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128km (80 miles) E of Geneva; 40km (25 miles) N of Great St. Bernard
Tunnel; 29km (18 miles) E of Martigny; 58km (36 miles) SW of Sion
Verbier sits on a vast, sunny plateau in the Bagnes Valley in
Switzerland's southernmost Alps. It looks toward the Combin and Mont
Blanc mountains, which are covered with snow year-round, even when the
town is bursting with leafy trees and flowers. At 1,500m (4,920 ft.),
Verbier was a pastureland before developing into an outstanding sports
center. The area is protected from harsh winds by the surrounding
mountains. The predominant language of the resort is French.
Verbier doesn't have the architectural distinction of Zermatt.
Everything from souvenir shops to the fast-food joints to the chalets is
modern. But you don't concentrate on the man-made architecture -- the
draw is the panoramic site of the resort itself, as its buildings are
scattered over a slope of the Bagnes Valley surrounded by snow-covered
mountains. |
