A family resort with all of the 4 Valleys’ skiing
Veysonnaz is a traditional mountain village on a shelf overlooking the Rhone valley. The modern village is centred around the ski lift with small hotels, bars and restaurants lining its main street. At the eastern end of the 4 Valleys, Switzerland’s largest ski domain, it connects with its neighbour Nendaz and to Verbier in the west. An investment programme is gradually upgrading the lifts to offer skiers and boarders faster access to a wide variety of top notch skiing. The ski resort is popular with families due to the gentle blue slopes around the plateau at Thyon 2000, though there are also plenty of steep reds. There is extensive off-piste and Veysonnaz is famous for the Piste de l’Ours run which is used by the International Ski Federation for ski and snowboard competitions.
Property in Veysonnaz
While it cannot compete with its neighbour Verbier for glitz and nightlife, it shares the same skiing and property prices are significantly lower, making it a smart option for investors.There has been some major development of ski in-ski out individual two, three and four bedroom chalets and apartments on the ski slope above the village as well as in Les Collons and prices are reaching CHF 11,000 per sqm, still a large discount to Verbier prices. According to UBS property prices rose 2.6% in 2022 with an average price of CHF 7,700 per sqm.
Check out our blog: Insights on the property market in the 4 vallées
A Guide to Veysonnaz
The village of Veysonnaz perches on a mountain slope overlooking the Rhône valley with majestic views towards the Muverans, Haut de Cry and Les Diablerets mountain ranges. The original village at 1200 metres with its historic church is home to the Mairie and the school. A couple of hairpin bends up the hill and you arrive at the ski resort at 1400 metres with a selection of family-run hotels, restaurants, bars, a supermarket, butcher, baker, ski shops and the ski lift. It shares the road up from Sion with its neighbouring resort Nendaz and is just 20 minutes from the railway station and 2 hours by car from Geneva airport.
Quieter than Nendaz and a world away from the bustle of Verbier, it is popular with families who appreciate the excellent skiing of the 4 Vallées at a more reasonable price. The accommodation in the resort itself is mostly apartments. Slightly above the ski lift is the Magrappé area with modern chalets and apartments directly on the ski slope.
Veysonnaz ski area
Veysonnaz is at the eastern end of the 4 Vallées, Switzerland’s largest interlinked ski area with 410km of pistes. From the resort centre the gondola takes you up to 2000 metres. Here you can either head eastwards to the sunny and gentle blue runs at Thyon, Les Collons and Les Masses, or up to the Etherolla (2450 metres) and west towards Nendaz and Verbier. There are two excellent red runs back to the gondola stations in the village and just around the mountain at the start of the famous FIS World Cup run, the Piste de l’Ours. This 2km run has a vertical descent of 630m and a gradient of up to 51%, yet it is officially a red run and great fun for intermediates as well as advanced skiers. Veysonnaz has hosted the FIS Ski Cross and Snowboard Cross World Cup every year since 2009 and hosted the Finals for the second time in 2020. Its SBX course is renowned for being big, fast and technical, demanding the best from the riders.
The Printze ski pass covers Veysonnaz, Nendaz, Siviez, and Thyon/Les Collons and offers 220km of skiing and 50 lifts. This is an excellent ski area for beginners and intermediates and there is some good off-piste to be found for experts too. The slopes are immaculately maintained, the resort return runs are north-facing and hold their snow well. And one rarely has to queue on this side of the 4 Vallées, a significant plus during the busy holiday weeks. However, you are in the 4 Vallées and it would be a shame not to explore it further. The 4 Vallées ski pass includes the Printze sector as well as the wider La Tzoumaz, Verbier and Bruson ski areas. From the Etherolla descent you can branch left, and after a steep section a gentle route follows the valley around. A few long drag lifts bring you to the Greppon Blanc, at 2700 metres the highest point of the mountain. From here the route descends to Combatseline and down to Siviez and Tortin from where you enter the Nendaz and Verbier sections.
Also, check out our blog - The Uniqueness of Skiing : Downhill race pistes you can ski..
Après ski in Veysonnaz
The focal point is the bar at the Hotel Magrappé, conveniently situated at the foot of the return slope and next to the ski lift. The terrace catches the sun later in the season and is a popular meeting point. For a hot chocolate or glass of local wine in the sun take off your skis 100 metres above the télécabine and enjoy the atmosphere at Les Caboulis, you will not see a better sunset anywhere in Switzerland. In the centre of the resort Bar Louca is always busy.
Eating Out in Veysonnaz
There is a good selection of restaurants on the mountain for lunchtime including, at the top of the main gondola, the Mont Rouge and La Combyre. The converted cow barn Les Chottes, on the way over to Nendaz, is perennially popular with a large terrace. The restaurant at the Combatseline lift enjoys great views over the Siviez valley. On the ski piste that returns to the resort drop into La Remointze on the left-hand side of the piste or Les Caboulis on the opposite side of the piste for excellent local dishes. Over on the Thyon/Les Collons side of the mountain at Les Masses, Le Bois Sauvage has earned a reputation for excellent local food. The views over the Val d’Hérens from its terrace are truly special.
In the resort itself try La Tanière for a varied menu including seasonal dishes, fondue and pizza. Le Greppon Blanc also specialises in local dishes. Between the old village and the resort, La Terrasse is popular for its pizzas which you can also take out. And just above the resort you can either drive (or walk in summer) to Les Caboulis, a mountain cabin where you will enjoy the cosy atmosphere and excellent fondues, raclette and seasonal dishes.
Summer in Veysonnaz
Many skiers return to Veysonnaz in the summer. The village puts on a good show for the August 1st National Holiday with plenty of family events. There are 300km of hiking trails across the 4 Vallées and a good number to be enjoyed around Veysonnaz itself, including the famous Bisses which criss-cross the mountains and enable a walker to reach as far as La Tzoumaz. An insider’s tip – make a stop at Planchouet at the crossroads of the Grand Bisse de Vex, Bisse Vieux and Bisse Milieu. Enjoy an ice cream in the sunny garden of Auberge Les Bisses, it’s the perfect refreshment stop. Mountain bikers have plenty of trails from which to choose across the area and Veysonnaz is on the route of the Grand Raid MTB race every summer. In the village there is an indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, a volleyball court, a basketball court and a boules court.
For more details on Mountain Biking in Veysonnaz, check out our blog: Where to go Mountain Biking in the Alps.
Other Destinations in the Swiss Alps:
Andermatt Champéry Crans-Montana Grimentz Flims Laax Falera Grindelwald Gstaad La Tzoumaz Nendaz Saas Fee Verbier Veysonnaz Villars