Lac des Dix, Alpine reservoir at 2,365 meters in Hérémence, Switzerland.
Lac des Dix is a reservoir in Hérémence, Canton of Valais, Switzerland, sitting at 2365 meters elevation. The body of water covers 3.65 square kilometers and stores meltwater from surrounding glaciers and mountain slopes.
Construction of the Grande Dixence Dam began in 1953 and lasted until 1961, with hundreds of workers living in temporary settlements near the worksite. The project replaced an earlier smaller dam from the 1930s and transformed the valley into one of the largest storage basins in the Alps.
The name Dix comes from the Dixence River, which feeds the basin with meltwater flowing down from nearby peaks. Hikers follow the Bouquetins trail along the shore, where panels explain local hydropower systems and wildlife habits in the valley.
The cable car from Hérémence brings visitors up to the upper basin, or you can hike around 45 minutes from the dam base. Trails around the water remain mostly clear of snow between June and October and are easy to follow.
The Grande Dixence Dam holds back the water and reaches 285 meters (935 feet) in height, making it the tallest gravity dam in Europe. Its concrete mass equals about 15 large pyramids and was poured over eight years with hundreds of truckloads.
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