Your property in Villars
Spacious chalets with captivating Alpine views and luxurious apartments facing the Les Dents du Midi mountains are on offer for those looking to buy property in Villars.
The resort’s proximity to Montreux and the eastern shore of Lake Geneva make the year-round destination compelling for those seeking a holiday home or for those considering relocating permanently. Careful management of the development of Villars means new developments sympathetically fit with nearby ancestral homes.
Inside Villars
Villars has a bustling and vibrant atmosphere all year round thanks to the several large international schools that give it the feel of a true Alpine community.
The town has invested significantly in updating its ski infrastructure, including new high-speed lifts and snow canons, as well as on refurbishing various hotels and amenities, such as its sports centre.
The skiing in Villars is perfect for families with plenty of blue and short red runs for those learning to ski, while more challenging slopes can be found higher up in the neighbouring resorts of Les Diablerets and Gryon. Off the snow, Villars boasts excellent shopping and a captivating food scene.
Landscape
Positioned on sunny slopes with dramatic views across the Rhône Valley, Villars also boasts the Dents du Midi as its backdrop to the south, with glacial peaks to the east.
The town is only about a 40-minute drive from Lake Geneva, making resorts such as Montreux easily accessible.
The town offers plenty of outdoor exploration, with the Col de la Croix road winding through the Alpine landscape into small hamlets where local traditions are kept alive.
Education
The excellent international schools in Villars help keep the town lively year-round and are a compelling factor in many expats buying property here.
The exceptionally renowned schools Aiglon College and Beau Soleil both offer the International Baccalaureate.
In terms of further education, 11 of Switzerland’s 12 universities feature in the top 500 institutions globally, with ETH Zurich being ranked the 14th best university globally.
Activities and Entertainment
Villars combines with Gryon, Les Diablerets and Glacier 3000 to offer skiiers more than 112 kilometres of slopes, including areas for beginners and a children’s snow garden, to the highest slope in the Alpes vaudoise and one of the toughest black runs in the region on Combe d’Audon.
The resort is a haven for other snow-based activities, including dog-sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ski mountaineering and even skijoring – skiing while being pulled by a horse.
In summer, the area becomes a hiker’s paradise with peaks, rivers and waterfalls to explore, while lakes offer swimming and water sports opportunites. The picturesque scenery also provides excellent mountain biking trails, while the resort’s golf course is located in the scenic Chablais countryside.
Arts and Culture
The deep cultural heritage of Villars and the surrounding villages can be explored on numerous guided tours, including to the historical sites and vineyards of Ollon, to the monuments of Gryon.
Villars hosts a vast range of events based around snow sports, but also competitions such as the UCI Gran Fondo cycling race, the IFSC Climbing World Cup, and the famous Restrospective Ollon-Villars event that sees eye-catching cars racing through the resort.
There is a lively arts scene in Villars, with several galleries in the town and various music events, including the three-day Afterseason Electronic Festival, where festival-goers dance against the backdrop of Les Dents du Midi mountains.
Food and Drink
From fondue with a glass of wine grown in nearby Ollon or Bex, to a quick bite to replenish energy levels at an Alpine hut, or your favourite international cuisine in a plush restaurant, Villars spoils its residents with superb choice.
With an abundance of local produce, many of the resort’s restaurants specialise in dishes that use ingredients from their doorstep, but a pinch of global inspiration is brought to the resort by restaurants such as King’s Tandoori, serving modern Indian creations, and Michelin-recommended Le Jardin des Alpes, whose kitchen produces Mediterranean delights.
The resort has a lively nightlife scene, with plenty of bars that take advantage of the glut of local vineyards and family-owned wine estates producing distinct vintages, such as the 12-acre Domaine Le Luissalet, which is in the Chablais AOC near Bex. Alternatively, locals enjoy Le Bitter de Diablerets, a natural Alpine herbal aperitif.
Accessibility
Villars is roughly equidistant between Gstaad and Sion, both of which serve private jets and helicopters, while the latter also serves larger jets. Geneva Airport, which serves a host of international commercial flights, is roughly 120 kilometres away.
Access by rail is possible; if catching the train from Geneva or Montreux, the final part of the journey can either be done by taxi from Aigle or from Bex via a mountain railway, providing an exceptionally scenic – albeit slightly longer – journey.