Verbier anchors this area. A wide sunny terrace of chalets, bars and restaurants above the Rhône valley, and one of the great party towns of the Alps, with a crowd that skews young, international and well off.

The skiing is serious. Mont Fort sits at the top at 3330 metres, a legendary off piste mountain, and the terrain below it has made Verbier a freeride capital for decades. The Freeride World Tour finals are held on the Bec des Rosses above the village. Take a guide if you plan to leave the piste.

Intermediates have plenty of ground, and the four valleys give a genuine sense of travelling somewhere across a day.

Chalets and hotels in Verbier cost what the reputation implies. Across the valley, Nendaz, Veysonnaz and Thyon are quieter and much cheaper, with apartments at a fraction of the price. Check the bus timetable before committing to the far side.