The dam is 285 m high, with a storage capacity of 400 million m3 and an artificial lake that is 5 km long. It is the tallest concrete dam in the world.
This gravity dam, with a volume of 6 million m3, is 200 m thick at the base and 700 m long, and weighs 15 million tons. 32 kilometres of tunnels and inspection shafts inside the wall of the dam allow the staff to constantly monitor the site.
Visitors can go inside the dam, take a cable car to the top, or walk along the natural path by the lake. The ibex path is only open from the beginning of July until October, due to its high altitude. The hike, which takes about 4 hours, leads visitors through some varied and colourful flora. A brochure is available from the information post at the foot of the Grande Dixence Dam.
Location:
Above Sion, in the direction of Val d'Hérémence.
Opening hours:
The dam is open to visitors fom 15th June to 30th September. Free admission.
Visits to the inside of the dam take place at 11.30, 13.30, 15.00 and 16.00.
