Saas-Almagell: Staudamm Mattmark
Mattmark Dam is best known within Valais for creating Lake Mattmark, a high-altitude reservoir at the southern end of the Saas Valley. The dam stands near Saas-Almagell in the Pennine Alps, where steep, largely treeless slopes and glacially shaped rock form a stark alpine basin. Built in the 1960s for hydropower, it is inseparable from the 1965 Mattmark disaster, when ice falling from the Allalin Glacier struck workers’ accommodation during construction and killed 88 people. A memorial recalls those lost. The lake, dam road and surrounding mountain paths bring together Swiss engineering, high-mountain terrain and a sobering chapter of Valais history.
Generated by AI
Saas-Almagell combines the close-knit character of a Valais mountain community with the vast scale of the Pennine Alps, reflecting its position high in the Saas Valley. At 1,672 metres, it stands beside the Saaser Vispa and is the southernmost of the valley’s four municipalities. Traditional timber-and-stone buildings and steep pastures keep its agricultural Alpine roots visible. Within the municipality, the Mattmark reservoir is a significant modern landmark; during construction of its dam in 1965, a collapse of the Allalin Glacier killed 88 workers. Discover other points of interest through webcams located across the Saas Valley and Valais.
1 webcam
Valais combines high-alpine terrain with vineyard-lined valley life in a way that reflects its position between the Rhône Valley and the Pennine Alps. These coordinates lie in the Val d’Anniviers, a side valley where the Navizence flows north towards the Rhône and long-settled communities occupy slopes beneath high peaks. Across the canton, mountain pastures, glaciers and celebrated summits shape daily life as much as the broad, productive valley floor. Valais is also Switzerland’s leading wine-producing canton, and its historic bisses—open irrigation channels—show how generations adapted dry sunny slopes for cultivation. Browse additional webcams from the surrounding area to extend your view of Valais.
189 webcams
Switzerland stretches from the Jura Mountains in the northwest to the Alps in the south, encompassing a central plateau of cities, farms and lakes. The Rhine rises in the Swiss Alps, while Lake Geneva forms part of the country’s southwestern border. Zürich, Geneva and Basel are major urban centres, yet mountain railways and passes remain central to how many regions are experienced. Four national languages—German, French, Italian and Romansh—reflect Switzerland’s distinct cantonal identities. The Matterhorn above Zermatt is among Europe’s most recognisable peaks, and the 1291 Federal Charter is closely associated with the country’s founding tradition. Continue through nearby webcams to explore different parts of Switzerland.
1.1K webcams