursday from 9am to noon, kayaking tuesday mornings and nighttime nature trail.