Villars-sur-Ollon
Origin of the name Villars-sur-Ollon
Name origin: first written mention in 1316 in the form « Plan-Villard ». The etymology is not explained in the sources consulted.
Founding of Villars-sur-Ollon
Villars-sur-Ollon is not a municipality: it is a former hamlet of the municipality of Ollon, in the district of Aigle. The sources consulted name neither a founder nor a date of creation. In the Middle Ages, the Abbey of Saint-Maurice exploited mountain pastures in the area. Under Bernese rule (1476-1798), Villars and Chesières formed two of the upper dizains of the municipality of Ollon. From the 19th century, Villars developed as a summer and later winter destination, forming with the neighbouring hamlet of Chesières the resort of Villars-Chesières, also called Villars-sur-Ollon, which became a luxury resort.
History of Villars-sur-Ollon
1316. First written mention, in the form « Plan-Villard ».
1404. Villars has 14 hearths.
1476-1798. Under Bernese rule, Villars and Chesières form two upper dizains of the municipality of Ollon.
1750. Failed attempt to separate from Ollon; a further attempt fails in 1821.
around 1830. A retired colonel buys a chalet above the village and fits out a few rooms which he rents to summer visitors.
1837. Opening of a guesthouse.
1856. The same colonel builds a small hotel, the « Chalet de Villars », open in summer only.
1867. Completion of the Ollon-Chesières road (date of 1868 in another source, to be cross-checked).
1883. Construction of the English church.
1888. Opening of a Catholic chapel.
1901. The Bex-Villars railway reaches Villars.
1905-1906. A tourist development society launches the first winter season.
1908. Founding of the Villars hockey club.
1913. Opening of the Villars-Palace, a large luxury hotel, and extension of the railway to Bretaye. The municipal Poutet spring supplies the resort from this year.
1947. Villars becomes an independent Reformed parish; the temple is built in 1961.
1955. Construction of the Catholic church.
1959. Opening of the Roc d'Orsay gondola lift.
1963-1964. The Villars hockey club is Swiss champion.
1968. The Villars-Palace is taken over by Club Méditerranée.
1971. The Col de la Croix road links Villars-sur-Ollon to the resort of Les Diablerets.
Population of Villars-sur-Ollon
| 1404 | 14 hearths (households) |
| 1764 | 32 |
| 1886 | 104 |
| 1900 | 189 |
| 2009 | 1'503 |
Historic sites in Villars-sur-Ollon
Villars-Palace. Large luxury hotel opened in 1913, a symbol of the resort's rise; taken over in 1968 by Club Méditerranée.
English church. Place of worship built in 1883 for the resort's English-speaking guests.
Villars temple. Reformed temple built in 1961, after Villars became an independent parish in 1947.
Catholic church. Built in 1955, it succeeded a first Catholic chapel opened in 1888.
Bretaye. Mountain pasture above Villars, reached by the railway in 1913.
Roc d'Orsay gondola lift. Installation opened in 1959.
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Villars-Chesières »
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Ormonts, Les »
- Alain Pichard, « Ollon-Villars : évolution d'une commune de la vallée du Rhône », Geographica Helvetica 24, 1969, p. 49-67
- Wikipédia, « Villars-sur-Ollon »
- Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »
- geo.admin.ch, service de recherche de lieux (swisstopo)
Other villages near Villars-sur-Ollon
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