The original and charming old village, complete with church, is located just below the main lift base, with its 8-seat gondola up to Nyon. Veysonnaz station features half a dozen bars and cafes, several restaurants, nightclub, shops and a wellness centre with swimming pool and spa facilities. Accessibility for Veysonnaz is a joy too as Sion is only 18km away and has its own airport, though the most common gateway is from Geneva, which is just under a two hour scenic transfer away.

There is a huge amount of skiable terrain locally and also further afield into the 4 Vallées, with the resorts of Verbier, Nendaz and La Tzoumaz all sharing the same lift pass as Veysonnaz. To access the full area this is best suited to strong intermediates, due to the challenging nature of some of the pistes and distance you have to ski or board, but it is a real mountain adventure. The world famous piste de l’Ours runs from the high plain of Thyon and through a wide forest clearing and down to Mayens de l’Ours where bears once cavorted in dense forest and skiers now speed over extensive areas of snow.

As well as being part of the extensive 4 valleys ski area, Veysonnaz is also part of the smaller ‘ski area within a ski area’ of Printse, that also includes Nendaz, Siviez and Thyon 2000. However, it’s the proximity to Thyon’s mix of blue and red slopes that makes the prettier Veysonnaz a particularly appealing spot for beginners and early intermediates. A single eight-person gondola climbs out of Veysonnaz and deposits you on the ridge above Thyon.

From Thyon, you can begin the slow trek towards Siviez, from where you can either head up towards Mont-Fort, which at 3,330m is the 4 Valleys’ high point, or head right and towards Nendaz or go further on towards Verbier. In addition to the l’Ours ski slope, the main lure of the area for experts is the spectacular amount of freeride with seven marked-out freeride zones, including the famous Mont-Fort descent.

When it comes to adventures off the ski slopes, Veysonnaz is a great place for families looking to keep the kids entertained. There are plenty of activities from the ubiquitous dog sled rides to tobogganing, tubing, ice rink, treasure hunts to beautiful snowshoe walks and hiking. You can also take a torchlight descent and be greeted with mulled wine and music at the bottom. Veysonnaz is definitely the place for an authentic mountain holiday with access to great skiing whilst staying in a beautiful Alpine retreat.