Barragem de VarosaBy jbottero(2026-07-08)In Portugal, the Varosa dam was built on a small tributary of the Douro River. The concrete vault is best known for its impressive staircase built in terraces, allowing the natural rock and the structure of the dam to merge.
Varosa Dam is an arched concrete dam with a height of 76m above the natural terrain. The length of its crown is 213 m long and 3.44 m wide making it one of the smallest hydroelectric power plants in Portugal.
What makes it remarkable, however, is probably its monumental maintenance access staircase on its west end. These stairs are arranged on a succession of concrete terraces that form a buffer between the dam to its right and the natural rock to its left.
Also seen HERE at Virtual Globetrotting.