Dolní nádrž Dlouhé Stráně, reservoir in Loučná nad Desnou, Czech Republic
The Lower Reservoir of Dlouhé Stráně is a reservoir that forms part of an underground pumped-storage power plant located in the Jeseník Mountains and collects water from the Divoká Desná river. It works in tandem with an upper reservoir on the mountaintop above, with water flowing through subterranean tunnels to turbines housed in vast underground caverns carved from rock.
Construction of the facility began in 1978 and was halted in the early 1980s before resuming in 1985, with completion reached in 1996. This power plant was a remarkable engineering achievement of its era, designed to stabilize the country's power grid and store excess energy from the broader electricity network.
Visits are available by prior arrangement and tours can be booked by telephone or online, with access granted to underground chambers and technical installations. The best approach to the lower facility is via the road leading to the upper reservoir, while hiking trails throughout the Jeseník Mountains remain accessible year-round.
The entire power plant is hidden beneath the earth, shielding it from harsh mountain weather and minimizing impact on the surrounding landscape. This underground arrangement was an innovative solution of its time and made the facility an example of how large-scale infrastructure can coexist with the natural environment of the Jeseníks.
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