Sentier des bouquetins

Details of the walk appear in an 86-page brochure (available in English, French and German), which can be downloaded free of charge. Printed copies are also for sale at the dam visitor centre (free admission).

The trail begins near the crest of the dam, and initially leads along the shores of the lake, in and out of a sequence of tunnels. A climb through flower-filled pastures leads to the Col des Roux (2,803 m) and good chances of spotting ibex – the wild cousins of the domestic goat, instantly recognisable with their superb curved horns.

Beyond the col lies a valley, the Combe de Prafleuri, whose glacial moraines provided raw material for the dam in the form of rock crushed into gravel. For 8 years from 1952, about 500 workers lived and slept here in a temporary village of about 20 wooden huts. Just one is left: the only witness of one of the biggest building sites Switzerland has known. The hut previously served as a mountain refuge, but in 2000 a new Cabane de Prafleuri opened a few metres away.

The engineering highlight here is, of course, the dam itself: the tallest in Europe at 285 m. The visitor centre offers guided tours inside the dam, the heart of the Grande Dixence complex: a vast network of reservoirs, underground tunnels, pumping stations and power plants that together form Switzerland’s largest hydroelectric complex.

Highlights

The trail begins at the top station of the cable car and leads straight to the crest of the dam. It then follows the western shore of the lake – initially through a sequence of tunnels, then higher up across open meadows – before branching right to climb steadily up to the Col des Roux, the highest point along the circuit (2,803 m). Beyond, the path drops down into the Combe de Prafleuri, soon passing the friendly Cabane de Prafleuri, a handy stop for refreshments. The trail then descends steadily across the flank of the valley before looping around the headland to reveal dramatic views of the lake and dam. A final zig-zag descent leads back to the crest of the dam and the top station of the cable car.

To reach the start of the walk from the foot of the dam (bus stop, visitor centre, hotel, restaurant), either ride up to the crest by cable car or walk up (allow 45 minutes).