Verbier in Switzerland - 12 things to see and do in Verbier

Verbier... The Swiss Alps are something very special, and it's impossible to put a finger on why. I went hiking for a few days and it's just wow! Follow along and I'll show you why.

Beautiful Verbier in Switzerland

Verbier in Switzerland is very well known for its many ski slopes in winter. It is first and foremost for its off-piste slopes and has one of the steepest slopes in Europe. Most recently in August 2019, Verbier was named Switzerland's best ski resort for the second time. I (Peter) received an invitation to experience and write about Verbier in September 2019 focusing on hiking, mountain biking, food and experiencing nature without snow. I looked on the internet and thought like Ingemar Stenmark ... "They just have to go".

Where is Verbier located?

Verbier is located in the south-west of Switzerland in the commune of Bagnes. In Switzerland they have Cantons as counties or states and Verbier belongs to Valais. There are more than 800 km of mountain bike trails and 950 km of hiking trails, so the range is enormous.

1. Inspired by the Mauvoisin Dam

The flight from Arlanda left at 06.30 and I was there and landed at 08.40. Now I had one hour until the next flight, but it was much more than that. There was a strike at KLM and my flight was delayed 8 hours. Now I miss the fantastic dam where I had planned to take my drone up and take pictures. The Mauvosin dam was built between 1951-1958 and is the highest dam in Europe. It looks absolutely magical and there I was at Schiphol in Holland, waiting for my flight with a good beer and a tear in my eye.

Verbier — Hikes around Mauvoisin and Bonatchiesse and photos of the Mauvoisin dam and the Giétroz Glacier.

2. Enjoy the Alpine station Cabin Brunet

My flight left at 15.00 and landed in Geneva at 16.30. From here I had to go by train which takes 2 hours and 10 minutes, and I went to Martigny where a taxi would pick me up. I got to ride in a Saab, haha, and the taxi driver loved his car (which makes you proudly Swedish). It took 50 minutes straight up to 2103 metres above sea level in crazy beautiful winding roads to the cottage where we would sleep.

It's getting dark and I don't care about my packing when we arrive, because photography comes first and it's insanely beautiful.

I run like a small child and take pictures of a big cabin and two small sheds with all the nature around me, as if I will never experience this again. The cows are playing their tune with their bells around their necks and you can see snow on the tops of the mountains. Come on ... this is really beautiful!

I go in and choose something to eat and it's cheese fondue and a beer. I familiarise myself with the female guide who has been coming here for 50 years (started at 15) and two photographers from France. The air is really thin and I lack oxygen but I fall asleep after being up for almost a day at 23.00.

3. Walk across the Passerelle de Sery suspension bridge.

Up at 06.00 to watch the morning sun over the Swiss Alps. Photographed for an hour and then breakfast before slowly packing up and leaving at 08.00. Everywhere helicopters come and deliver food to the different places around Verbier. Today we will hike first 5-6 hours up to the Corbassiere glacier, a 550 metre climb, and then straight down for three hours. We will also pass two suspension bridges on our way and it all seems very amazing.

After an hour's walk, the first suspension bridge (Passerelle de Sery) was about 25 metres long. By this time we had gained about 100 metres in height and the walk was quite comfortable, and incredibly beautiful.

4. Walk across the dramatic Passerelle de Corbassiere suspension bridge.

Three hours with several steep joints and for me it was heavy. I have been taking cortisone for a year for a strange inflammation, and have gained 15 kilos, which I am not used to, and it really felt in my body. The guide was great and took it more slowly and if you rest more often and concentrate on your breathing, you will eventually get up.

We walk around streams, sheep and high mountains and suddenly all the green disappears. We have entered the glacier and we are at the Corbassiere bridge, which will take us 190 metres across the glacier with a depth of 70 metres and up to where we will have lunch. This is a really cool suspension bridge and it swings well when we cross.

5. Fascinated by the glacier La Cabane FXB Panossiere

After another 1 h 30 min we have arrived at a fabulous place 2641 metres above sea level. Here is a restaurant with a crazy beautiful view of the entire glacier and the mountains Grand Combin 4314 metres above sea level is the one we see straight ahead and the highest in the region.

Petit Combin, Corbassiere Combin and the top Tournedos Blanc etc. In all these cottages/restaurants you can sleep and eat. We had a wonderful weather and I took a big strong, a lovely soup with bread and cheese and damn how good it tasted, and the view to it.

6. Discover wonderful Fionnay in Verbier

It was time to get down and the first two hours were a wonderful walk with just the right amount of downhill. There are lots of marmots here, and you hear their singing and you think it's birds.

After that, the steepness came for a whole hour. It felt like if I didn't hold back I would reach 50 kilometres per hour. It was also rocky, winding because you can't go straight down and after 30 minutes I asked for a rest. My thighs were shaking and I didn't trust that I could hold myself back. The last half hour was actually very hard, and my thighs hurt 7 days after I got home, haha. We got down to Fionnay and my legs were shaking but what a journey, and what a wonderful day.

7. Take a lift from Le Chable

The guide left me in the town below Verbier called Le Chable, because that's where you come by train when travelling to and from Verbier. From here, the lift goes up to Verbier or if you have a car, you wind up next to the lift. Next to the lift and train is also the tourist office, and here I picked up my suitcase that I could not take with me on the hike. Into the lift and so on.

8. Strolling around Verbier

It's cool to go into the town you are staying in, and Verbier is not that big but they have most things very close. My hotel Bristol was 5 minutes from the lift with a wonderful view of the Alps.

Pack up and off to dinner and it was a light salad and chanterelles on a bed of potatoes, and a test of a new wine (Ned noir) which was really good. It is not possible to eat melted cheese every day even though it is good. Back to the hotel and unload cameras, videos and all the gadgets I had with me.

9. Climb to the Pierre Avoi mountain top

New morning and new challenges. Pick up the electric mountain bike in the middle of the city and we will cycle 1 hour 30 minutes up another mountain of course. It is really easy to get up with an electric bike and it will be a nice morning. When we park our bikes, the fog comes.

We still have 45 minutes straight up to reach the top of the mountain Pierre Avoi 2472 metres above sea level. Now it's getting tough again and the oxygen is running out, but I'm struggling and it's very steep.

When you get up there should be a 360 degree view but the fog is messing with us today, but it's still cool with the whole Rhone valley below.

When we cycled back, we had lunch at the famous "La Croix de Coeur" at 2174 metres above sea level, and there we had another soup with bread and a big strong one.

10. Tasting new beers at the V Bier Brewery

In the centre of town there is a microbrewery/restaurant/gym that I was invited to taste beer at. The guy who shook hands was Swedish so there was a lot to talk about on the V Beer Brewery.

The IPA was the best, and we talked so much that I lost track of the time to the restaurant I was going to for dinner. Apparently it was a famous chef but I arrived an hour late and he had closed. That's how it can go and it was chips and wine from the mini-bar at the hotel ... always something!

11. Try Raclette at the famous cheese factory Laitere de Verbier.

On the last day before going home, there was also a visit to the famous cheese factory in town. No 1 Raclette and a guided tour of the production. These were really nice guys ... The father is Roger and the son is Marc who has his family business and won the "Swiss Cheese Avards" many times.

I bought Raclette cheese and Gruyere to take home and outside the shop there is a big vending machine with all the products to make fondue, if you think of it in the evening when it is closed, haha.

12. Take part in the "Verbier infinite playground" VIP pass.

This card is given to you when you check into a hotel and contains 45 fantastic offers between 1 June and 27 October. The card is valid for as many days as you are checked in at the hotel. Many of them are free and a lot of them have a 50 % discount.

Some tips from Verbier

See beautiful Mont Fort at 3330 metres where the lift goes all the way up.
Louvie Lake is an idyllic alpine lake at 2213 metres above Fionnay.
Suone von Levron is a hiking trail for the whole family.
From mid-July there is a music festival with classical music.

Flight tips from the return journey

After a hectic journey as usual, one is vulnerable to get some relaxation. I arrived at Geneva airport and they informed me that I could buy a business class ticket from Paris to Stockholm for 1200 Sek. I also got a lounge at Paris airport with all the services that business people want, right? It was cold at the bottom and everyone crowded to get some of the luxury they paid for. This clearly felt over-advertised!

Tired as hell and lacking energy, I went to seat 1A, and you can't get closer to the captain than 1A. The plane is a Boeing A-320 and sitting in the front is the worst thing you can do. You have a wall in front of you and it's a real shitty seat with even worse legroom than all the seats in the entire plane. Never buy the first seats in a small aircraft! A fancy folder with cool food that tastes like nothing... See what you get for your money and don't settle for something that looks good. This is just a little tip from Freedomtravel.se

See more in the neighbourhood

On the other side of the mountains is Nendaz which has the same lift system and where we have been before. Here you can read about that excursion.
We have also visited charming Zermatt which is a little south of Verbier.

Summary

Is it enough for me to write wow! Well... it's like this or a bit like this. Verbier may be an awesome skiing destination but they have a crazy beautiful place to visit in the summer. It's more beautiful when the snow has disappeared and a perfect long weekend (4-5 days) of hiking and relaxation. It is expensive in Switzerland as we know, but in summer you can get many discounts and after being in this wonderful dramatic nature you want more and you never forget it.

Film from Verbier

Here's a film from beautiful Verbier in Switzerland!

Information Verbier

Country: Switzerland
Location: One of the most famous ski resorts in Europe
Was: 1503 metres above sea level and 1200 km from Geneva
Known for: The four valleys and 67 ski lifts and 107 ski runs
Best afterskin: Pub Mont Fort
Language: French
Currency: Schweizerfranc
Price mode: More expensive than Sweden
Residents: 22 000
Highest point: Mont Fort 3330 metres above sea level
Getting around: Bus, mountain bike or lifts
Time difference: None
Emergency number: 112
Religion: Christianity
El: Like Sweden
Water: Drinking beard
Tourist OfficeRoute de Verbier Station 61

travelling to verbier

Flight: from Arlanda with a stopover in Schiphole or Paris and on to Geneva.
Trains: Trains are the best thing in Switzerland and they connect everywhere in the country, and it's incredibly beautiful. Take the train to Le Chable or to Martigny from Geneva which takes 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Peter

21 September 2019 6:00

Switzerland

adventure, freedom best, outdoor life, nature, unique nature

Peter

Administrator

21 Comments

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4000mil says:

Awesome hike!

21 September 2019 - 9:52

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Peter says:
  
  26,600 steps and 162 floors one day and 19,000 steps and 324 floors the next. That says a lot.
  
  21 September 2019 - 13:17
  
  Reply
  - 4000mil says:
    
    Hehe, 36.000 steps is the most I had on a hike. 🙂 It was in Poland.
    
    21 September 2019 - 13:49
    
    Reply
    - Comment by post author
      
      Peter says:
      
      36,000 is crazy! Is it also upwards?
      
      21 September 2019 - 19:32
      
      Reply
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

What an incredibly beautiful landscape and great photos of powerful views!
While Switzerland is beautiful, the price level means it is not a priority destination.

21 September 2019 - 10:27

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Peter says:
  
  Hi Britt-Marie! You can actually shop at Lidl and eat in the car and experience Switzerland just like you do in Norway. It is too beautiful not to go!
  
  21 September 2019 - 13:19
  
  Reply
  - Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
    
    Food for thought!
    
    21 September 2019 - 18:39
    
    Reply
    - Comment by post author
      
      Peter says:
      
      Stop thinking ... just do, haha
      
      21 September 2019 - 19:32
      
      Reply
Ditte says:

Thank you for this post about Verbier. So nice and with many beautiful pictures from this amazing landscape. A great hike. The film was also enticing. Have been here a lot and skied over the years and about 30 years ago hiked in the area in early October. Memorable. And a lot of names I recognise.
As for business class, on long trips to Asia we have sometimes chosen it. But then it has definitely been worth the money. To lie down and sleep and get sheets, good comfort, food and drink and perfect service has meant a lot. But it's not free.
Within Europe, we often travel with SAS and book SAS Plus if the journey takes up to four hours. A little more comfort. Unfortunately, several airports do not include access to lounges as SAS has cancelled the agreements. But you can often pay a couple of hundred for it and if you get to the airport early, it's a good idea. (But I tested in Munich last week and there it was not possible to pay in unless you had a ticket with Lufthansa or one of their "higher bonus cards" which I did not have.
And as you say, in a small plane and on a short flight, there is no point in this extra expense.

21 September 2019 - 11:09

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Peter says:
  
  Hi Ditte! It's been a while since we met and you always have good opinions. The lounge is usually ok and the best ones have been Iceland and Czech Republic. I agree with you that Business Class is great if it is only two seats in a row and well spaced, but short distance with the same seats is completely wasted. Switzerland is something special and there is real quality in everything they do, clean, neat and classy. Beautiful cities and the Alps at that. That said, one does not forget the places in Switzerland.
  
  21 September 2019 - 13:27
  
  Reply
Tina says:

Wow, well done Peter and what an experience! What tastes better than a hot soup at high altitude? Thanks for the inspiration.

21 September 2019 - 12:19

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Peter says:
  
  Hi Tina! How nice that you liked the post and I think it came out that it was fantastic. Think how many beautiful places there are only in Europe... Phew, how will we have time for everything, haha. Nice weekend!
  
  21 September 2019 - 13:30
  
  Reply
BP says:

As I have never been to the Alps in summer, only in winter, I must say that you are absolutely right. It's just as nice without snow. Significantly more dramatic than when everything is white. I do not know if I have managed to do the hike, probably not, fitness is a fresh habit; -)
A fantastic post with great pictures and film. WOW is probably the right expression here.

PS Raclette - yummy!

21 September 2019 - 18:57

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Peter says:
  
  Hi BP! Not often I get to write and not often I have time to write. You can take my story and float away instead of going by yourself, oh well. I take the job and you read, haha. I'm going to Ireland myself to experience Halloween in a month and then I'll write again. Honestly, Verbier was really beautiful and it's really good for the mentality, because you become happy with all these views from the Alps. A bit of fun to write again BP greets my wine glass 🙂.
  
  21 September 2019 - 19:40
  
  Reply
Helena - Oh darling, let's be adventurers says:

I was also stuck at Schipol for a few hours due to the strike and a missed flight. However, I was lucky to get a seat on a later flight but as I said, there were a few hours to spend at the airport.

I have also travelled business class on short flights and often it is not as special as it sounds. However, I would love to travel in business class on long flights. Speaking of lounges... I had a bank card via Swedbank before which gave me access to lots of lounges around the world but also found that there were very many that did not live up to expectations. But the lounge I am most dissatisfied with has to be the one at the SAS domestic terminal. It has always been almost completely full when I have been there, and there is never anything sensible to eat. I am very happy that I at least never paid for access there, hehe. The SAS lounge in Copenhagen, on the other hand, is great.

Looks great there in Verbier!

21 September 2019 - 22:47

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Peter says:
  
  Hi Helena! Long time since we met. Lounge is actually great if it works as you say and it is really nice to wait there. I regretted not taking the lounge on the nerve when I knew it was 8 hours waiting time, but sometimes you are hindsight. Switzerland owns and many say that it is too expensive and so they go to Norway anyway which has the same cost situation. Give and take, a pizza in Verbier cost 230 SEK but a glass of wine 80 SEK which is cheaper than in Stockholm. The Swiss think that a cup of coffee is super expensive in Norway, haha. As I said, it's give and take. Bye Helena.
  
  22 September 2019 - 10:09
  
  Reply
Ninny says:

What fantastic pictures and film from Switzerland!!! So incredibly beautiful with these views. Gets very hungry to hike in the Alps!

22 September 2019 - 9:07

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Peter says:
  
  Hi Ninnie! The Alps are so crazy beautiful and now we have taken several places around Switzerland, some in Austria, some in Italy but never in Germany. It's time for southern Germany now I think. We were very close from Appenzell in eastern Switzerland which borders Germany and it was incredibly beautiful. Many places to choose from and one long weekend per year with hiking is not wrong.
  
  22 September 2019 - 10:14
  
  Reply
Lena - good for the soul says:

Wow, what days you seem to have had! So beautiful! It feels really tempting to hike there!

Hug Lena

22 September 2019 - 9:08

Reply
- Comment by post author
  
  Peter says:
  
  Hi Lena! Nature is always what attracts the most and gives the most back. Big cities are just stress and high volume, but walking along the trails and having a stream running with you all the time, hearing birds and seeing all the little animals, and that view is just too good. I only had two full days but 4 days would have been really good.
  Sending a hug
  
  22 September 2019 - 10:19
  
  Reply
Veiken says:

Thank you for this post!
I went to school in Lausanne, Vaud and when I hear cheese fondue my mouth waters. We didn't do any actual hiking, but lying on my stomach on a sled and whizzing down the slopes was a highlight. Would never dare today. We stayed in Gstaad and the surrounding area.
You really show courage just trudging on upwards! It is so beautiful that it almost hurts!
Have fun!

22 September 2019 - 17:48

Reply

Verbier in Switzerland - 12 things to see and do in Verbier

Beautiful Verbier in Switzerland

Where is Verbier located?

1. Inspired by the Mauvoisin Dam

2. Enjoy the Alpine station Cabin Brunet

3. Walk across the Passerelle de Sery suspension bridge.

4. Walk across the dramatic Passerelle de Corbassiere suspension bridge.

5. Fascinated by the glacier La Cabane FXB Panossiere

6. Discover wonderful Fionnay in Verbier

7. Take a lift from Le Chable

8. Strolling around Verbier

9. Climb to the Pierre Avoi mountain top

10. Tasting new beers at the V Bier Brewery

11. Try Raclette at the famous cheese factory Laitere de Verbier.

12. Take part in the "Verbier infinite playground" VIP pass.

Some tips from Verbier

Flight tips from the return journey

See more in the neighbourhood

Summary

Film from Verbier

Information Verbier

travelling to verbier

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21 Comments

4000mil says:

Peter says:

4000mil says:

Peter says:

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Peter says:

Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

Peter says:

Ditte says:

Peter says:

Tina says:

Peter says:

BP says:

Peter says:

Helena - Oh darling, let's be adventurers says:

Peter says:

Ninny says:

Peter says:

Lena - good for the soul says:

Peter says:

Veiken says:

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