The Villars area
Chalet Moonrise occupies an unparalleled position in the beautiful alpine hamlet of Barboleuse, just 5 minutes drive from Villars, in south western Switzerland.
Villars is perched on a sunny, South-facing wooded plateau above the Rhone Valley and the chalet enjoys panoramic views over the Swiss Alps, the Dents du Midi and the Mont Blanc massif. It benefits from easy access from Geneva, either via a fast motorway route along the edge of Lake Geneva, or a scenic train journey, both approx 90 minutes.
Villars is a traditional, unspoilt traditional Swiss village, complete with chocolaterie, creperies and tea houses. It offers all-year round activities that find the fine balance between recreation and relaxation. There are no concrete high-rise blocks to be found in Villars, only small hamlets of chalets arranged on the hillsides, friendly affordable restaurants and bars and a warm, mountain style welcome.
Ever since the Orient Express arrived here in the early 20th century, visitors to Villars have enjoyed the healthy mountain air and stunning vistas be found on the natural balcony it rests on. At approx 5000ft in the heart of the Vaud Alps, this idyllic setting combines comfort, tranquillity, relaxed surroundings and amazing scenery.
Skiing
Winter sports fans can enjoy the wide range of attractions the area offers, including 220 km of marked ski runs (including the glacier at Les Diablerets at 3000m (10,000ft). Villars offers a variety of interesting and varied skiing, catering for skiers of all abilities. The ski area extends to over 200km of local pistes and access to a further 300km of pistes, including Gstaad and Chateau d’Oex with a ‘Glacier – Alpes Vaudoises’ pass. In addition, snow-boarders enjoy 2 large boarding parks and very good off-piste skiing can be found around the glacier.
Want to find out more about the skiing?
Chalet Moonrise is situated just 100m walk from the piste, with an extremely pleasant Blue run down to the main Barboleuse telecabin offering access to the entire Villars, Gryon and Les Diablerets ski region.
Other activities
There are also 44km of cross-country trails, marked itineraries for snow-shoeing, hiking and telemarking . Mapped itineraries can even be downloaded onto Palm/GPS devices. Also, sleigh rides, skidoos and husky dog trips are on offer to be enjoyed.
In the summer, there is an equally long a list of activities to enjoy from the award winning 18-hole golf course, with incomparable views of the Alps and its gourmet restaurant, to horse-riding, tennis, squash, and a large water park and beach just 25 minutes drive away in Le Bouveret. There are also 300 km of marked trails and 100km of mountain bike trails through some spectacular scenery.
Want to find out more about other activities?
For those in search of a more lively night out, there are several good bars and one nightclub “El Gringo” in central Villars.