Église anglicane

Église anglicane in Villars-sur-Ollon is the Anglican chapel in the middle of this Vaud alpine resort. Today it works both as the chapel of Aiglon College and as the home of the English-speaking Villars English Church congregation. It stands beside the Palace Hotel, a reminder of the British guests who made Villars one of Switzerland's early winter destinations.

Why is there an English church in Villars?

Britons were the pioneers of Swiss tourism, and the plateau above Ollon became an early winter-sports centre popular with them. Villars appears on the Colonial and Continental Church Society's list of chaplaincies in 1867. The congregation itself dates its presence in the village to 1883 and gives 27 July of that year as the inauguration date. A second account, credited to the historian Schniewind, describes a chapel built in 1880 by the owner of the Hotel Grand Muveran, later demolished, and a new English church put up in 1954. The two versions have never been reconciled, so the exact timeline stays open.

What is there to see?

The chapel is small and built for worship. A memorial inside commemorates 31 skiers. For over a century the building belonged to the Commonwealth & Continental Church Society, later the Intercontinental Church Society, until Aiglon College bought it in 1996 and rededicated it that May. Before the Reformed Church of Vaud built its own church in Villars after the war, it held some services here, and a Dutch Protestant group has also used the space.

Do not confuse it with the Reformed temple in the same village. That is a separate building from a different tradition.

When are services held?

The congregation meets in the Aiglon Chapel. Services run at 10:00 on the first Sunday of the month and at 18:00 on the other Sundays. Since 1980 Villars has been served from All Saints in Vevey, and outside the tourist season the meetings move to the chapel at Aiglon College. Check the congregation's website before you go, as times shift with the season.

How do you get there?

Villars-sur-Ollon sits above the Rhône valley. The usual route is by rack railway or bus from Bex or Aigle up to the resort centre. The chapel is in the middle of the village, a few minutes on foot from the station.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Église anglicane the same as the Temple de Villars? No. The Église anglicane is the Anglican chapel at Aiglon College. The Temple de Villars is a separate Reformed Protestant church.

Can I visit outside service times? The chapel belongs to Aiglon College, a boarding school. The easiest way in is to attend a service, when it is open to the congregation.

What language are the services in? English. The congregation is international.

When was the church founded? The congregation gives 1883. Earlier records mention a chaplaincy in 1867 and a hotel chapel from 1880.