The Oleftalsperre
The Oleftalsperre dam in Hellenthal can be found just outside the Eifel National Park in Germany. The resevoir holds about 20 million cubic meters of water from the Olef river. It was first built during 1954-1959 for purposes of flood control, energy generation, and clean drinking water production. The Oleftalsperre is one of the few buttress dams in the region. It may not be at the top of your list for a visit to the German Eifel region, but the dam surprised us with its unexpected beauty.
One evening, whilst we were on a family trip to Germany in August 2014, my dad and I went on a walk to explore our surroundings. We were staying in a little cottage in Hellenthal and had only just reached the top of the dam when the sun had just set. The hovering clouds made the place look like a beautifully ghostly scene. At one point my dad had to urge me to stop taking photos to we could start on our way back. It was pitch-black when we finally arrived back home.
By the way, did you spot the deer in the first photo?
Dams are such brooding, overbearing structures (useful I know). You caught the immensity of this one so well.
Thank you, I love that threatening, uncanny atmosphere than dams always bring about!