BANNER_SITE_INTERNET_BARRAGE_MAUVOISIN.00_00_00_00.Still002Vue aérienne du Barrage de Mauvoisin

Mauvoisin Dam

The walk to Lake Mauvoisin - a turquoise blue expanse nestled in a spectacular alpine panorama - is definitely worth the detour!

Do you want to feel like you’re on top of the world? If you don’t get to make your dream a reality, then climb to the top of the Mauvoisin dam where you get to feel a sense of it. The 250m high concrete giant makes it the highest arch dam in Europe. Built between 1951 and 1958 in the heart of Switzerland’s second-largest nature reserve, it literally overlooks the Val de Bagnes and generates 1,000 GWh of electricity per year. An educational trail leads through an old gallery and takes visitors upwards. It explains how electricity is generated and tells the story of the dam’s construction. From the top, which hosts a photographic exhibition every summer, the view is breathtakingly beautiful: lake, waterfalls, mountains and valleys as far as the eye can see. Nearby, hiking and enduro mountain bike routes offer those who are more sporty a complete immersion into a pristine natural environment.

The dam is iconic and colossal. It provides the opportunity for some extraordinary hikes in the surrounding area, such as walking all the way round the lake. A visit to the old tunnels, with an exhibition on the history of the valley, is also well worth while.

Xavier de Le Rue, Verbier ambassador

My favourite spot for road cycling training, amid the mountains and with very little traffic. My advice: take the summer road via Plampro (right-hand side of the valley).

Arnaud Gasser, Verbier ambassador

A wild place: you really should get to know the track on the left side of the valley, by which you can get to Chanrion by bike. The meal at the hut gives you the chance to recharge your batteries for the return trip.

Yael Margelisch, Verbier ambassador

It's up to you

Your decision’s been made, let’s go! Now all you have to do is plan your getaway…

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