Gour de Tazenat Lake

Address: Gour de Tazenat (near Charbonnier-les-Mines / Tazenat), Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Hours: Open daily

Admission: Free

Gour de Tazenat is a circular volcanic crater lake (maar) located in the Auvergne region of central France. The feature is notable for its roughly circular shoreline and steep crater walls.

The lake occupies a volcanic explosion crater and is one of several small volcanic landforms in the Chaîne des Puys / Massif Central area. It is visited for its geological interest and local recreational use.

The crater formed during volcanic activity in the regional volcanic field; since formation it has filled with water to create the present lake. The site is part of the wider volcanic landscape of Auvergne.

Gour de Tazenat sits in the Puy-de-Dôme department of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France, within a rural volcanic district of the Massif Central.

• Volcanic origin: A volcanic maar - a circular crater lake formed by explosive volcanic activity

• Go early in the morning to enjoy calm water reflections and to avoid the short but noticeable weekend crowds-the small parking area fills quickly on sunny days.
• Walk the full rim path around the maar for the best perspectives; the viewpoint from the rim gives a much better sense of the crater's shape and depth than the lakeshore alone, and interpretive signs near the car park explain the crater's volcanic origin.
• Visit on a weekday or outside peak summer hours if you prefer privacy-Gour de Tazenat is a compact site, so short visits can feel crowded when many people arrive at once.