The most wonderful time of the year can be even more magical when spent in the beautiful Verbier surroundings.
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Considering spending the festive season or New Year’s Eve in Verbier? Let us tell you a little more about what this time of year is like in resort.
Christmas in Verbier is wonderful: it’s much less commercial than anything in the UK and with all the snow, it looks completely magical. The chalets appear to be imitating a classic Christmas card – we’d go so far as to say it’s like a complete winter wonderland. Early December sees much vin chaud, hot chocolate and music accompany the big Christmas lights ‘switch on’, a sign of the beginning of the festivities. There’s a giant Christmas tree at Place Centrale and authentic festive markets running throughout December. Traditional carol services also take place in two churches: The Little Church, on Chemin du Temple and at the Big White Church on Routes des Creux.
The first lifts open from early November and as Christmas approaches, more guests begin to arrive for when the full lift system opens, which is generally early December. This is marked by the much anticipated “Santa Ski” which is a momentous day, bringing around 2000 Father Christmas skiers to the slopes! Christmas week itself is busier still, with snow falling, lights twinkling and skiers of many nationalities converging on Verbier. All are there to ski, obviously, but there’s also a lot going on in the town, including festive menus in most restaurants.
In our Ski Verbier Exclusive chalets it’s all about making sure our guests have their perfect Christmas. Nothing can beat the feeling of waking up on Christmas morning in the snowy Swiss Alps, knowing you can relax and enjoy your days skiing, with the peace of mind that your delicious Christmas dinner and roaring fire is all taken care of, and awaits your return.
Ahead of your arrival in resort, our concierge team will arrange every last detail of the holiday, even asking what you normally do for Christmas at home and what special treats can be arranged for you. A lunchtime or evening Christmas dinner is possible; most guests opt to ski during the day before returning to the chalet for a feast after the sun goes down. Guests might even be lucky enough to have a visit from Father Christmas!
While Christmas is a big celebration in Verbier, New Year’s Eve is huge; in fact, it’s the biggest celebration of the season. There’s a terriFic atmosphere as thousands of people gather in Place Centrale.
DJs play loud music from all the surrounding bar balconies and a big, loud countdown brings in the New Year. At that precise moment, hundreds of Champagne bottles are opened and the contents promptly sprayed everywhere! All the bars and clubs are ticketed for New Year’s Eve and need booking in advance. We will pre-buy tickets depending on which party you prefer to attend. One of our favourite venues is the Hotel Farinet, with the chilled cocktail lounge bar on one side and the lively Après bar with beer on tap and lots of live music on the other – it’s also right in the heart of resort, so you don’t miss out on a thing. The slopes are, predictably, completely empty on the morning of New Year’s Day. If you’re a hardcore ski devotee, why not have a quiet New Year’s Eve, perhaps surveying the fireworks from your chalet, and head out while everyone else nurses their hangover; you’ll never have the slopes so much to yourself!
Images courtesy of: Jean-Christophe Bott / Epa / Shutterstock
