Since 2013, the Châtaigneraie cantalienne tourist office, in partnership with EDF Hydro, has been offering free tours of the Saint-Étienne-Cantalès hydroelectric power station.
The history of the construction of the dam, the discovery of the generating plant, the operation of hydroelectric power production, dam safety and the monitoring gallery…
Since 2013, the Châtaigneraie Cantalienne tourist office, in partnership with EDF Hydro, has offered free tours of the Saint-Étienne-Cantalès hydroelectric power station. Initially open only on Fridays from mid-July to the end of August, they are now offered all year round (on prior request, for groups of at least eight people). The year 2023 was the year with the most visits and visitors: 665 people discovered the dam during the forty-nine sessions offered.
The Saint-Etienne-Cantalès dam (Cantal) a little closer to the stars
Tuesday and Friday, July 16 to August 20
To meet this increasingly strong demand, EDF Hydro and the tourist office have decided, this summer, to offer more slots for visits to the building.
It is possible to visit the Saint-Étienne-Cantalès dam every Friday until July 16 as well as from August 20 to September 30, and Tuesdays and Fridays, from July 16 to August 20. Furthermore, the reception capacity has been increased: it has gone from fifteen to twenty people, in order to allow passing tourists, but also locals, to visit the innards and discover what a turbine looks like, see d ‘where does the water come…
But there is a protocol to follow, the dam being an industrial site: reservation is obligatory with the tourist office of the Châtaigneraie cantalienne (on site or on 04.71.46.94.82) and presentation of a valid national identity card for adults.
Emmanuel Tremet
