Lac Souterrain St Léonard

Lac Souterrain St Léonard, Switzerland

The largest underground lake in Europe is in the heart of the canton of Valais here in Switzerland. Just a 5 minute drive from the autoroute, you can discover the most fascinating site which was explored for the first time in 1943. Located along the Rhone Valley the lake is around 300 meters long and can be explored by taking a boat trip across its crystal clear waters.

Nestled in the middle of the vineyards, the local population were aware of an underground lake and used it to cool their bottles of wine at the edge of its waters but were fearful to venture deep into the lake with some superstitions about an unknown subterranean world. In 1943, two explorers entered the cave with an inflatable boat and were amazed by the size and beauty of the underground lake. They landed on the beach at the far end before returning to the locals with news of a great new discovery. In 1949, the lake opened to visitors and was illuminated for safety and to show its unique features.

Over the years, the underground lake has become popular as a venue for live music and poetry recital events with the artists performing on boats on the lake and the audience sitting in other boats several meters away.

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