Switzerland’s Grande Dixence: how Europe’s tallest dam measures up at 75

The Grande Dixence, the world’s tallest gravity dam in the heart of the Swiss Alps, is marking a milestone this year. It helped launch a hydropower revolution in Switzerland, becoming a symbol of Swiss engineering and a cornerstone of the country’s energy strategy. Built between 1950 and 1961 by 3,000 workers in gruelling conditions, the Grande Dixence is now 75 years old. Here are seven key facts about the spectacular dam and how it has shaped Switzerland. It’s the tallest gravity dam in the world Nestled at the head of the Dix Valley in southern Switzerland, the 285-metre-high concrete wall looms into view after a winding hour-long drive up from Sion in the Rhône Valley. While it’s not the world’s tallest dam – that title belongs to China’s Jinping-I (305m) – it is the tallest gravity dam, relying on sheer weight rather than shape to hold back water. The Grande Dixence is Europe’s highest dam and the world’s seventh-tallest overall, slightly shorter than the Eiffel Tower (300 ...