Sunday 8th Dec: Malpasset Dam

The campsite is on the edge of Frejus town, not far from the site of an old dam where there are walking trails through the rolling hills. The afternoon light is starting to fade, but the picture below gives an idea of the lovely countryside.

What’s left of Malpasset dam is still impressive. Jane is standing near the base of what was once a 200 foot high concrete dam wall retaining the reservoir lake.

The dam was newly constructed, and had reached full capacity by late 1959 following torrential autumn rains. On the evening of December 2^nd 1959 the dam broke, sending a wall of water initially 150 feet high, down the valley towards Frejus and the sea, 10 miles away. The wave was still 10 feet high when it reached the sea. Pieces of dam weighing hundreds of tons can be seen strewn all down the valley as far as a mile away from the breach.

A simple plaque commemorates France’s biggest civilian disaster of the 20^th Century. 423 people lost their lives plus an indeterminate number of encamped unregistered workers employed on the new A8 motorway construction.  

Although over 50 years ago, you couldn’t help but imagine the horrors of that evening back in 1959. A bit more to think about than usual during an afternoon stroll.