Holiday in Verbier overview
General Information
Verbier is one of the largest ski resorts in the Swiss Alps and located in the canton of Valais. The resort was first built in 1925 and the first lift was installed in 1946. Verbier is home to the Jumbo, a 150 person cable car that goes up to 3,300 meters or about 10,800 feet and operates all year round. With the number of lifts in the ski area, thousands of people can be taken up the slopes each hour. Ski Verbier is very popular. It is aptly referred to as the skier’s paradise with wide-spread pistes, excellent circuits for out of the track pistes and a mind-boggling snow park. The high elevation at which the resort sits provides assurance of good amount of snow and glacier skiing.
Winter Activities
Verbier has over 410 km of trails for various levels of expertise in skiing with 92 Ski-lifts being installed. Mont Fort glacier which is 3330 m high is the highest point where expert skiers enjoy skiing. Snow cannons are also used to well assure the availability of snow for a good skiing and snowboarding experience. It has some trails suitable for beginners and intermediates as well. The sunrise Neipark in La Chaux is a special attraction for the snowboarders. So also is the boarder. Another favorable winter activity here in Verbier is hiking with well maintained 25 km of marked trails. Tobogganing is facilitated by a 10 km long two-way smeared path. A high altitude trail of 5 km for cross-country skiing with a loop of 4 km near the resort’s center at Polysportif is the specialty of the resort.
Summer Activities
Once the winter is gone and snow has watered up, Verbier presents itself as a summer delight for walking, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, mountain biking, rock climbing and many more adventurous activities just around the corner. The lifts are open even in summers, making it easy to travel around the mountainous region. One can choose to go downhill riding by hiring Arapaho Scooters or just try out the daring Canyoning. Can also go in for rafting or if you like to get wet for sure then Hydrospeed is another option available. Even children can explore a whole lot of things by joining a ski school or any other activity center at Verbier when you are out to satisfy your appetite for adventure. Many events and festivals do take place in summer, including the Amateur Chamber Music Week and an endurance race which is held in July.
Other Information
The Elfes have provided a summer camp at Verbier for anyone under the age of 18 for 30 years. What is left of Verbier Castle is available for tours. It was destroyed in the Battle of La Planta in 1475. Verbier has a varied history starting with the Romans. There are many museums and galleries with exhibits displaying traditional village life and history of the area. There are also concerts and festivals regularly and many Verbier hotels for every budget. There are also tours of the different hamlets where cheese-making can be observed.
