Villars Ski Holidays

Villars Skiing Holidays
Villars, sitting on a sunny plateau just above the Rhone Valley, is a relaxed ski resort offering great beginner terrain and a wonderful family-friendly atmosphere. Long known as a health resort, visitors have been flocking to Villars since the turn of the twentieth century, and today it offers a peaceful base, with modern facilities and magnificent scenery.

Skiing in Villars – The Mountains
Villars itself is an ideal beginners resort, with 125km of immaculately groomed pistes, sunny skies and beautiful scenery. Sitting at a height of 1,300m, the fairly low altitude and south-facing position of the slopes sometimes result in patchy snow cover, but the resort has invested in snow-making facilities to compensate. Over half of the 67 trails are rated as easy, and the nursery slopes are located at village level, with 2 ski schools offering expert tuition. From the village, a mountain railway ascends up to Bretaye, at 1,800m, treating skiers to a wonderfully scenic 20 minute trip, and from here a series of lifts radiate in all directions.
 
There is a good selection of beginner and intermediate terrain, and some lovely runs through the trees back down to the village. A gondola also leads from the village up to the Roc, from where there are more challenging trails, including some decent black runs. Villars shares its’ ski area with the neighbouring town of Les Diablerets, with its’ glacial peak rising up to 3,200m, offering more snow-sure slopes, and a good mix of terrain for all levels. More expert skiers in Villars will find a limited amount of trails, but plenty of off-piste to keep them busy. Snowboarders, like skiers, will find a wealth of easy terrain, with more experienced riders tending to explore off-piste, and Villars is home to a snow-park.

Skiing in Villars – The Village
Villars is a popular resort with the Swiss, and its’ close proximity to Geneva makes it easily accessible. The resort is one of the best in the Alps for families, with many childrens’ facilities and activities. With a reputation for quality and good service, Villars is unpretentious and relaxing, and offers low-key entertainment. There are a good choice of bars and restaurants, and a couple of clubs, but generally the nights in Villars are fairly quiet. The activities off the slopes are extensive, including cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, tubing in nearby Leysin, ice-skating, paragliding, dog-sledding, ice-climbing, hiking and horse-back riding. 

Switzerland Skiing Holidays