Villard-sur-Chamby

Origin of the name Villard-sur-Chamby

Name origin: not explained by the sources consulted, which give no dated early form.

Founding of Villard-sur-Chamby

Villard-sur-Chamby is not a municipality: it is a hamlet of the municipality of Montreux (district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut), above Chamby between 1'000 and 1'300 metres, in the Vallon de Villard, which the Col de Sonloup separates from Les Avants. No founding act and no early history specific to the hamlet were found in the sources consulted. The valley, crossed by a stream, remained a quieter place than the neighbouring resort of Les Avants; today it is mainly residential, with chalets and detached houses. A file from the archives of the former municipality of Le Châtelard (1948-1949) shows that the Vallon de Villard belonged to that municipality before the 1962 merger that created Montreux.

History of Villard-sur-Chamby

1900-1910. André Kern (1874-1930) photographs two skiers at the place called En Saumont, in the Vallon de Villard, one of the oldest records of skiing in the valley.

1910. Inauguration of the Les Avants-Sonloup funicular, which eases access to the Col de Sonloup above the valley.

1948-1949. The public works department of the municipality of Le Châtelard sets up a classroom in Mr Buchmann's building in the Vallon de Villard.

1961-1962. Installation of the first ski lift at Les Prévondes.

1962. The municipality of Le Châtelard merges with Les Planches to form Montreux, to which the Vallon de Villard has belonged ever since.

Historic sites in Villard-sur-Chamby

Vallon de Villard. Valley at about 1'000 metres crossed by a stream, and one of the four narcissus areas in the heights of the Riviera.

Les Prévondes ski area. Small family ski area equipped with a ski lift since 1961-1962, for skiing, snowboarding and sledging.

Salle de la Scie. Hall of the hamlet where the monthly literary gatherings « Auteur-e-s en hauteur » are held.

Sources

• Ville de Montreux, « Villard-sur-Chamby »
• Archives de Montreux, « Sous la loupe 01 : le ski aux Prévondes »
• Archives cantonales vaudoises (DAVEL), Archives communales de Montreux-Châtelard, GC 1272, « Création d'une classe d'école dans l'immeuble de Mr Buchmann au Vallon de Villard » (1948-1949)
• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Châtelard, Le (VD) »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
• geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux swisstopo (coordonnées)

Other villages near Villard-sur-Chamby

• Les Avants (VD)
• Chamby (VD)
• Brent (VD)
• Chernex (VD)
• Le Châtelard (VD)