Verbier ski resort guide & reviews Ski area, apres-ski,things to see & do in Verbier
Overview
Skiing in Verbier - St Bernard - from its sunny plateau at 1500m looking on to Mont Blanc and the Grand Combin, Verbier is at the heart of Les 4 Vallées and Ski St-Bernard. A chic and sophisticated ski resort that is charming off the slopes but with a reputation for having some of the most challenging decents in the Alps.
Overall, Verbier is a fantastic ski resort with incredible skiing and apres-ski and thoroughly deserves it's international status as simply world class.
| Key information (whole area) | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 1500m |
| Top lift | 3300m |
| Family | |
| Beginner | |
| Intermediate | |
| Expert | |
| Piste (km) | 410 |
| Longest run | 15 km |
| Off piste | |
| Cross country | km |
| Season | Winter & Summer |
| Snowboard parks | 3 |
| Heli Skiing | ✔ |
| Summer skiing | ✘ |
| Glacier skiing | ✔ |
| Babysitting | ✔ |
| Creche | ✔ |
| Apres ski | Sophisticated, lively |
Verbier ski area guide
With 412km of pistes serviced by 92 lifts, there is ample terrain to keep even the keenest ski touring enthusiast occupied where you can venture in to the resorts of:
- Nendaz
- Thyon
- Veysonnaz
- La Tzoumaz
The local Verbier ski area consists of Mont Fort, Savoleyres and Bruson. Mont Fort is the main area peaking at 3300m and is popular for the hard core boarders and skiers who love the many challenging decents from the summit. Savoleyres is more gentle than the Mont Fort with some great runs through the trees.
The St-Bernard ski area gives a further 100km of runs which are generally much quieter than in Les 4 Vallées. There are 5 relaxed and family orientated resorts that make up this ski area:
- Bruson (1103m)
- La Fouly (1600m)
- Champex-Lac (1486m)
- Vicheres-Liddes
- Les Marecottes (1100m)
To ski the Bruson area, you'll need to catch a bus from the centre of Verbier. Bruson has a base lift at 1080 which means the runs down to it tend to lose snow cover faster. However, the tree runs are spectacular and the area is expansive when you start to hike a bit off the beaten track.
Beginners
Verbier has excellent nursery slopes around the village and also further up the mountain.
Intermediate
Les 4 Valleys gives the intermediate skier ample variety with ski touring particularly good fun and as challenging as you want to make it.
The numerous itinerary routes coming off Mont Fort should only be attempted if you are a strong intermediate skier or with a guide. Steeper and more challenging runs can be found around Mont Gele and La Chaux.
Advanced
One of the best ski resorts in the Alps for long and extremely challenging itineraries. Combined with the black runs and virtually unlimited off-piste terrain, Verbier is paradise for the more advanced technical skiers and free riders.
Snowboarding
The 4 valleys offers the snowboarder a serious amount of terrain to freeride and some fantastic long off-piste itineraries to test the stamina.
Things to see & do
If you dont facncy skiing or boarding, there are plenty of other activities to keep you busy including:
- Cross-country skiing
- sledgings
- Snow tubing
- Snowshoeing
- 100km of marked walks
- Heliskiing
- Ice climbing
- Paragliding
Après-ski
If you like fun-packed evenings then Verbier is the place for you! Après-ski is an institution here and you will be spoiled for choice of places to end your day on the slopes. Fine dining enthusiasts can choose from a wide range of options, award-winning restaurants. With its wide selection of bars and nightclubs on the slopes and in the resort, Verbier keeps the parties going on until the early hours.
Children
There are some day care centres in Nendaz that take children from 18 months to 6 years and are open 7 days a week in the winter season - check the Directory for details.
Our view on Verbier ski resort
- New Years Eve in Verbier is not to be missed. The town centre is transformed into a massive party with live music and fireworks going off until the early hours - seriously good fun and one of the best places in the Alps to bring in the New Year
- The Haute Route, linking Chamonix to Zermatt passes through the 4 Valleys and is definitely well worth the trip. This is a spectacular and demanding ski tour staying overnight in the mountain refugees and a unique and unforgettable experience
If you like Verbier, you may also want to look at Kitzbuhel and St Anton in Austria.
