Frequently Asked Questions

Yes and no — it depends what you mean by retreat.

Many people picture a retreat centre as a place where most things are taken care of for you, with set times for devotion, a sermon or teaching each day, and leisurely afternoons. Some of that does happen at L’Abri, but it isn’t quite how we’re structured.

What we can say is that many people find L’Abri to be helpful — a slower pace, genuine community, thoughtful teaching, and a break from the noise and demands of everyday life. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll likely find it here.

For a fuller picture of what daily life actually looks like, this page is a good place to start.

Not at all. L’Abri is a place for seekers — people who want to wrestle with the deep questions of life and are hungry for truth. Students arrive from all kinds of backgrounds: atheists, agnostics, and people from a wide range of religious traditions and Christian denominations. We work hard to create an environment where everyone feels genuinely welcome, whatever they believe. 

All of our staff are Christians, and they live and speak from that conviction. Lectures and Bible studies engage with Christian themes, and many conversations touch on the Christian spiritual life. We aim to show every student the love of Jesus — both in the warmth of how we welcome you, and in our commitment to sharing honestly what we believe to be true — and we do our best to encourage honest dialogue and charitable listening.

Though we are an international community, with students from all corners of the world, English is our shared language so conversations, lectures, and study mostly take place in English (though you are welcome to bring your own books). You do not have to be totally fluent in English but it may be a challenge for you while here if you are not comfortable enough to engage in discussions in English.

If you’d feel more comfortable in another language, some of our global locations operate in other languages (Dutch, Portuguese and Korean) and may be a better fit. 

The mix of ages varies from term to term, and that’s part of what makes the community rich. The only requirement is that you’re 18 or older. Many people arrive at L’Abri during a time of transition — which tends to draw a fair number of people in their twenties. But transitions happen at every stage of life, and our students reflect that.

What does matter is that you’re able to manage a steep hill (even at a slow pace) and are ready to participate fully in the program as a student. On the practical side, beds are a mix of top and bottom bunks. We aren’t able to accommodate bunk preferences unless climbing to a top bunk is a physical challenge for you. If that’s the case, please mention it when you book and we’ll do our best to make it work. 

Yes, we have one apartment available for families, so accommodation is limited — it’s worth getting in touch early to check availability.

Children under 18 accompanied by their parents are very much part of community life — joining informal meals, tea breaks, and free time — though they aren’t able to participate in the formal schedule. In practice, most parents take turns: one spending time with the children while the other joins in the daily rhythm of work, study, or lunch discussions. Every family finds its own way of making it work, and we’re happy to chat through what might suit yours.

Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate animals.

We’re happy to cater for medically diagnosed gluten or lactose intolerance, vegetarian diets, and allergies. Beyond that, we’re not able to adapt to individual preferences.

Please let us know about any dietary needs when you apply so we can plan ahead and have a conversation if needed. Note that we are not professional cooks, so if you have a serious allergy and cannot tolerate cross contamination, this will need to be discussed when you make your reservation.

Absolutely — you’re welcome to come for an afternoon, join a meal, or sit in on one of our talks. Here’s what to know depending on what you have in mind.

If you’d like to come for the afternoon, just get in touch ahead of time so we can expect you. If a worker or helper is available, we’re happy to arrange a tour of Chalet Bellevue and the grounds.

If you’d like to join us for lunch or dinner, please contact us at least three to four days in advance so we can plan accordingly. Meals for day guests are welcome for a suggested donation of CHF 5 per person. For larger groups, a full meal isn’t usually possible, but we’re happy to show you around.

Our lectures are open to the public every Tuesday and Friday at 9:15am, and everyone is welcome to join our Sunday morning Bible study at 11:00am — no need to be a registered student. However, it is good to check in ahead of time since sometimes our schedule does change.

The nearest airport is Geneva (2hrs); Zurich is also an option (3.5hrs). From either, take the train to Lausanne, then on to Aigle (direction Brig), and a bus up to Huémoz.

For train and bus timetables, prices and platform info, SBB is your best resource. Downloading the app is an easy way to check times and prices, as well as purchase tickets. The name of our bus stop is “Huemoz, Bellevue” (pronounced Way-Mo), please purchase a ticket that includes this as the final destination. 

After you book your stay,  we will send you a packet of information that includes detailed instructions on how to find L’Abri. If you need additional information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

The day begins with breakfast at 8am, then settles into two main blocks — morning (9:30am–1pm) and afternoon (3–6:30pm), each around three and a half hours long.

During one block, you’ll contribute to the practical life of the community — cooking, cleaning, laundry, or tending the grounds. The other block is yours for study in the library. Please come ready and willing to follow the community schedule.

Meals are shared together and evenings are generally your own. You can find out more about our daily schedule on this page.

No, students are free to determine their own course of study, using resources in the library and/or bringing their own. Please note that study time isn’t set up for third-party online courses or computer work. Students staying for a week or more will also meet with a tutor once a week. Tutors can help students think through different topics, suggest books and lectures, and guide their study.

L’Abri is always open to discussing university partnerships and credit programs. However, unless you have worked out credit requirements with your school ahead of time, L’Abri does not offer courses of study for credit.

This depends on what your project involves. Because of our intentional approach to technology, we recommend students leave tablets and laptops at home, and there’s no WiFi on site. Days off — Thursdays and Sunday afternoons — are yours to use freely, including heading into Villars where you can find cafés with WiFi for anything that requires a connection.

For those in a career transition, it’s worth thinking this through before you come. L’Abri is a good place to sit with questions about calling, vocation, and next steps. What it’s less suited for is the active, day-to-day work of job searching: between the limited internet access and time zone differences for many students, keeping up with applications can be a real challenge. If you need more regular access, it may be worth considering the timing of your visit.

Yes — it’s one of the ways we keep costs down for everyone, and we have a limited number of shower facilities. You’ll have a washcloth for daily sink washes, and most students find they adapt more quickly than they expected. If washing your hair is a concern,  you may want to consider packing some dry shampoo.

Huémoz sits at 1,000 metres (3,280 feet) above sea level, which means the weather can be unpredictable — it’s always worth packing for a range of temperatures.

Winter brings averages between -10°C and +10°C (14°F–50°F), with snow possible at our altitude and more reliably up at the Villars ski resort just above us. 

Spring and autumn tend to be mild but cool, with temperatures dipping to around 10°C (50°F) on colder days and evenings, and rain that can settle in for longer stretches. 

Summer days are warm — ranging from 15°C to 32°C (59°F–90°F) — though mountain evenings have a way of cooling down quickly.

There’s no WiFi on site. Internet access is available through a shared computer in the evenings and on days off, and if you need to connect on a personal device, the cafés and restaurants in nearby Villars are a short trip away.

If you’re hoping to explore Europe or Switzerland beyond what can be seen on a day trip, we ask that you plan to travel before or after your stay rather than during it. In our experience, trips away tend to disrupt the rhythm of community life in ways that affect everyone.

All of our workers have been students for at least a year prior to applying. The year spent as a student and helper is an important time of discernment for yourself and the L’Abri staff to see if you are being called to this work.

Workers must have a Swiss, EU or EFTA work permit.

L’Abri as an international ministry is not built for fast growth, and planting new branches is not a goal of our ministry in the way it is for many churches. Developing new L’Abri branches is a long and slow process that involves years of discernment. Without exception, every L’Abri branch started with a person who first came to L’Abri as a student and worker. 

However, many people find that they are able to incorporate aspects of L’Abri into their own ministries of hospitality, sharing their faith, apologetics, and prayer, without explicitly using the L’Abri name. We are happy to encourage our students to take what they learn at L’Abri and to apply some of our same rhythms and values in a variety of contexts all over the world.