Located at an altitude of 2,165 ft (660 m), the Lac de Gérardmer is a lake of glacial origin dating from the Quaternary. It is also the largest natural lake in the Vosges, with its 385 acres (155 ha). In the 13th century, the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Dié described the region as impenetrable and dangerous. Yet, the Dukes of Lorraine and the canonesses of Remiremont come to rest at Gérardmer from the 17th century. But it is only in the 19th century that the area begins to develop, with the arrival of hotels and opulent villas along the lake.