Villegusien-le-Lac is a commune in the Haute-Marne department, in the Grand Est region, 15 km south of Langres.
It was officially created in 2016 following the merger of Villegusien-le-Lac (713 inhabitants) with Heuilley-Cotton (279 inhabitants), to the northeast. However, from 1972, the villages of Piépape (to the south), Prangey (to the west) and Saint-Michel (to the south-west) had already integrated Villegusien.
The vast territory of the locality (40 km²) therefore now includes two towns and several hamlets.
As its name suggests, Villegusien-le-Lac is famous for bordering to the north the lake of Vingeanne, vast of 199 hectares, created at the beginning of the 20th century to supply the canal between Champagne and Burgundy which connects the courses of the Marne and the Saone. 224 km long, it was opened to traffic in 1907.
The canal and the lake have changed the landscape and the activity of these towns which until then had been essentially agricultural.
Nowadays, the landscape remains bucolic there but tourism has become the main asset of Villegusien-le-Lac (water sports, campsites, etc.). The locality, which has a thousand inhabitants, is thus a stopover or a popular holiday destination on the edge of the Plateau de Langres.
The towns and hamlets of the town have preserved interesting heritage items that should be discovered before enjoying the lake…
A circuit can start in Villegusien by the Saint-Denis church. The choir and the last bay of the nave date from the 16th century, but the rest of the nave and the bell tower were built in the 18th century. Note that a plaque at the level of the north side chapel indicates that it was erected in 1855, after the village was spared cholera the previous year. It will also be appreciated that the porch tower is crowned with an imperial roof surmounted by a small polygonal spire.
On Piépape, it is a beautiful Louis XVI style castle erected in the 18th century that is to be seen. Designed by an architect from Dijon, it is a pleasure residence surrounded by a beautifully crafted park where you can see a statue of Neptune. The quality of its facades and its interiors (dining room, living room, bedrooms with alcoves) have earned it inclusion in the Inventory. The private property is open to the public for guided tours in July and August from Monday to Saturday. Free admission. Information on +33 3 25 88 47 31 or +33 6 83 31 57 18. In the same hamlet, note the Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption church rebuilt in the 18th century but which has kept its 12th century Romanesque choir and the chapel Saint John the Baptist (15th century).
Finally, in Heuilley-Cotton, several sites should be mentioned: first of all, the Saint-Loup church, built between the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th century, whose choir is decorated with frescoes. The western bell tower is surmounted by a polygonal slate spire and the porch is framed by warheads. In addition, during the development of the canal, a tunnel was drilled to initiate the crossing of the Plateau de Langres. The 4.8 km long structure joins the locality of Balesmes. A small boatmen's port in the town has been preserved, with a towing house next to it (dedicated to the men and machines who towed the boats that had to enter the tunnel with chains).
No less than 11 locks are scattered over the territory: during the development of the canal, the engineers had to solve the problems linked to the relief of this small region…
Then head for the lake and its superb beach. Two campsites are located nearby. The beach itself is open for swimming in July and August (but it is only supervised in the afternoon).
As far as water sports are concerned, a rich potential is offered to visitors or vacationers. A point of rental of electric boats without a license is established (contact on +33 6 70 89 45 96). The same goes for pedal boats (from April to September, call +33 6 87 44 24 07).
An associative base finally offers the practice of sailing (dinghies or boards), paddle and canoeing. Private lessons are delivered on request. Open from April to September. Rates and information on +33 6 87 44 24 07 or +33 9 63 00 72 43.
The lake has also become a hiking route as such (around the lake is 8 km long). Enough to take advantage of a space protected in terms of biodiversity (marsh area) and the quality of its fauna (part of the lake is considered an ornithological reserve).
Other hiking routes are available, including the banks of the canal or the surrounding wooded areas. Maps and information on +33 3 25 87 67 67.
In January, trail de la Vingeanne (walking race through nature).
On the first weekend of August, the Plume Dog Festival is held around the lake. It has become one of the major musical events in the north-eastern quarter of France and each year welcomes groups and singers of rock, reggae, electronic music... Alongside international stars, young people can occasionally perform regional talent.