Lac du Chevril & Tignes Dam
Lac du Chevril
A reservoir lake formed by flooding the old village of Tignes. The 180-metre dam is decorated with a giant Hercules mural, and it is a scenic stretch you pass when entering or leaving Val d'Isère.
Lac du Chevril is the reservoir formed when the Tignes Dam was completed in 1952. The dam stands about 180 metres high and was one of Europe's tallest arch dams at the time. When it was built, the old village of Tignes was flooded, and its residents were forced to move to the newly built Tignes on higher ground. Roughly every ten years, when the reservoir is drained for maintenance, the ruins of the old village resurface. The downstream face of the dam bears a mural of the giant Hercules covering about 12,000 square metres, one of the largest murals in the world. Route D902 runs along the lake, and roadside viewpoints offer photo spots of the lake and distant snowy peaks. In summer you can stroll along the lakeshore or go fishing.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Lac de Tignes & Tignes-le-Lac
- Rocher de Bellevarde & Face de Bellevarde
- Aiguille Percée
- Val d'Isère Village & Saint-Bernard Church
- Espace Killy (Val d'Isère–Tignes)
- Lac de la Sassière
- Solaise & Lac de l'Ouillette
- Le Fornet