Instagram-Famous Lake Dries Up: A Stunning Destination Transformed
Lake Brenets, located on the Swiss-French border and renowned for its picturesque scenery, has nearly dried up following months of drought and record-breaking heatwaves. With tourist boats grounded on the cracked lakebed, local businesses face a devastating season.
Those who have visited Lake Brenets (Lac des Brenets) on the border of Switzerland and France in recent years usually encountered turquoise water, lush green scenery, and calm boat rides along the banks—sights that made it a favorite destination for travelers and a regular star in Instagram photos. However, this summer, the picture has changed completely.
The lake, considered one of the most beautiful natural sites in the area, attracts thousands of travelers, swimmers, and canoeists every summer. Three cruise companies operate tourist boat trips throughout the season, but this year, operations have been halted. Following months of low precipitation and three consecutive heatwaves hitting Central Europe, the water level in the Doubs River, which feeds the lake, has dropped sharply, and the lake has almost completely emptied. It has been impossible to sail on it for over a week.
Dozens of boats remain stuck on the cracked bottom, including the "Jumbo," a tourist ship usually used for cruises.
"It hits us hard because we have no way to deal with this phenomenon," Yvon Dorig, owner of the local cruise company, told Reuters.
According to Dorig, he has already been forced to put his employees on unpaid leave, and he fears the year will end in losses. The water level is currently more than nine meters below average and continues to drop at a rate of about 22 centimeters per day. According to the Swiss weather service MeteoSuisse, only about half the normal amount of precipitation has fallen in the region since April. The service estimates that this is one of the most severe drought periods Switzerland has known, similar to those recorded in 1976, 2003, and 2018.
The forecasts are also not encouraging, and at least until mid-August, lower-than-normal precipitation is expected in the region. According to Dorig, the lake has experienced drought periods in the past, but in recent years they have become more frequent.
"These droughts come one after another, something we have never seen before," he said.
Today, only a narrow, murky strip of water remains in the center of the lake, where the fish have been pushed, along with a few swans still swimming in the area. The Saut du Doubs waterfall, one of the most well-known attractions in the area, has also almost completely dried up.
"When the lake is full of water and it flows, this place is beautiful. It is a pastoral and wonderful place," said 69-year-old local resident Martial Baillard. "It makes me sad to see it in such a state."
