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Verbier - Val de Bagnes - La Tzoumaz - an endless playground!

The Verbier-Val de Bagnes-La Tzoumaz destination offers visitors over 300 km² of pleasure and discovery through 6 nuggets of diverse and varied charm. With cosmopolitan Verbier, accessible Le Châble, wild Haut Val de Bagnes, authentic Bruson, discreet Vollèges and family-friendly La Tzoumaz, there’s a base camp for everyone, so you can enjoy total immersion in Bagnes country!

Here, skiing in all its forms (downhill, freeride, touring) has something for everyone with the 4 Vallées, the largest ski area in Switzerland and a plethora of mythical slopes and peaks to climb and enjoy.
mythical peaks to climb and descend. The art of living, whether authentic or trendy, has earned its place among a host of good addresses.

A lively and vibrant destination, its heart beats to the rhythm of the events that punctuate the winter calendar: the Polaris Festival, the Verbier Art Summit and the Verbier Xtreme. It’s all about thrills and excitement in the heart of the Valais! And with the vastness and variety of the area to discover, comes the diversity of the visitors. Whether you’re an early riser or a night owl, whether you’re looking for extreme sensations or simple pleasures, whether you’re a cutting-edge hipster or a local enthusiast, whether you’re in the spotlight or out of sight, Verbier is a place where contrasts blossom to form a unique bouquet!

Key figures

Verbier Pictos Dossierpresse Mt Fort Rouge

4'313 M

altitude of the Grand Combin

5'000

chalets or flats for rent

6 spas

1'300

hotel beds

1'400 m

zip line

114 restaurants and bars

95 points in Gault & Millau

14'486

year-round residents throughout the destination

2'787

year-round residents in Verbier

NEWS

THE START OF A REVOLUTION

This winter, the ski area is gearing up for a small revolution: Switzerland’s oldest gondola lift still in operation (1970) will see its last winter.

Le Chaman: the magic of flavours in Verbier

Verbier is iconic

Why is Verbier so iconic?

Verbier and the Val de Bagnes, an infinite playground, a destination of contrasts, a concentrate of Switzerland. And much more besides: a breeding ground for inspiration, a cosmopolitan resort rooted in the mountain pastures, a rhythmic, authentic and warm vibe. The destination inspires artists, sports enthusiasts, craftspeople and anyone who has ever been here to innovate, create and challenge themselves. Indeed, Verbier is a place where you can feel a particular energy that can lead to the invention of a practice and make it immortal (freeride skiing photography, Team Clambin), dare to create nothing less than a myth (the Xtreme on the Bec des Rosses), turn a resort into a world music capital for a few weeks each year (the Verbier Festival). The valley has produced champions, exceptional craftsmen, avant-garde chefs, renowned ski patrollers and specialist technicians. As well as being the capital of raclette, it is also its original melting pot and the birthplace of its best-known ambassador (Eddy Baillifard).

An icon inspires, it’s unique not only for what it is, but also and above all for how people appreciate it and how it makes them feel. And in that respect, thanks to those who make it (and have made it) every day, and above all thanks to those who come and enjoy it, Verbier is iconic!

How Verbier are you?

So where to start? And as a regular, how do you know if you’ve been able to test and experience this iconic energy? How do you know if you’re the “real thing”, as we say here?

To find out, we’ve devised a very simple test: the 10 commandments of Verbier. Based on strict criteria, we’ve selected a list of must-sees with one simple question: what is it that makes Verbier so special and so unique?

Verbier's 10 commandments139KB

A LEGENDARY RESORT FOR ALL FREERIDERS

Off-piste skiing has found a particularly favourable environment in Verbier: slopes, infrastructure, people and an adventurous, pioneering spirit. All the ingredients to create a myth!

Freeride in Verbier, the story of a myth

Founder of the Verbier ski lifts, Rodolphe Tissières was a promoter of easy access to the mountains.In 1960, with the construction of the Mont Gelé cable car, the first ungroomed mountain was opened up to skiers. This principle was later replicated at Mont Fort. For the first time, skiers could enjoy all the thrills of off-piste skiing without having to endure gruelling uphill climbs.

In the 70s, a counter-culture of skiing was emerging, seeking to go beyond the traditional, rigid way of skiing. It was a group of three young men who really put Verbier on the map of off-piste skiing, which became known as freeride. Through their style and Mark Shapiro’s photographs, which found their way into the world’s media, they breathed new life into freeride skiing in Verbier with their “Team Clambin”.

It was a generation later that freeride really took off, and saw its first form of democratisation. This time on the slopes of Bec des Rosses, the organisation of the first major event dedicated to this discipline, the Xtrême Verbier, gave Verbier a place of choice in the world of freeride.

Emblematic figures

Team Clambin

In the 1970s, Mark Shapiro, John Falkiner and Ace Kvale settled in Clambin, above Verbier. Far from the academic style, these pioneers explored the wild slopes, giving them names (“Stairway”, “Baries Bowl”, “Hidden Valley”…) and turning them into an art form. Their exploits and Shapiro’s legendary images attracted riders from all over the world, making Verbier the capital of freeride.

Elisabeth Gerritzen

A mountain enthusiast from childhood thanks to her parents, Elisabeth started competing at the age of 16 in Verbier. At 20, she joined the Freeride World Tour, winning the Verbier Xtreme in 2019 and 2021, as well as the world title in 2021 – a first for a Swiss woman skier. She is also a committed defender of the female cause in sport.

Nicolas Hale-Wood

From the age of 8, Nicolas discovered off-piste skiing with his mother and grandmother on Mont Gelé, falling in love with the speed and freedom of freeride. In 1994, he launched the Xtreme Verbier on the Bec des Rosses, a competition that has since developed a cult following. Since 2008, he has directed the Freeride World Tour, propelling freeride onto the world stage and establishing Verbier as its capital.