Lac de Tignes

Lac de Tignes — often labelled Lac du Chevril on maps — is a reservoir lake set in the commune of Tignes, in the Savoie department of the French Alps. It looks every bit like a natural alpine lake ringed by peaks, but its origin is entirely man-made, and beneath its surface lies one of the more dramatic stories of the region's twentieth century.

What kind of lake is this, exactly?

Despite the alpine glacial scenery surrounding it, Lac de Tignes is an artificial reservoir formed by damming the Isère river. It sits a few kilometres below the modern ski resort of Tignes, at roughly 45.465°N, 6.904°E. The lake and the dam that created it share overlapping names in local usage: Lac de Tignes, Lac du Chevril, and the Chevril Dam all refer to the same stretch of engineered water.

Why was a village destroyed to build it?

Construction of the dam ran through the late 1940s, wrapping up around 1952–1953. When finished, its wall rose more than 180 metres, making it one of the tallest arch dams anywhere in Europe at the time. The site chosen for the reservoir, however, sat directly on top of old Tignes, a village of several hundred residents who had lived there for generations.

The plan met fierce local resistance. Villagers took the matter to court and, according to several accounts, resorted to sabotaging construction equipment in an attempt to stop the project. None of it changed the outcome: authorities carried out a forced evacuation, relocated the village cemetery, and dynamited the remaining buildings — including the church — specifically to stop displaced residents from sneaking back into their old homes. By 1952 the valley and what was left of the settlement had disappeared under rising water.

A new village rises above the dam

Rather than scatter for good, a number of the displaced Tignards regrouped a few years later. In 1956, with financial backing from the French state, they founded a new settlement several kilometres upstream from the dam. That community grew into the Tignes known today — now one of the best-known ski resorts in the Alps, with a lineage that traces directly back to the flooded village below.

What is the dam used for now?

The Chevril Dam remains a working piece of energy infrastructure. It is owned and operated by EDF, France's national electricity utility, and the reservoir feeds two hydroelectric power stations downstream. Combined, they represent several hundred megawatts of installed generating capacity, making the site a meaningful contributor to the region's renewable power supply.

Can visitors ever see the sunken village?

Occasionally, yes. Every so often — roughly once a decade, timed around technical inspections of the dam — the reservoir is deliberately drawn down, usually in autumn or spring. When the water level drops far enough, the outline of old Tignes reappears: stretches of the former village streets, the old bridge over the Isère, and the dynamited remains of houses and the church. These drawdowns draw curious visitors and former residents' descendants alike, offering a rare, tangible glimpse of the valley's submerged past.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lac de Tignes a natural lake? No. It is an artificial reservoir created by the Chevril Dam, which impounds the Isère river.

Why was the original village of Tignes flooded? The dam's reservoir needed to occupy the exact valley floor where old Tignes stood. Despite legal challenges and resistance from residents, the village was evacuated, its buildings dynamited, and the valley flooded by 1952.

Can you actually see the ruins of the old village today? Only when the reservoir is significantly drained for maintenance inspections, which happens irregularly, roughly once every ten years or so.

What purpose does the dam serve now? It supplies water to two hydroelectric power stations that feed electricity into the regional grid, operated by EDF.

Where exactly is the lake located? In the commune of Tignes, Savoie department, south-eastern France, within the Vanoise massif area of the Alps.