Villars-sur-Ollon
Encyclopedia
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in the canton of Vaud
Vaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
, part of the municipality of Ollon
Ollon
Ollon is a municipality in the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, sited in the foothills of the mountains to the south-east of the Lake of Geneva. The old German language name Olun is no longer used.-History:...
. Accommodation consists largely of chalets. It is also very well known for its boarding schools, especially for Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil
Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil
Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil is a private international school founded in 1910 and located in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. Beau Soleil is the most expensive school in the world. It is one of the oldest boarding schools in Switzerland...
and Aiglon College
Aiglon College
Aiglon College is a private English-style boarding school in Switzerland, registered as a not-for-profit charitable institution, with an international student intake . The school gathers funds from full fee-paying students, from donations and via registered charitable trusts in different countries...
, two of the most expensive schools in the world.
Villars is served by the Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye
Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye
The Bex–Villars–Bretaye Railway, abbreviated BVB, French Chemin de fer Bex-Villars-Bretaye, is a metre gauge railway line operating between the towns in its title, situated in the Chablais region of south west Switzerland...
railway, featuring a Abt rack system leading from the town center to a ski piste
Piste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....
network.
The Village of Villars overlooks the Rhône Valley and views of Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
are clearly visible from parts of the village and the local ski area of Bretaye
Bretaye
Bretaye is a place located above Villars-sur-Ollon, Vaud, Switzerland, at the end of the BVB railway. In winter, it is the main area for the Villars ski resort....
. Bretaye is linked to Villars by the BVB railway. There is also a gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
connecting the village to Roc d'Orsay, 200 metres above Bretaye.
There are around 100 km of pistes for all skiing and snowboarding abilities that link over to the slopes of Gryon
Gryon
Gryon is a municipality of the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, located in the district of Aigle.-Geography:Gryon has an area, , of . Of this area, or 28.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 52.3% is forested...
and to the next resort of Les Diablerets, Isenau and Glacier 3000
Glacier 3000
Glacier 3000 is a company that operates several cable cars and ski lifts in the region of the Diablerets in western Switzerland. It was created in 1997 by the merging of two former companies...
. There is also a snow park called '1984' that allows freestyle skiing and snowboarding.
The GivenGain Foundation has its headquarters in Villars-sur-Ollon.
Boarding Schools
Villars is home to the worldfamous private international school Collège Alpin International Beau SoleilCollège Alpin International Beau Soleil
Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil is a private international school founded in 1910 and located in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland. Beau Soleil is the most expensive school in the world. It is one of the oldest boarding schools in Switzerland...
, which is ranked as the most expensive boarding school in the world. The english boarding school Aiglon College
Aiglon College
Aiglon College is a private English-style boarding school in Switzerland, registered as a not-for-profit charitable institution, with an international student intake . The school gathers funds from full fee-paying students, from donations and via registered charitable trusts in different countries...
, which is ranked the 3rd most expensive school in the world is also in the village.There is also an international primary school (from 4 to 14 years of age), La Garenne School, near Aiglon College
Aiglon College
Aiglon College is a private English-style boarding school in Switzerland, registered as a not-for-profit charitable institution, with an international student intake . The school gathers funds from full fee-paying students, from donations and via registered charitable trusts in different countries...
.
Famous Sports
The village has previously hosted the SnowbombingSnowbombing
Snowbombing is a popular week-long winter sports and music festival held annually in the spring at the Austrian ski resort of Mayrhofen.The event has been run since 2000 when it was first held at the French resort of Risoul as an après-ski nightclub promotional exercise started by English promoters...
electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
and snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
spring festival.
Villars-sur-Ollon is also the home of the once well known Ollon-Villars hillclimb. Racing drivers from all over the world would come to participate in this internationally renowned event. Starting in the small town of Ollon, at the base of the mountain, and covering 8 km of mountain road, arriving at the top of the mountain, in Villars. The event was popular in the fifties and early sixties, before laws were passed banning motor racing in Switzerland.
In recent years a revival of the hillclimb has begun to gain a certain notoriety as collectors and enthusiasts have the chance to enjoy the rare occasion of the closed mountain road.
Notable people
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- George BastlGeorge BastlGeorge Edward Bastl is a professional tennis player from Switzerland. He is ranked at World No. 845 as of August 22, 2011.He has reached one singles final in his career – at Tashkent in 1999.-Tennis career:...
- Béatrix BeckBéatrix BeckBéatrix Beck was a French writer from Belgian origin.She was born at Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland, the daughter of the poet Christian Beck. After several jobs, she became the secretary of André Gide, he encouraged her to write about her experiences: her mother's suicide, the war, her poverty, etc...
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