Verbier, Alpine ski resort in Valais, Switzerland.
Verbier is a mountain village and winter sports resort at 1490 meters in Val de Bagnes, serving as the main access point to the 4 Vallées network with more than 400 kilometers of slopes. The houses and hotels spread across several terraced hillsides above the valley floor, while chairlifts and gondolas connect the ski areas.
The village was a farming community with Alpine pastures and only a few year-round houses until the 1940s. Development began in 1950 with the opening of the first drag lift, followed by the Médran cable car in 1951, which provided access to higher elevations.
More than a hundred bars and restaurants line the streets of the village center and draw skiers from across Europe in the evening. The French-influenced Valais cuisine dominates the menus, often with local products such as raclette and air-dried meat.
The nearest international airport is in Geneva about 160 kilometers away, from where trains run to Le Châble in the valley and a gondola carries passengers up to the village. The ski season usually runs from December to April, while in summer hiking trails and mountain bike routes can be used.
Every February a freeride competition takes place where riders descend the steep north faces of Bec des Rosses, which have gradients up to 55 degrees. Spectators watch the runs from dedicated viewing points accessible by chairlift.
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