Verbier – off-piste, Mont Fort and a Swedish music festival

Verbier sits on a sunny terrace above Val de Bagnes in Valais and is Switzerland's most famous resort for off-piste skiing. In summer, the village becomes one of Europe's most important venues for classical music – founded by a Swede.

Verbier sits on a south-facing terrace at around 1,500 metres above sea level, high above the Val de Bagnes in the canton of Valais. From the village you look straight out towards the Grand Combin and the Mont Blanc massif, and the sun stays on the slope long after the valley below has fallen into shadow. Since 2021, the resort has belonged to the municipality of Val de Bagnes, formed when Bagnes and Vollèges merged.

Verbier has two reputations, and both are true. In winter, it is one of the Alps' most respected resorts for off-piste and steep terrain. In summer, it is one of Europe's most important stages for classical music.

01The 4 Vallées and Mont Fort

Verbier is the largest resort in the 4 Vallées, one of Switzerland's largest interconnected ski areas, which also takes in Nendaz, Veysonnaz and Thyon. The highest point is Mont Fort at 3,329 metres, with a glacier, a large cable car and a view that on a clear day stretches from the Matterhorn to Mont Blanc. One of the area's most famous mogul runs descends from the summit.

What makes Verbier special is the terrain that isn't groomed. Much of the area consists of marked but ungroomed runs and large off-piste areas that can be reached directly from the lifts. It requires a guide, avalanche equipment and respect – but this is where many of the world's best freeride skiers are based during the winter.

02Xtreme Verbier on the Bec des Rosses

Every spring Verbier hosts the Xtreme Verbier, the freeride competition on the north face of the Bec des Rosses, a steep and rocky mountain wall above the area around the Col des Gentianes. The competition is the final of the Freeride World Tour and has made Verbier the capital of freeride. The riders choose their own line down, and spectators watch from the other side of the valley.

03The Verbier Festival – the Swedish connection

In summer, Verbier changes character. The Verbier Festival was founded in 1994 by the Swedish-born impresario Martin T:son Engstroem and is held every July and August. For a few weeks, some of the world's most famous soloists, conductors and orchestras perform in a large festival tent and in the church, and the festival has an academy and a youth orchestra for young musicians from all over the world.

The festival is one of the reasons Verbier works as a year-round resort. Summer also offers hiking and mountain biking on the old pasture tracks, and when the festival isn't on, the village is quiet.

04The village and the chalets

Verbier doesn't have an old centre in the way Zermatt or Gstaad does. The village grew up as a ski resort during the 20th century, and most of the houses are chalets of wood and stone, scattered across the slope. The focal point is Place Centrale, with shops, cafés and bars. Towards the end of the day, people gather on the terraces along the runs down towards Médran, where the big lifts start.

Verbier has long been a favourite of British and Scandinavian families, and many rent an entire catered chalet for a week. This makes the resort more private than it appears from the village's main street.

More destinations can be found among metromode.co's destinations. On site, Metro Mode Camera can tell you which peaks you can see from the terrace.

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