Lac des Perches, known locally as Sternsee, is a small, little known glacial lake in the Haut-Rhin, on the edge of the Ballon d’Alsace area. If a hike up the Ballon is already on your plan, this lake makes a natural extension to the day: same massif, same ridgelines, yet a completely different mood once you reach the water’s edge. Here is what to know before setting off: location, access, and the rules for swimming and fishing.
A glacial lake at the foot of the Tête des Perches
Lac des Perches lies in the municipality of Rimbach-près-Masevaux, at an altitude of 984 metres, in a former glacial cirque at the foot of the Tête des Perches (1,222 m), according to the official Visit Alsace listing. It belongs to the Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges, just like Ballon d’Alsace itself.
The German name, Sternsee, means “star lake”. The French name comes from a distortion of the local dialect: the site was originally called “lac des Bers”, after the surrounding peaks, which became “Bärsch” in German and was later turned into “perche” (perch, the fish) when it passed into French. The current spelling therefore has no direct link to the fish.
Its current water level is the result of an old human intervention: a dam raised the lake in the 16th century to power forges, and later a textile mill, down in the valley. This industrial history, shared by several Vosges lakes, explains the lake’s regular shape.
How to get to lac des Perches
The lake can only be reached on foot, no road runs down to its shores. According to Visit Alsace, two starting points lead to the lake in around 1 hour of walking:
- from Neuweiher, home to the Grand and Petit Neuweiher lakes and the inn of the same name;
- from the village of Rimbach-près-Masevaux.
A third route starts from the Rouge Gazon area, a former ski resort in the massif. The Ballons des Hautes-Vosges tourist office explicitly notes that this climb “can be tricky and calls for sure footing and sturdy shoes”. Rouge Gazon sits on the same ridgeline as Ballon d’Alsace: for anyone already planning the ascent of the Ballon, it is the logical turning point toward the lake rather than a dedicated round trip from the valley.
Plan for proper hiking shoes and bring food with you: there are no shops by the water. The Ballons des Hautes-Vosges tourist office places the visiting season from 1 May to 30 October.
Swimming, fishing and hiking: what the tourist office says
Swimming is banned at lac des Perches. The official listing for the site states that swimming is prohibited and at the bather’s own risk, and the Vallée de la Doller tourist office, which covers Rimbach-près-Masevaux, confirms that swimming is banned in all three lakes of the circuit linking the Grand and Petit Neuweiher to lac des Perches. The lake is no exception in the area: the same ban applies at lac d’Alfeld and lac de Sewen, according to the Ballons des Hautes-Vosges tourist office.
Two further points go with the ban: the water of a mountain lake at 984 m stays cold all year round, and the Vallée de la Doller tourist office warns that in summer the occasional presence of cyanobacteria can make the water unfit, particularly for animals. Worth keeping in mind if you come with a dog.
Fishing is allowed on presentation of a valid permit, through the local approved association (AAPPMA de la vallée de la Doller, permits available on cartedepeche.fr). Dogs are welcome on site.
For a comparison with another glacial lake in the Hautes Vosges where swimming is likewise banned, this time to protect a peat bog, see our article on lac de Lispach. And for a reminder of the rules at the busiest lake in the La Bresse area, our guide to swimming at lac des Corbeaux explains why the ban there is total.
Combining Ballon d’Alsace and lac des Perches in one outing
Ballon d’Alsace peaks at 1,247 m and brings together several well-known points of interest: the Vierge du Ballon, the Monument des Démineurs, and views over the Vosges, the Jura and, on a clear day, sometimes the Alps. The lac des Perches area sits in the extension of this same massif, on the Rouge Gazon side.
Combining both means planning two separate stages: walking up to the summit of Ballon d’Alsace, which can only be reached on foot, then a separate walk to the lake from Rouge Gazon, Neuweiher or Rimbach-près-Masevaux. It is not a continuous there-and-back trip from the summit of the Ballon, but a sequence of two stops within the same Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges area, which can be done in a single day if you set off early.
If you are looking for other lakes to add to a stay in the Vosges, our article on lac de Pierre-Percée covers a much larger body of water, with supervised watersports. For a La Bresse lake served by shuttle in summer, see also our access guide to lac des Corbeaux.
What to remember before you go
Lac des Perches remains a low-key site: access on foot only, no facilities on site, and swimming banned just as at the neighbouring lakes. It is a good option for extending time at Ballon d’Alsace with a walk of around an hour, provided you bring sturdy shoes, water, and check the weather beforehand: the access paths, particularly from Rouge Gazon, are flagged as technical in wet conditions.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is lac des Perches in relation to Ballon d'Alsace?
Lac des Perches (Sternsee) lies in the municipality of Rimbach-près-Masevaux (Haut-Rhin), at the foot of the Tête des Perches, in the same massif as Ballon d'Alsace. Both sites belong to the Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges and are reached by switching to a different starting point, not by driving straight to the lake: the final stretch is on foot only.
Can you swim in lac des Perches?
No. The official listing for the site states that swimming is prohibited and at the bather's own risk, and the Vallée de la Doller tourist office, which covers Rimbach-près-Masevaux, confirms that swimming is banned in all three lakes of the circuit, the Neuweiher lakes included. The same ban applies at the neighbouring lakes of Alfeld and Sewen.
How long does it take to reach lac des Perches on foot?
Allow around 1 hour of walking from Neuweiher or from Rimbach-près-Masevaux, according to the official Visit Alsace listing. Another route exists from the Rouge Gazon area, but it is flagged as tricky and calls for sturdy footwear.