Chateau d'Hauteville

A Global Hub for Leadership and Learning

Nestled in the hills above Vevey, Switzerland, with unparalleled views of Lake Geneva and the Swiss, Italian, and French Alps, the historic Château d'Hauteville will serve our Pepperdine community on this stunning international campus.

A Look Around Château d'Hauteville

This majestic estate was held by the Grand d'Hauteville family from the time it was built in the 1760s until its purchase by Pepperdine in November of 2019. One of the largest and most prestigious properties in the region, the château features 58,547 square feet of living space. The château's estate comprises approximately 90 acres (or 36.7 hectares). Of those 90 acres, 67 acres is the approximate size of the farmland on the estate; there have been significant discussions about the farmland over the years due to the regulatory scheme that applies to this land, as well as our partnership with our farmers. Hundred-year-old trees, picturesque pathways, vineyards, French-style formal gardens, stone-carved fountains, and woodland forests surround the grounds.

The crown-jewel château is one of the finest in all of Switzerland and has been given the country's highest protected designation as a Class 1 Historic Monument. There is no other historic castle with an accompanying estate in such a remarkable location in all of Switzerland—the Hauteville property truly stands alone. 

The University is committed to preserving the heritage and historic character of this breathtaking manor, while upgrading the infrastructure and creating modern living accommodations for our students, faculty, and campus visitors. All of the château renovations are being guided by a commission of historic remodeling experts, as well as experts in sustainable restoration practices and techniques. The history of this magnificent estate, and the family who occupied it, will provide our students and educators with countless examples—across a wide range of disciplines—of the artistic, philosophical, religious, and political forces that shaped much of the modern world.

The Renovation Process

The first phase of renovations began in the spring of 2020 and is devoted to the restoration of the estate's two primary buildings: the château and the orangerie.

The main building of the historic château will become a living and learning center for our undergraduate students. It will include classrooms, study areas, recreational and community spaces, a small dining room, an administrative center, and a faculty apartment on the ground floor (with additional community rooms on the lower level). The student bedrooms, along with more study spaces, will be located on the second and third floors.

Adjacent to the château, the orangerie (a dedicated building where the estate's orange and fruit trees were protected during the winter) will be renovated to include a professional full-service kitchen, a grand dining hall, single-occupancy bedrooms for graduate students, and a graduate faculty apartment.