Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

At 3330 metres the summit of Mont Fort is the highest point of the ski area with views over the entire Swiss Valais region. From the cable car the last 40 metres is a narrow path of snow and rock which many venture along for the panorama.

Arts and culture

In nearby Martigny you’ll find the Fondation Pierre Gianadda which has fantastic mosaics by Chagall and sculptures by Rodin and Moore among its permanent collection. There are regular concerts as well as temporary exhibitions, too (www.gianadda.ch).

Something for nothing

The Train des Combins is a miniature train that trundles daily through Verbier in the summer, offering a free transport service through the resort. Kids will love it and although you might feel a bit silly it certainly beats walking uphill.

Daytripper

The small resort of Champex-Lac just down the valley towards Italy is often deserted even on a perfect powder day and its four lifts provide access to some great off-piste skiing. If conditions are not so good in Verbier they are very often the complete opposite on the other side of the San Bernardo Pass in Italy a short drive away.

Children

Verbier is a very family-friendly resort and is an ideal place to learn to ski; the Family Ski Pass even offers a 15 per cent discount. The Swiss Ski School takes aspiring Kings of the Mountains from the age of three. In the summer the Ski School also offer mountain biking, climbing, canyoning and even have a summer camp programme (www.ecole-de-ski-verbier.ch).

Activities

Verbier is ideal for intermediate and experienced skiers and has some of the best and most accessible off-piste skiing in the Alps. Stairway to Heaven is an outstanding off-piste run and the north face of Mont-Fort is not for the faint-hearted either. Heli-skiing is also a possibility in Switzerland. The resort has over 250 miles of ski runs and there are some less challenging slopes on Les Ruinettes and Savoleyres which are suitable for beginners. There’s a host of other activities including paragliding, ice climbing and skidooing as well as tobogganing on two 10-kilometre toboggan runs and snow shoeing on an exciting new network of trails, too. La Fantastique offers these activities (www.lafantastique.com).

And

During the summer Verbier is popular with hikers and walkers. La Fantastique offers mountaineering, mountain biking and canyoning (www.lafantastique.com). You can also head for the hills on a quad bike with Quad Adventure (www.quadaventure.ch). There are over 250 miles of waymarked hiking paths across the Val de Bagnes; the route via La Chaux, Col Termin and Fionnay is fantastic – you may even spot an ibex. Trail maps are available from the Tourist Office in the main town square.