Description
The pond of Lers is located in Ariège, between the towns of Aulus-les-Bains and Port. Also called pond Lhers or Hers, it is 2 hectares wide and interests geologists because its banks are partly made of lherzolite, a rare stone that also gave its name.
The pond of Lers is dominated by Mount Beas , from which starts the Courtinou, a small stream that flows into the Arac. The Arac is a tributary of the Salat which in turn flows into the Garonne.
The pond Lers is the place of an ancient legend. It is said that, long ago, a village was built at the location of the pond. In this village, a beggar passed during an evening of celebration and asked for hospitality to the villagers. They refused and he continued his way to the pass of Eret where a poor shepherd and his daughter welcomed him.
The beggar then told them that during the night, the village would be hit by a terrible curse: "The villagers rejected me and the anger of heaven will manifest, everything will be swallowed up. Only your daughter and you will be spared. However, I especially recommend that you do not turn around even once otherwise, you would be immediately turned into stone. "
What he said was true : torrential rain fell upon the village; the thunder roared and an avalanche of earth ran down the mountain, engulfing the village and blocked water flow. This caused the formation of the pond of Lers.
Unfortunately, during the storm, the shepherd's daughter, who was too curious, gave a backward glance to the village and was immediately turned into stone. That is why we may find, close to the shores of the lake, on the path to the pass of the Eret, the statue of the girl frozen in a block of stone.
Author : Amandine©