Exciting, specialist programmes in this much-loved, sunny alpine village with fast-moving, fun-filled activities.
For over 40 years, the delightful alpine village of Leysin perched high above Lake Geneva, has been at the heart of the Village Camps Summer Camp programme that has welcomed thousands of youngsters from all over the world. Accommodation is at the Village Camps owned and operated Swiss Alpine Centre from where campers enjoy great facilities, hearty meals as well as panoramic views across to the distant French Alps. From the Centre, Village Camps runs its specialist programmes, catering for children in the 7-18 age-range and offering a diverse choice of fun-packed outdoor adventure, various sports, language studies and award-winning Leadership Training courses.
Everyone will have time to enjoy the pure mountain air and the natural environment of this alpine paradise with its meadows, forests and wild-life. Highlights include a hike where campers taste homemade cheese and ice cream, a visit to the shores of our beautiful lake, and the great international city of Geneva.
The Swiss Alpine Centre is the cosy home of Village Camps Leysin. This facility welcomes up to 180 campers, ages 7-17, who come from all over the world for the Language, Tennis, Adventure, Sport, Dance, Film Academy and Junior Camps.
The Leadership Training Camp (LTC), for teenagers 16-18 years old, takes place at the Alpine Classic Hotel, a first-class facility, in the center of Leysin. Anticipated capacity for LTC is 60 campers.
Bedrooms in both sites have en-suite facilities and they are quite spacious, comfortably accommodating up to four campers and offering a fantastic view of the Alps. Campers are assigned to rooms according to age and gender and experienced counsellors (who stay in rooms near the campers) are responsible for taking special care of each and every child.
During free time, there are wonderful village cafes in Leysin that can be visited and enjoyed with newly made friends from around the world.
Facilities in or nearby the Swiss Alpine Centre include classrooms, a huge theatre, large dining area, music & dance studio, an arts & crafts centre and common rooms with table tennis, foosball tables, board games etc. Within easy walking distance or five minute bus ride are two state-of-the-art sports centres with: indoor swimming pool, large fully equipped multi-sport gymnasium, covered ice rink, basketball courts, football pitch, volleyball & beach volley courts, archery targets, 12 tennis courts (four of which are indoors), climbing walls, mini-golf course, squash courts, weight room etc. And, of course, in this gorgeous mountain setting there are numerous hiking trails, a rock-climbing area, cycling paths, adventure trails, campfire area and a welcoming mountain hut for overnights.
At Village Camps children are assigned to groups according to their choice of programme as well as age and/or skill levels. The morning period (3hrs) is devoted to the campers chosen specialty programme: Tennis, Language, Dance, Sports, Film Academy or Adventure.
During the afternoons, campers from all programmes join together and either choose from a selection of ‘sign-up’ activities or join in age group and all camp events. Always present (at a ratio of 1:6) is a great group of experienced counsellors who are fun, friendly, caring, helpful and a source of inspiration for the young campers.
Healthy, varied food, adapted for all diets and eating habits is prepared by Village Camps’ chefs, and is presented with no restriction on quantities. Some special dietary needs can be accommodated for.
Evenings are filled with exciting imaginative games, spectacular events and relaxing activities. These include:
Discos
Team-building Challenges
International Cuisine Festival
Plays
Music Shows
Games geared to age levels
Village outings
Films
Talent Show
and much more.
Evening activities are often run by age group but often there are evenings where the entire camp comes together for some of the all-time favorites. A highlight of the week is the final evening where campers are served a fancy dinner by their counsellors followed by various awards and performances and a prom style disco.
One full-day excursion is planned for the whole camp and several half-day excursions with programme/age groups are possible, depending upon the weather and schedule requirements. Always included are cultural and educational visits as well as time for walking around and shopping with friends. The following are some of the choices for exciting excursions around Switzerland:
Geneva, Red Cross Museum or the United Nations
Bern and the Montreux Jazz Festival
Cailler Chocolate Factory and Lausanne
Labyrinth Adventure Park and Vevey
Activities available to the programmes in Switzerland
| Archery | Arts and Crafts | Badminton | |||
| Basketball | Beach Volleyball | Cooking | |||
| Dance | Fitness | Floor Hockey | |||
| Football | Hiking | Mini golf | |||
| Mountain Biking | Mountain Hut Overnight | Music | |||
| Orienteering | Parcours vita | Rafting (15+ years) | |||
| Rock Climbing | Ropes Course | Squash | |||
| Street Hockey | Swimming | Table Tennis | |||
| Tennis | Trekking | Volleyball | |||
| Wall Climbing | Yoga |
Sample Daily Schedule **
| Mornings | 07:30 – 08:00 | Wake Up |
| 08:00 – 09:00 | Breakfast | |
| 09:00 – 10:30 | Period A – Speciality Programmes | |
| 10:45 – 12:15 | Period B – Speciality Programmes | |
| Afternoons | 12:15 – 13:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 – 14:00 | All camp meeting | |
| 14:00 – 15:30 | Period C – Sign-up Activities | |
| 15:45 – 17:15 | Period D – Sign-up Activities | |
| 17:15 – 18:15 | Free time | |
| Evenings | 18:15 – 19:30 | Dinner |
| 19:30 – 21:30 | Evening Programme | |
| 21:30 | Lights Out – Greens (7-9 years old) | |
| 22:00 | Lights Out – Yellows (10-12 years old) | |
| 22:30 | Lights Out – Reds (13-14 years old) | |
| 23:00 | Lights Out – Blues (15 and older) | |
| Saturday | Excursion Day | |
| Sunday | Morning: Late wake up call, breakfast and relaxed morning |
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| Notes: | ** This is a sample schedule and may be subject to change |
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In Leysin there are 9 exciting programmes to choose from, including the combination of tennis and language. With something for everyone, from 7 to 18 years old, please click on the “Programmes” links below to take a look at what’s in store in Leysin, Switzerland this year with Village Camps!