Grande Dixence dam, Gravity dam in Hérémence, Switzerland
Grande Dixence is a gravity dam standing 285 meters tall and stretching 700 meters across a Swiss mountain valley. It holds back approximately 400 million cubic meters of water in Lac des Dix and consists of a thick concrete structure built against the valley walls.
Construction started in 1953 and finished in 1961, with thousands of workers facing harsh conditions in the mountain environment. The project marked a major milestone in Switzerland's post-war hydroelectric development.
The dam holds status as a national cultural property and represents how Switzerland developed its mountain resources. It shapes the landscape and stands as a symbol of engineering capability in this Alpine region.
The dam crest sits at 2,365 m altitude, reached by cable car from the parking area. The reservoir is usually full by late September and at its lowest around April, when the submerged old Dixence dam can reappear. Weather in the valley changes fast; check conditions before setting out.
The first Dixence dam, a 1930s arch structure, was submerged when Lac des Dix filled from 1957; its remains reappear when the reservoir drops to its lowest level around April. Jean-Luc Godard's first film, Opération béton (1954), documents the construction site.
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