Recent from talks
Villars-sur-Ollon
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Villars-sur-Ollon
Villars-sur-Ollon, commonly referred to as Villars, is an upscale village and ski resort in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, part of the municipality of Ollon.
Villars overlooks the Rhône valley from an altitude of 1,258 metres (4,130 ft). The peak of Mont Blanc is clearly visible from parts of the village and from the village's more elevated ski area Bretaye (1,806 metres (5,930 ft)). That area is the center of the skiing network. It is accessible by the BVB railway (Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye), featuring a cogwheel train, and by a gondola lift to the 'Roc d'Orsay' (1,952 metres (6,400 ft)). There are around 112 kilometres (70 miles) of skiing slopes in the skiing network of Villars with Gryon, Les Diablerets, and Glacier 3000.
The slopes on Glacier 3000 offer year round skiing. Furthermore, the ticketing system of Villars is part of the Magic Pass skiing area that covers 30 resorts in the larger area.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, a notable demographic upsurge motivated the monks from the Abbey of Saint-Maurice to assist the local peasants in conquering and clearing mountain pastures. Tourism in Villars started in 1856 when the first summer only hotel 'Chalet de Villars' was opened by a colonel who had owned a chalet since 1830.
In 1901 the railway reached Villars. In 1913 it was continued by a mountain cog-train to Bretaye where the development stopped because of the war. In 1936, the first ski lift was built at the ‘Combe’ on the Chaux Ronde. This was a first in Switzerland, and skiers had to fasten themselves on with a large leather belt in order to go back up the mountain. In 1938, Villars was classified as one of the prime skiing resorts of Europe.
On 13 December 1936, the Orient Express made a special stop in Aigle for a slalom race that took place at Bretaye. That same year a ski lift was built in the form of a sledge. This lift could transport 12 skiers to the peak of the Grand Chamossaire and was in use until 1953.
During the fifties and early sixties, the Ollon-Villars Hillclimb was a round in the European Hill Climb championship and attracted racing drivers from all over the world. They would race 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) of mountain road from Ollon up to Villars. In recent years a revival of the hillclimb has begun to attract race car collectors and racing enthusiasts.
Villars is known to host some of the most expensive private international boarding schools in the world, the industry having started in the early post-WWII years, such as Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil and Aiglon College.
Hub AI
Villars-sur-Ollon AI simulator
(@Villars-sur-Ollon_simulator)
Villars-sur-Ollon
Villars-sur-Ollon, commonly referred to as Villars, is an upscale village and ski resort in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, part of the municipality of Ollon.
Villars overlooks the Rhône valley from an altitude of 1,258 metres (4,130 ft). The peak of Mont Blanc is clearly visible from parts of the village and from the village's more elevated ski area Bretaye (1,806 metres (5,930 ft)). That area is the center of the skiing network. It is accessible by the BVB railway (Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye), featuring a cogwheel train, and by a gondola lift to the 'Roc d'Orsay' (1,952 metres (6,400 ft)). There are around 112 kilometres (70 miles) of skiing slopes in the skiing network of Villars with Gryon, Les Diablerets, and Glacier 3000.
The slopes on Glacier 3000 offer year round skiing. Furthermore, the ticketing system of Villars is part of the Magic Pass skiing area that covers 30 resorts in the larger area.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, a notable demographic upsurge motivated the monks from the Abbey of Saint-Maurice to assist the local peasants in conquering and clearing mountain pastures. Tourism in Villars started in 1856 when the first summer only hotel 'Chalet de Villars' was opened by a colonel who had owned a chalet since 1830.
In 1901 the railway reached Villars. In 1913 it was continued by a mountain cog-train to Bretaye where the development stopped because of the war. In 1936, the first ski lift was built at the ‘Combe’ on the Chaux Ronde. This was a first in Switzerland, and skiers had to fasten themselves on with a large leather belt in order to go back up the mountain. In 1938, Villars was classified as one of the prime skiing resorts of Europe.
On 13 December 1936, the Orient Express made a special stop in Aigle for a slalom race that took place at Bretaye. That same year a ski lift was built in the form of a sledge. This lift could transport 12 skiers to the peak of the Grand Chamossaire and was in use until 1953.
During the fifties and early sixties, the Ollon-Villars Hillclimb was a round in the European Hill Climb championship and attracted racing drivers from all over the world. They would race 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) of mountain road from Ollon up to Villars. In recent years a revival of the hillclimb has begun to attract race car collectors and racing enthusiasts.
Villars is known to host some of the most expensive private international boarding schools in the world, the industry having started in the early post-WWII years, such as Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil and Aiglon College.
Recent media