Verbier Chalets: An Elegant Base for Your Alpine Adventure
Verbier is a beautiful alpine village nestled on a sunny plateau above the stunning Val de Bagnes in Switzerland. The village itself has breathtaking views of the Grand Combin massif but if you ascend to the Mont Fort summit at 3330m, you will be treated with a truly spectacular panorama of the Matterhorn, Combin and Mont Blanc mountain ranges.Style and Verbier go together like champagne and oysters, with Verbier commonly recognised as being one of the most beautiful ski resorts in Switzerland, set in the Alpine Canton of Valais high above the Rhône valley with Verbier chalets a byword for elegance and luxury. It is part of the largest ski area in Switzerland, known as the Four Valleys and boasts gorgeous scenery, plenty of sunshine, dramatic ski terrain with truly heroic snow and a very lively nightlife. These factors have made this a popular destination resort with the international ski set known as seasonaires, and its proximity to Geneva, only two and half hours by well run public transport or an hour and a half’s drive means that it is easy to access or if you are flying in by private plane then Sion is only 40 minutes away. Or if you are travelling by train, you can take the Eurostar Ski Train from Geneva to Martigny, which is only 28k away.
Many things have changed in Verbier since the first ski lift was erected in 1946, turning this quiet farming village into a veritable hub in the Alps. If history and culture is a must for your vacations you will not be disappointed. Between the ruins of ‘Verbier Castle’ and the beautiful chapel dating from 1686, Verbier holds an interest for many a keen historian. You can explore the museums and galleries at you leisure and become wistful soaking up the original architecture so unique to this region.
Being part of the ‘4 Valleys’ ski area, including Nendaz, La Tzoumaz, Veysonnaz, and Thyon, Verbier offers access to over 400km of piste and some of the best off piste skiing in the world, holding world championship extreme skiing and downhill contests as well as freeride, moguls and slalom. It is also the staging post for Day 2 of the famous high mountain route "La Haute Route" that adventurous ski tourers can take from Chamonix to Zermatt using alpine touring equipment to "ski" uphill in the midst of some of the most remote and extraordinary remote places anywhere in Europe.
Verbier is a true winter playground for some of the most famous people around, with true snow capped hedonism and platinum standard accommodation and entertainment which attracts the crowned heads of Europe as well as celebrity skiers such as Richard Branson, who owns a luxury ski lodge here and celebrity chefs and world renowned film and pop stars. Verbier is equally well known for its youthful, sporty crowd of hardcore skiers who come for the exhilarating black runs and legendary nightlife, where famous and non famous alike can rub shoulders on the dance floors and restaurants and bars of Verbier. The area also attracts corporate groups looking for luxurious ski accommodation as well as snow based thrills and increasingly family groups and people looking for a specialist foodie holiday in combination with some of the best skiing in the world.
This picture perfect Swiss village transforms into a colourful, lively party base for hardened skiers, and is magnet for people who love to ski hard and party harder in the Winter months from December to the end of April with fur clad hipsters and sophisticated old money sharing drinks and the dancefloor in this vibrant Swiss ski resort.
The high-end ski resort has over 412km of runs, which include some of the best off piste skiing in the Alps has some of the most challenging off piste in the Alps, including some challenging black runs as well as spectacular views of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn from the top of Mont Fort. The runs are accessed by almost 100 ski lifts meaning that there are not long lines of queues including the eight seat gondola ride from Tortin to Chassoure, which was once known as one of the Alps’ queuing bottlenecks.
The town of Verbier itself is spread out and features many quaint looking traditional wooden ski chalets and wooden clad apartment buildings, many of which boast amazing views and have private terraces or gardens. The French speaking Romandy population are laid back which creates an informal feeling that lends itself well to Verbier’s understated style. It may attract the rich and famous that would normally drift between Monaco and St Tropez but the wealth on show is tasteful and chic, people come here to ski and have a good time not watch and be watched. This is not a resort for flashy city traders and Russian Oligarchs but for people with taste to enjoy Verbier for what it is, a great ski resort with an amazing après ski scene. Verbier has grown since the 1950’s but in a tasteful way, no massive concrete blocks or chain restaurants, which is why it appeals to the discerning skier.
Verbier is renowned for having some of the world’s most luxurious ski chalets to suit all sizes of ski party. The Chalet Moncayo sleeps over twenty and is situated in one of the best locations in Verbier, just above the Médran lift, which will take you into the Four Valleys ski area. It has ensuite bathrooms, balconies and is ideal for a large family gathering or corporate group. Visitors can ski right to the front door and the resort is nearby, with Offshore and Fer a Cheval right on the doorstep.
Guests can book catering too and can book it for a short or longer break. If you want something a little smaller but still roomy enough for a group and utterly luxurious then Chalet Flora can sleep up to twelve guests and features include a hot tub and sauna as well as a traditional hammam, cinema room, wine cave, indoor heated swimming pool and offices as well as a roomy terrace where guests can relax over a glass of champagne and watch the sunset over the mountains. This chalet is perfect for corporate events and family gatherings, and even has a children’s bunk room and TV room so that your children can have their own area in the chalet while you enjoy the spa. Chalet Scorcese can sleep up to ten people and is one of the very few Verbier chalets that has its own indoor swimming pool and is situated in a quiet spot by the forest where skiers can ski from the front door to the main Médran ski lift station. It offers gorgeous views across the Val de Bagnes to the imposing Mont Blanc Massif, and other features include a bar, games room and cinema room making it the prefect destination for families or small groups looking for a luxury ski chalet. The Verbier chalet can be booked with in house chef or without and boasts a complimentary 24 hour driving service, so that you can feel free to make the most of Verbier’s wild après ski scene. Chalet Timah sleeps up to nine guests and can be catered by Powder White or self catered according to your requirements. It is one of the few freestanding chalets close by the Médran lift that gives access to the Four Valley ski circuit and has a charming shabby chic style, which makes it popular with younger guests. It has a log fire, large dining room and is near the ski area and the resort making it ideal for people who like to ski and party hard. If you are travelling to Verbier with your family then Chalet Nero is ideal as it sleeps up to eight guests and has a big garden that children can roam about, while the adults avail themselves of the hot tub on the terrace looking over the garden. There is a cinema room and the chalet can be catered or self catered, and features a shared driver service for guests until 1.00am, which is perfect for getting home after a night off piste. Apartment Viola sleeps up to six people and the Médran lift station is a short walk away.
Its features include a huge log fire and an apartment wide Bose surround sound system, perfect for après ski parties and it can be booked with catering or self-catering. But the Verbier après ski nightlife is just as famous as the breath taking scenery, fast runs and fantastic luxury ski chalets. Whether it is restaurants for a romantic meal a deux or a lively bar where you can really let your hair down and end up dancing on the bar, Verbier has it all.
Verbier Restaurants:
After a hard day’s skiing, ravenous skiers have their pick of some fantastic restaurants from Le Rouge Restaurant and Club which is at the bottom of the Le Rouge run and offers 360 degree views with perfectly cooked crepes, home made burgers and tapas and has a lively nightclub after dark with live DJ’s. La Marmotte has been a restaurant serving local produce since the 1970’s and offers Rosti’s and fondue in a beautiful setting in the Planards in Savoleyres ski area. It attracts a regular clientele who have eaten there for years and offers Swiss wines and a children’s menu. Dining in the Fer à Cheval is a Verbier tradition and it attracts locals as well as seasonaires to its cosy bar and restaurant offering tasty Italian food at reasonable prices. Chez Dany is consistently ranked as one of the top restaurants in Verbier and caters for all ages with a playground for children and a terrace for skiers to eat traditional food such as fondue, risotto and pumpkin soup and drink wine while looking over the mountains. It is in Chemin de Clambin just down the ski trail from Les Ruinettes to Verbier and is it situated at 1,720 metres above sea level and can be accessed directly from the slopes or by a nearby hiking trail. Le Caveau in Verbier’s main square is famous for it’s fondue and raclette and has a log cabin vibe inside making it a popular choice for cosy nights eating Swiss food and drinking wine and is a Verbier institution.
Verbier Nightlife:
Verbier is renowned for its buzzing nightlife and there have been more and more globally famous DJ’s such as Brandon Block, Hoxton Whores and The Stafford Brothers along with Mirko Loko and Lulluxpo playing there. Le Rouge’s nightclub, Le Etoile Rouge plays host to many of the visiting DJ’s and also holds the Verbier DJ Awards where all their resident DJ’s are up for awards and Verbier party goers can vote for their favourite DJ on the special Facebook page. If you are looking for a lively bar to kick back in after a hard day on the slopes then the Pub Mont Fort behind the Médran ski lift is a favourite of party loving seasonaires and is a fantastically rowdy place to start off your night with a happy hour from 4-5.00pm before heading to Farinet, where even Richard Branson has been known to dance on the bar at this lively après ski bar which is one of the only Verbier bars to feature live music. A Verbier institution is The Farm Club, the resort’s most infamous nightclub, which is high in energy and glamour and has seen stars such as Diana Ross and David Bowie on its dance floor.
Verbier Sporting Events:
Verbier plays host to some exciting spectator events such as the Verbier High Five, where gifted amateur skiers can take a chance at showing off their skills by competing alongside professional skiers including world champions, Xtreme Verbier which is the breathtaking final of the Freeride World Tour as well as the Patrouille des Glaciers, which is an endurance race from Zermatt. Verbier also has the XSpeed Ski Open Race finals where you can watch the fastest speed skiers in the world hurtle down Mont Fort at speeds of around 200km an hour.
If you are holidaying in Verbier during the spring or summer months then there are plenty of other sporting events such as the Trail Verbier Saint-Bernard, which is an extreme endurance race for athletes or the Grand Raid mountain bike race as well as stages of the Tour de France, Tour de Suisse and Romandie and the Rallye du Valais motor race.
Family Friendly Events:
Verbier is not just for wild young things but attracts a lot of families too, due to the high quality of the ski chalets, great ski coaching available and many activities. Families can visit the fitness centre, which has a swimming pool, ice rink, outdoor trampolines and tennis and squash courts as well as spa facilities. If you prefer to try out more outdoor activities then there is cross-country skiing, climbing and snow shoeing as well as hiking trails and a 10K toboggan run which goes from Savoleyres to Tzoumaz. Verbier also has four museums and a cinema, which mainly shows English language films as well as three art galleries as well as many family friendly restaurants. Summer visitors can take in the 3-D Sculpture Park where emerging artists can show off their work after completing a 5-week artists residency in Verbier. A new complex at the bottom of the Médran gondola has plenty of public spaces and shops and eateries, and gives a focus to the area, which was previously dominated by private chalets.
Ski Tuition:
Element is consistently rated one of the best ski schools in Verbier and has a hand picked team of instructors offering classes for beginners up to expert skiers who want to get the most out of the black runs. Instructors offer video analysis of your moves so that you can see exactly how to improve your technique.
If you plan on travelling with a group of girls then there are special girls only ski programmes run by Diva Ski that offer three levels of tuition from Beginner to Extreme and give women the confidence to push themselves on the slope.
The Altitude Ski and Snowboard School has instructors from Sweden, Russia, the Nederlands, China and Spain, and all of them are fluent in English. They offer skiing and snowboarding lessons and specialise in off-piste, children’s and VIP lessons as well as classes for nervous skiers and corporate and team building programmes. If you want to train as an instructor yourself then you can do official courses here.
Skiing in Verbier:
Verbier boasts some of the best off piste skiing in the Alps as well as less daring pistes for beginners and novice skiers.
Beginners can ski on Savoleyres or the slow ski zones at Tournelle or La Chaux and there is a special ski area for children in Les Moulins. If you are an intermediate level skier then about 40% of the pisted runs are accessible, such as the slopes to La Tzoumaz and pistes on the Savoleyres side of Verbier, as well as the Lac de Vaux run from the top of the Médran lift. Skilled skiers are drawn to Verbier by the unpisted black runs, including the Tortin Wall, which is regularly rated as one of the scariest descents in the world or the North Face at the back of Mont Fort which is a very steep, black mogul run along with the black runs at Mont Gele. Skiers can buy a 4 Vallées lift pass which covers more than 412 kms from Haute-Nendaz, to Thyon / Les Collons, Verbier and Evolène with each of the different areas offering different types of skiing from black runs and cruising in Verbier to the many runs of La Tzoumaz to Mt Fort which will appeal to expert skiers. The high altitude of the ski area means that it is safe to book, even late in the season, and skiers can take two gondola rides to reach heights of 2,700 metres. Travel between slopes is made easy with a free shuttle bus service from Médran to other smaller areas. New lift connections also connect to the Bruson ski area, which was once known only by locals as well as a gondola between the resorts of Nendaz and Siviez.
Ski Chalets:
Verbier is renowned for having some of the world’s most luxurious ski chalets to suit all sizes of ski party. The Chalet Moncayo sleeps over twenty and is situated in one of the best locations in Verbier, just above the Médran lift, which will take you into the Four Valleys ski area. It has ensuite bathrooms, balconies and is ideal for a large family gathering or corporate group. Visitors can ski right to the front door and the resort is nearby, with Offshore and Fer a Cheval right on the doorstep.
Guests can book catering too and can book it for a short or longer break. If you want something a little smaller but still roomy enough for a group and utterly luxurious then Chalet Flora can sleep up to twelve guests and features include a hot tub and sauna as well as a traditional hammam, cinema room, wine cave, indoor heated swimming pool and offices as well as a roomy terrace where guests can relax over a glass of champagne and watch the sunset over the mountains. This chalet is perfect for corporate events and family gatherings, and even has a children’s bunk room and TV room so that your children can have their own area in the chalet while you enjoy the spa. Chalet Scorcese can sleep up to ten people and is one of the very few Verbier chalets that has its own indoor swimming pool and is situated in a quiet spot by the forest where skiers can ski from the front door to the main Médran ski lift station. It offers gorgeous views across the Val de Bagnes to the imposing Mont Blanc Massif, and other features include a bar, games room and cinema room making it the prefect destination for families or small groups looking for a luxury ski chalet. The Verbier chalet can be booked with in house chef or without and boasts a complimentary 24 hour driving service, so that you can feel free to make the most of Verbier’s wild après ski scene. Chalet Timah sleeps up to nine guests and can be catered by Powder White or self catered according to your requirements. It is one of the few freestanding chalets close by the Médran lift that gives access to the Four Valley ski circuit and has a charming shabby chic style, which makes it popular with younger guests. It has a log fire, large dining room and is near the ski area and the resort making it ideal for people who like to ski and party hard. If you are travelling to Verbier with your family then Chalet Nero is ideal as it sleeps up to eight guests and has a big garden that children can roam about, while the adults avail themselves of the hot tub on the terrace looking over the garden. There is a cinema room and the chalet can be catered or self catered, and features a shared driver service for guests until 1.00am, which is perfect for getting home after a night off piste. Apartment Viola sleeps up to six people and the Médran lift station is a short walk away.
Its features include a huge log fire and an apartment wide Bose surround sound system, perfect for après ski parties and it can be booked with catering or self-catering.
Verbier really is a high end ski resort that offers it all, luxurious ski chalets, fantastic restaurants for foodies, celebrity spotting, one of the best après ski scenes on the circuit and off course fantastic off piste skiing. All you have to do is book your chalet in Verbier and enjoy the sophisticated delights of this Alpine ski resort.