OrangeSmile Tours
World most extreme places

Electricity from water. The Greatest Dams in the World

Complete photogallery
Dams can differ greatly in their functions. They are built to regulate water flows and minimize the risk of accidents during the flood period, in order to generate electricity and regulate water supply, to control the development of populations of river fauna and create favourable conditions for irrigation. By starting the erection of another large dam, designers and builders have hardly expected that once these constructions will attract the attention of travellers. Nevertheless, grand dams have their own 'tourist attraction'. They all are located in incredibly beautiful places. Nature lovers come to these places to see fascinating reservoirs, walk along the picturesque shores and appreciate the greatness of the architectural creations. Thrill seekers use some of the dams as platforms for bungee jumping, and for someone moving across a dam is an extreme and unforgettable event.

Nurek Dam, Tajikistan

The highest dam in the world is located in Tajikistan, not far from Nurek city. The project of the dam on the Vahsh river has started to develop in the middle of the 20th century. The hydroelectric power station was already in operation in 1972, but the construction work was completed 7 years later. The height of the dam of the Nureksk hydroelectric power station is 304 meters. The water basin on the Vahsh River is also one of the largest in the world; Its surface forms 98 q. Km

Nurek Dam, Tajikistan Power generation is just one of the purpose of the hydropower plant. The huge water basin allows to irrigate the nearby fields during the whole agricultural period. The agricultural purpose of the hydroelectric power station is not an incidental matter - during the dry period, the local inhabitants have to save their electricity. Their production is declining substantially, and the bulk of the water is used for irrigation. Thousands of tourists visit this area annually to see the highest dam on Earth. This place looks particularly beautiful in the spring, when the dam and the water basin are surrounded with the lush green landscapes Next - Laxiwa Dam

Laxiwa Dam, China

Laxiwa Dam, China In China, on the territory of Kingai province is Lasiva Dam, whose height is 250 meters. The huge dam on the Yellow River was built for the generation of electric power. The hydroelectric power plant was relatively recently commissioned in 2009. With a view to the fact that Lasiva dam is one of the largest on the planet, the shortest time for the construction work seems unbelievable. Complete article

Cleuson-Dixence, Switzerland

Cleuson-Dixence, Switzerland The highest settlement in the world is located in Switzerland. Many travelers know Cleuson-Dixence under the other name - Grande Dixence. The wall of the dam on the Dixence river has the height of 285 meters. The dam has always been used since 1964 and has not lost its functional characteristics over the years. The dam building took 14 years. In order to reach Cleuson-Dixence, the modern tourists now have to overcome more than 30 kilometers of a very complicated mountain chain. Complete article

Deriner Dam, Turkey

Deriner Dam, Turkey In Turkey on the Soruh river, one of the largest dams in the world was built, the height of Deriner dam is 249 meters. The developer of the dam project was the engineer Ibrahim Deriner. Unfortunately, he did not experience the completion of his own project. It has been decided to perpetuate the name of the engineer and to name the dam in his honor. It must be mentioned that the hydroelectric power station on the river Soruh, part of which is the dam, has a very unusual structure. The building of the hydroelectric power station is completely under the ground. Complete article

Inguri Dam, Georgia

Inguri Dam, Georgia In Georgia there is a dam that is worth seeing for tourists and travelers. Inguri Dam was built on the river of the same name and has a height of 272 meters, making it one of the highest settlements in the world. The construction work on the Inguri river began more than 50 years ago. For the first time the hydroelectric power plant had already started in 1977. Complete article

Tehri Dam, India

Tehri Dam, India Tehri is the highest dam in India. It was built on the Bhagirati River and is considered to be one of the largest litter dams in the world. For its construction one did not use the concrete and the metal constructions, but the ordinary materials of natural origin: earth and stones. The height of the throw is 261 meters. Since the dam is near the Tehri city, it attracts the numerous tourists since the opening. Complete article

Vajont Dam, Italy

Vajont Dam, Italy In Italy, next to Monte Tok Bergmassiv is Vajont Damm - the largest dam in the country, whose height is 261.5 meters. The dam parameters are quite unusual, the length of the crest is 190 meters, and the width of the dam on the ground is 23 meters. The width of the ridge is one of the smallest in the world and forms less than 4 meters, making Vajont one of the 'finest' dams in the world. Complete article

Mica Dam, Canada

Mica Dam, Canada Mica Dam, located in Canada, is one of the world's largest architectural monuments. It has the height of 243 meters and is located at the Columbia River. The dam building was finished in March 1973. The dam building has brought to the formation of the incredibly beautiful Kinbasket lake, which looks so beautiful that you can not immediately believe that it is a dam. Complete article

Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam, Russia

Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam, Russia Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam, which is part of the hydroelectric power plant of the same name, is one of the most magnificent architectural monuments in Russia. The height of the Bogendamms on the Yenisei river forms 245 meters, and the comb length - 1,074 meters. The construction of the dam was begun in 1963, and the first hydropower plants were put into operation in 1978. Complete article

Hoover Dam, USA

Hoover Dam, USA Hoover Dam, which is located in the USA on the Colorado River, is the unique hydrotechnical structure. This dam is one of the oldest in the world and has been one of the highest dams on earth for several decades. The construction of the dam lasted five years and ended in 1936, its height being 221 meters. Complete article

Contra Dam, Switzerland

Contra Dam, Switzerland An important tourist attraction is Contra Dam, located in Switzerland. Most tourists know it under the unofficial name - Verzasca dam. The unique architecture has long attracted curious tourists and active recreation enthusiasts. The dam construction took more than four years and ended in 1965. The dam, whose height is 220 meters, was chosen as the turning point of an episode of the film about James Bond in 1995. Complete article

Chirkei dam, Russia

Chirkei dam, Russia On the territory of the Republic of Dagestan is a huge dam. Chirkei Dam on the Sulak River was built in 1974. Its height is 232.5 meters, the dam building has demanded about 1 300 thousands cubic meters of concrete. The length of the dam is also quite impressive and forms 338 meters. In 1964, the Bogendamm was still to be built. The construction work had been postponed for ten years because of the necessity of the rock eruption. Complete article
 Popular cities
Anaheim
43 hotels
Bonn
59 hotels
Cordoba
72 hotels
Glasgow
87 hotels
Kefallonia
84 hotels
Maastricht
49 hotels
New Delhi
108 hotels
Portimao
42 hotels
Santorini
394 hotels
Toledo
52 hotels

The Greatest Dams in the World - interactive map

OrangeSmile.com - online travel reservation expert providing reliable car rental and hotel booking services. We feature more than 25.000 destinations with 12.000 rental offices and 200.000 hotels worldwide.
Secure Server
OrangeSmile B.V. - Hotel Booking Worldwide
Head office: Weegschaalstraat 3 Eindhoven, 5632 CW Netherlands
+31 40 40 150 44


Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About us
Copyright © 2002 - OrangeSmile Tours B.V. | OrangeSmile.com | Under the direction and management of IVRA Holding B.V. - Registered at Kamer van Koophandel (KvK), The Netherlands No. 17237018