Villars Village
Villars’ charming wooden chalets are set between trees on a sunny, south-facing mountainside and the main street through the village centre maintains the unhurried dignity that you would expect of a senior Swiss ski resort.Though it has grown over the years into rather more than a quaint, traditional Swiss mountain village, the still-small town of Villars has charm in plenty. The wooden chalets set between trees, a sunny, south facing aspect and the dominating but magnificent Club Med all hark back to the turn of the century. The gondola above the village to the west is still within easy reach of the village centre and everything else, including the local nursery slopes and the mountain railway, is unlikely to be more than a 10-minute walk from wherever you are.
The centre has a street lined with shops, bars and restaurants; though there’s no pedestrianised zone (much as the village would like one), the town is pleasant to stroll through in the evenings. There are terraced and indoor cafes, bars and restaurants but much of the dining in Villars takes place in-hotel.
The sense of security in Villars is palpable. There is no hint of graffiti, there’s a friendly “bonjour” from everyone you pass and the police knock off at 7pm. Even the village fox feels safe enough to sit in the middle of the road of an evening.