Eat, Sleep, Ski, Walk in Luxury at Verbier
Written: Aug 21 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Variety of Slopes, Huge, Walking Trails, Restaurants, Townlife, View
Cons: Expensive, Old Lifts, Weather
The Bottom Line: With excellent summer and winter activities, Verbier is the place to go to unwind and relax.
|
|
|
| Jekl84's Full Review: Verbier |
Switzerland is known for a great number of things like Secret Swiss Bank Accounts and Swiss Miss (haha). But one of the most impressive things about Switzerland are its mountains. Switzerland lies right in the center of the Alps and provides great entertainment during the summer, or winter. For the past eleven years I have been going to Verbier during the summer and for the past three years in the winter and for either of those seasons, it is truly excellent. So as I was relaxing and eating a fondue with some friends, I decided to think up of the positive and negative sides of Verbier.
Background
Verbier is located about two hours outside of Geneva. It is a mountain village located about 1500 meters above sea level. The skiable portion ranges from 1500-3500 meters. There is a free bus system that provides transportation everywhere in verbier. The currency is in Suisse Francs although Euros are generally accepted. Overall an excellent ski resort.
Positive Points
Variety of Slopes
Verbier is loaded. The resort is so huge that it can truly fit any skiers needs. Here is a list of trails I've compiled: Beginner, Intermediate, Expert, Tree Skiing, Glacier Skiing, Cornice Jumping, Cliff Jumping, Powder Skiing, Double Black diamonds, Chutes, Moguls, Wide calm runs, Narrow steep runs, Back country skiing, Heleskiing, you name it you got it. Moguls can also be found anywhere as can groomed runs. The fact that the treeline is very high also makes transitioning from run to run very easy and fun. The variety of slopes is a pleasure to say the least.
Huge
Saying that Verbier is huge is a vast understatement. With trails that amount to 410 kilometres and with 95 lifts available, Verbier is enormous. At any one point Verbier can hold up to 25,000 visitors in its hotels or rented chalets with a total of about a million visitors per year. There are about 100 restaurants on the mountain that serve everything from traditional swiss cuisine to Burger King. There are many things to do at Verbier and the vastness of it should keep you entertained for weeks.
Summer Activities
Verbier is also pretty well known for its summer activites. Verbier provides excellent walking trails that stretch for miles, superb mountain biking, 4x4 course, a suspended course in Medran, a sport center with tennis courts, ice rinks, pools, horse riding and a bar. These activities can give the kids, and adults, an excellent reason to just unwind during the summer and take it easy in the mountains. The weather is usually around 65-80 degrees and normally pretty sunny and dry. Another good thing to look for is the lack of crowds in the city. Verbier provides a very peaceful and serene environment.
Restaurants
Here is where it gets interesting! The variety of food in Verbier is actually pretty impressive. Another impressive fact is that not all the restaurants are in the village, some are located in the mountains and provide a nice reward after a long walk or ski. Chez Dany is an excellent place for Croute au Fromage, a dish with potatoes, cheese, eggs and bacon. Chez Simone is the place for excellent fondues, a vat of melted cheese in which one dips bread pieces. Harold's is an area in the village where you can get a hamburger or any other American meal. Verbier provides an excellent variety that should keep any tourist well-fed.
Town Life
Although Verbier is a very small mountain village that holds to is in many ways very antiquish, it is in no way behind in the social arena. Nightlife is a sprawling business in Verbier where the youth often gather to have a drink, dance, and take it easy. The community is also very active in that it sponsers many activites for visitors and townfolk to participate in. Whether it is a mountain bike race, or a car exposition Verbier is very active.
View
During the summer, and winter, the view on sunny cloudless days is worth a million bucks. At the top of the mountain one can just do a full 360 degree turn and be blown away by the beauty of the surrounding snow-capped mountains. One can literally be blown away by the beauty and it is true that a picture cannot capture even remotely the effect that is had.
Negative Sides
Expensive
One of the few problems with Verbier is that you have to be rich. You will not find any Motel 6's or Super 8's in Verbier. In fact, there are very few low budget hotels in the area. Most hotels are 3 or 4 stars with prices like 1500 dollars for a week. The food is also pretty expensive, but well worth it. Tickets are also by no means inexpensive. But the truth is that you get much more than what you pay for. The atmosphere is that of a Suisse town that really has not been too affected by corporations. It holds its historic values dear and has many mom and pop stores.
Old Lifts
Although Verbier does have some very modern lifts and boasts the largest telecabine in the world (able of holding 125 people), it does have many old lifts. Some of these feel moderately unsafe especially in the heavy winds of winter. However, most lifts to do not have more than five minute lines on them which makes it really convenient, especially for an avid ski fan.
Weather
The weather at Verbier is shaky at best. It is hard to get an accurate weather forecast because the mountain range often can change predictions drastically. Most of the time it is cloudy, and as you can imagine with no treeline, pretty difficult to see. However when the sun is shining, the view is absolutely gorgeous.
Overall
Verbier is a gorgeous place that will literally take your breath away. The positive outweigh the negatives by an unbelievable margin. It is true that it is a bit secluded and hard to get to, but once you are there it is truly an experience of a lifetime.
Recommended:
Yes
Level of Experience Needed: Intermediate
Best Time to Visit: February
Best Suited For: Families
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Jekl84
|
|
Member: Jeremy Klein
Location: CT, USA
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Currently a Connecticut College student studying Economics and Computer Science
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.