Under 150 meters of water in the lake known as Chevril, located between the ski resorts of Tignes and Val-d'Isère in the French Alps, lies the remains of an old village called Tignes. This village was submerged in 1952 when the French government built a dam to generate hydroelectric power. The original Tignes, located at an altitude of 1,659 meters, was the administrative center of the commune and included several smaller settlements such as Chaudanne, Reculaz, Boisses, and Brévières. The village had about 400 residents and featured a baroque church built in 1679, as well as a local tradition of lace-making practiced by women. The decision to flood Tignes came in the aftermath of World War II, a time when France was striving to meet its growing energy needs. The government decided to build the highest dam in France by blocking the Isère River at the Chevril lock in the Haute-Tarentaise region. The project began in 1948 and was completed in 1952. President Vincent Auriol officially inaugurated the dam in July 1953. Designed by engineer André Coyne, the dam is 180 meters high and holds 235 million cubic meters of water, which is equivalent to nearly 94,000 Olympic swimming pools. Constructing the dam required the relocation of the village's residents. Around 384 people were displaced, with three-quarters of them refusing to sell their homes and being forcibly expropriated. The remaining quarter accepted compensation and moved away. The last residents were removed by 500 CRS (Républicain Civil et Militaire) officers, a paramilitary police force. Even the village cemetery was not spared; a bulldozer cleared the area, and undertakers moved the graves to a new location. Despite being submerged, the village has not been entirely forgotten. Every ten years, EDF (Électricité de France), the national electricity company, drains the lake to inspect the dam. During these rare events, the village's remains resurface, including its stone walls, foundations, and the ruins of the old church. These occasions have drawn visitors, including former residents, who have gathered to hold mass in the church ruins. The first major reappearance of the village was recorded in March 2000, and another in 2014, which attracted over 30,000 visitors. The most recent event occurred in April 2024, revealing some ruins for the first time in decades. However, EDF now prefers to use underwater robots for inspections, and no further complete drainage of the lake is planned. This means the village may remain submerged permanently. The modern Tignes, built at a higher elevation, has become a popular ski resort. Meanwhile, the original village and its cemetery remain beneath the waters of the lake, a silent reminder of the past.