Lac du Chevril, Artificial reservoir in Tignes, France
The Lac du Chevril extends across 270 hectares at an altitude of 1,790 meters in the French Alps, reaching depths of 181 meters near the dam.
The construction of Tignes Dam between 1947 and 1952 submerged the original village of Tignes, displacing 400 residents despite their strong resistance.
A massive fresco of Hercules decorates the dam wall, painted in preparation for the 1992 Winter Olympics by artist Jean-Marie Pierret and eight other painters.
The reservoir generates hydroelectric power through two stations, Brevieres and Malgovert, with a combined capacity of 428 megawatts for the regional power grid.
Every decade, the entire lake undergoes complete drainage for dam inspection, revealing remnants of the submerged old Tignes village beneath the water.
Location: Tignes
Address: Lac du Chevril, 73320 Tignes, France
GPS coordinates: 45.48211,6.94246
Latest update: June 30, 2025 15:55
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes area has lakes from very different beginnings. Large lakes that formed from glaciers, like Lake Bourget or Lake Annecy, appeared after the glaciers in the Alps melted. They have deep water surrounded by mountains. In the Massif Central, volcanic lakes sit in old craters, such as Lake Pavin, which is nearly 7,000 years old, and Lake Issarlès, which goes down more than 100 meters deep. Some lakes are high up in the mountains, like Lake Guéry at 1250 meters, while others are in flat land or in deep valleys. There are also several artificial lakes built in the 20th century to make electricity or manage water flow. Lake Monteynard was created in 1962 on the Drac river, and Lake Saint-Étienne-Cantalès, held back by a dam on the Cère river since 1945, are popular spots for swimming, sailing, and fishing. Each lake feels different: clear and cold mountain waters, wooded shores in Jura, changing colors in volcanic craters. Visitors can walk around these places, go by boat, or just enjoy the views from the banks.
Tignes Dam
1.6 km
Tignes - Val d'Isère
3.3 km
Funiculaire Perce-Neige
6.1 km
Funival
3.1 km
Aiguille de la Grande Sassière
5.2 km
Aiguille Percée
4.1 km
La Folie Douce Val d'Isère - Tignes
2.8 km
Réserve naturelle nationale de la Grande Sassière
4.8 km
Dôme de la Sache
6.5 km
Suspendu Glacier
6.3 km
Dôme des Platières
6.7 km
Rochers Rouges
5.1 km
Église Saint-Bernard-des-Alpes de Val-d'Isère
4.9 km
Picheru's summit
3.5 km
Lac de la Sassière
5.2 km
Église Saint-Jacques en Tarentaise de Tignes
2 km
Grapillon des Merles
5.5 km
Bailletaz's summit
5.9 km
Rochers de la Grande Balme
6.2 km
Acroland
3.2 km
Rocher de la Davie
2.2 km
Lac de la Sassière
5.1 km
Aiguille du Croc
6.1 km
Aiguille de la Petite Sassière
5.8 km
Bellevarde's rock
4.2 km
Rocher du Charvet
6.4 km
The Dome peak
4.5 km
Chapelle Saint-Roch de Val-d'Isère
4.9 kmReviews
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