Susqueda Reservoir, lake in Girona Province, Spain

The Susqueda Reservoir is a body of water on the river Ter held back by a double-curvature concrete arch dam 360 m long and 125 m high, built between the Montdois and Sant Benet ranges. The dam's crest forms a pale grey line across the valley, with tall vertical concrete buttresses rising along its downstream face. Behind it, an elongated blue-green lake fills the forested valley, its surface reflecting the surrounding hills.

Construction began in 1963 under Hidroelèctrica de Catalunya, designed by engineer Arturo Rebollo Alonso in 1958, and the hydroelectric plant entered service in 1968. The dam was built in the narrow gorge between the Montdois and Sant Benet ranges to generate electricity and supply water to Girona and Barcelona. Its reservoir submerged the village of Susqueda and the farmhouses of the Susqueda and Querós valleys.

The reservoir drowned the village of Susqueda and the farmhouses of the Susqueda and Querós valleys, whose name the lake now carries. Boating is allowed — rowing, sailing and motor craft under 3 knots — but the surrounding land is very solitary, and the sources warn of serious personal risk. The dam's so-called Sala de les Columnes, reached by a helical staircase, is actually a set of hyperbolic pillars that also house the lighting.

Access by car is straightforward with marked parking areas near the water and designated walking trails along the shoreline. Visiting in the cooler morning or late afternoon hours makes for a more comfortable experience, and the area sees fewer visitors during these times.

During very low water levels, ruins and parts of the old river landscape become visible beneath the surface, revealing remnants of settlements that were flooded decades ago. These rare glimpses into the submerged past offer an unusual way to see the region's history firsthand.