Grande Dixence Dam
Overview
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Hint
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Intro
The Grande Dixence, the world's highest gravity dam, collects melting water from 35 Valaisian glaciers in the region surrounding Zermatt and leading up to Val d’Hérens. The dam is a visitor attraction and also the starting point for mountain hikes.
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The first dam was built in Val des Dix as early as 1934. Grande Dixence, built in the years from 1951 to 1965, is a construction of incredible magnitude. It is 200 meters thick at the base, 695 meters long and 285 meters high. Six million cubic meters of concrete were required for the construction of the dam. The large reservoir holds 400 million cubic meters of water, which is channeled into the lake through 100 kilometers of tunnels.
Guided tours with slide shows and films take place in the interior of the dam. A cable car carries visitors up from the car park and bus terminus to the top of the Dixence dam, where they can enjoy an impressive panoramic view of the Valais mountains and over the long lake.
Diverse mountain tours, such as that over the Steinbockhöhenweg highland path - created by Grande Dixence S.A. in collaboration with Pro Natura Valais - start here (flyer online).
General information
| Season |
May - October
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|---|---|
| Time required |
2 to 4 hours (half day)
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| Suitable for children with age |
6 to 9 years, 10 to 13 years, 14+ years
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| Suitable for |
Groups, Individual, Couples
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| Weather |
Outdoor
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| Category |
Education, Active
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Group & pricing information
| Language |
German, English, French, Italian
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|---|---|
| Group Size |
1 - 40
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Contact
Grande Dixence SA
Rue des Creusets 41
1951 Sion
Switzerland
Phone +41 (0)27 328 43 11
grande-dixence.ch
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