Dwight Peck's personal website

Les Grangettes

Switzerland's Wetland of International Importance on Lake Geneva

You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.

We're newly back from sightseeing in Sirmione and Verona, and we're celebrating with another stroll through the Grangettes wetland at the eastern end of Lake Geneva, or Lac Léman, 28 May 2016.

Les Grangettes on Lac Léman

Les Grangettes, located between Villeneuve and the mouth of the Rhône river, was designated by Switzerland in 1990 as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The chief criteria used to justify the designation were those concerning the site's importance for waterbirds, and this is the birdwatching observation tower established by the NGO Pro Natura.

Renaturalizing some of the shoreline

From the observation tower, lakeshore lagoons and Montreux in the background

The small boat marina of Villeneuve, and the Chillon Viaduct of the A9 highway

The Étang (pond) de l'Ecu d'Or, dug out in 1970 to join the nature reserve and periodically cleared to prevent its transforming itself into forest.

A sliver of biodiversity

The shoreside path through the nature reserve

A pause

The Jardin Instinctif

The Jardin Instinctif, by Gérard Bonnet

At the jardin

Contribute to the evolution of the garden

Drainage

Through the Camping Les Grangettes

Lakeside débris, all blown down here to the end of the lake

"Bathing prohibited. Danger. Quicksand."

A bit more biodiversity

"Pas de zones humides. Pas d'eau!"

Out onto the jetty that extends the Grand Canal 500 metres into the lake

Navigating the Grand Canal

Complacency and patience in the Grand Canal

The Grand Canal, and the Dents du Midi

Final exams coming up

The Grand Canal and a handful of holiday homes

Back to Villeneuve

Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 1 September 2016.

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