Verbier (Winter)

This large and lively winter sport resort is located on a sunny plateau above the Rhône valley. Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak, looms in the distance. The Four Valleys ski area is the largest in Switzerland, with 95 modern hi-tech lifts and 410 km of slopes, including some very challenging runs up on the glaciers. The area also offers world-class cross-country skiing, as well as hang gliding and other extreme sports. There's a huge range of accommodations, from five-star luxury hotels with elegant spas to backpacker hostels to holiday apartments for families. Most guests are Europeans, and many belong to the young snowboarder crowd, ...

This large and lively winter sport resort is located on a sunny plateau above the Rhône valley. Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak, looms in the distance. The Four Valleys ski area is the largest in Switzerland, with 95 modern hi-tech lifts and 410 km of slopes, including some very challenging runs up on the glaciers. The area also offers world-class cross-country skiing, as well as hang gliding and other extreme sports. There's a huge range of accommodations, from five-star luxury hotels with elegant spas to backpacker hostels to holiday apartments for families. Most guests are Europeans, and many belong to the young snowboarder crowd, making this very much a party town. Cheese and white wine are specialties of the Valais region, so you must have a steaming fondue in a cozy local chalet after a day on the slopes. Le Hameau de Verbier, a faux quaint village with a small museum, is worth a visit if the weather is bad.

About the Expert

Charlie Morris is the author of the Open Road guidebooks Best of Honduras, Best of Costa Rica, Best of Belize, and Switzerland Guide.