Aix-les-Bains and Lac du Bourget: Spa Town and Royal Abbey
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Badge Unlock
Bourget Lake Bather
Complete this challenge to add this badge to your collection.
250
XP
+100 France
= 350 total
2 days
Aix-les-Bains and Lac du Bourget: Spa Town and Royal Abbey
250 + 100 XP
The Romans called Aix simply 'Aquae', the waters, and the spa town sits beside Lac du Bourget — 18 km long, 145 m deep and the deepest lake lying wholly in France, a UNESCO biosphere reserve since September 2025. Aix still has its Roman funerary arch and its working baths, and across the water the abbey of Hautecombe holds the tombs of the House of Savoy.
Required Activities
1
of 4
Take a thermal treatment or spa session at the Thermes de Chevalley in Aix-les-Bains
2
of 4
Find the arc de Campanus in the middle of Aix, the funerary arch a rich local family probably raised in the 1st century, and then the so-called temple of Diana on the terrace below it, which replaced an older round building in the 2nd century
3
of 4
Take the boat from the Grand Port of Aix-les-Bains across to Hautecombe, founded in 1125 on a shore so cut off that the first church could only be reached by water, and find the tombs of the counts of Savoy and of the kings and queens of Italy under the troubadour-baroque vaults Charles-Félix rebuilt in the 1820s
4
of 4
Take the boat north up the lake from Aix-les-Bains into the Canal de Savières, the lake's 4.5 km outlet to the Rhône, and watch for the current: when the Rhône is in flood the canal runs backwards and fills the lake instead of draining it
Take a thermal treatment or spa session at the Thermes de Chevalley in Aix-les-Bains
Find the arc de Campanus in the middle of Aix, the funerary arch a rich local family probably raised in the 1st century, and then the so-called temple of Diana on the terrace below it, which replaced an older round building in the 2nd century
Take the boat from the Grand Port of Aix-les-Bains across to Hautecombe, founded in 1125 on a shore so cut off that the first church could only be reached by water, and find the tombs of the counts of Savoy and of the kings and queens of Italy under the troubadour-baroque vaults Charles-Félix rebuilt in the 1820s
Take the boat north up the lake from Aix-les-Bains into the Canal de Savières, the lake's 4.5 km outlet to the Rhône, and watch for the current: when the Rhône is in flood the canal runs backwards and fills the lake instead of draining it
Before you go
Hautecombe is a working abbey with a religious community, so visiting hours are set around the offices and the church closes to visitors during services; the lake boats from the Grand Port run a seasonal timetable. Spa sessions at the Thermes de Chevalley must be booked ahead.
Finding nearby campsites...
About Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Loading region info…
Explore more about Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes:
Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
250 XP
France country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
350 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in France.
More challenges nearby
within 100km
Chambéry: The Four Elephants, the Chapel of the Shroud and Rousseau's Charmettes
France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
cultural
easy
1d
14 km away
The Col du Granier: The Mountain That Fell on the Villages
France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
scenic
easy
1d
23 km away
Grand Colombier: One of the Hardest Climbs in France, and the Jura's First Hors Catégorie
France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
sports
hard
1d
27 km away
Lake Annecy: The Palais de l'Isle, the Lake Railway Path and the Forclaz
France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
scenic
easy
2d
29 km away
The Château de Menthon: The Castle Above Lake Annecy
France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
history
easy
1d
30 km away
Brangues: Paul Claudel's Château and the Crime Behind Le Rouge et le Noir
France · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
cultural
easy
1d
30 km away