Barrage de Marèges

The first of the large dams to be built on the Dordogne, the Marèges hydroelectric dam was impounded in 1935.

Nicknamed the "innovation dam", Marèges is a concentrate of innovations that have set new standards in the construction of other large dams around the world.

Marèges was the first double-curved arch dam in Europe and the first dam in the world to be equipped with a ski jump spillway. Other innovative processes were tested at Marèges before becoming standard practice in the design of major structures.
More than 5,000 people worked in harsh conditions to build this technological feat.

At 90 m high and 247 m long, Marèges was the highest dam in France at the time, making it a major tourist attraction.
Guided tour, by appointment only