VERBIER IN SUMMER IT IS...

  Equip yourself with a sturdy pair of boots, a rucksack and a map, and take off for adventure. 250 miles of walking paths criss-cross the Val de Bagnes and its 23 villages, over hills and valleys, pastureland and forest. A rich network of hiking trails and circuits (Tour of the Combins, Tour of the Villages, Historical Walk along 700 years of Swiss History) from which you can discover the flora and fauna of alpine pastures, and along the "bisse du Levron", this irrigation canal peculiar to the Valais.

  Verbier is the starting point for a multitude of excursions. Within a stone's throw there are the little museums of the Val de Bagnes, the impressive dam at Mauvoisin, one of the largest such engineering feats in Europe, the 6 moutain cabins of the region (Mont-Fort, Louvie, Brunet, FXB-Panossière, Mille and Chanrion), the Great Saint Bernard Hospice and its famous dogs, the Gianadda Foundation in Martigny, home to prestigious exhibitions. A little further away are Sion, the capital of the Valais, Lausanne and its Olympic Museum, and the city of Aosta, which in spite of being a neighbour is already in Italy.

  While the summer is the season for all sports, a dozen or so all-time favourites head the list : from golf (two 18-hole courses) to tennis (15 courts), passing through hiking, mountain-biking (more than 125 miles of sign-posted tracks), climbing, hang-gliding, riding and swimming. Why not also visiting the Alpine Museum of the Hameau with its 2 centuries of regonial history ?

  Every year, in July, the Verbier Festival stands out as a major cultural event of the summer. Two whole weeks of music, in the company of well-known major performers of the moment or new talents in the bud. A fortnight of concerts and recitals in an idyllic setting that stimulates the creative spirit or meditation.