History
Earliest documents date Nendaz back to 985. Until the 19th century, the Nendaz community was largely based on agriculture. When traces of gold were found, the region went through a brief gold rush. The main source of mineral wealth remains carbon extracted from Aproz.
When Switzerland's tourism industry blossomed again after World War II, Nendaz started their first cablecart lift and the start of Télénendaz. Nendaz went into rapid expansion afterwards. Large chalets were rapidly being built on previously forested areas, and more ski resorts were added, namely in Siviez (then named Super-Nendaz).
By the 1970s, the resort was already struggling to cope with large queues at the ticket offices, and the mountain cablecars were barely able to manage the crowds during the winter holidays. Nowadays, renovations have been made with the most recent addition a new cable car linking Siviez and Plan du Fou (2430m, ski area) together.
It is, along with Verbier, Veysonnaz, Thyon and La Tzoumaz, part of 4 Vallées, Switzerland's largest ski area, which together form over 400 km of ski slopes. In the summer there are various mountain bike (VTT) trails, which are popular amongst tourists.
Accessibility
Nendaz is approximately half an hour from Sion, the capital of the Valais, and two hours from Geneva by car. There are several 'Post-bus' services a day, running between areas in the village. One service links Nendaz with Sion, and stops off at the villages along the way.
From the surrounding ski resorts, it can be reached by cable car/chairlift, with the 4 Vallées ski pass. Otherwise, it can be reached by train (to the Sion train station, there are regular trains from different parts of Switzerland) and then by bus from Sion to Nendaz. It is therefore reachable from nearby airports.
Sion Airport is close to Nendaz, again accessible by bus. However, there is a limited number of passenger flights which go from this airport. Currently, there are only two flights from the airport: Swiss International Air Lines operates a flight to London Heathrow Airport, while Helvetic Airways flies to Palma de Mallorca.
The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps, represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swiss Plateau and the Swiss portion of the Jura Mountains, one of its three main physiographic regions. The Swiss Alps extend over both the Western Alps and the Eastern Alps, encompassing an area sometimes called Central Alps. While the northern ranges from the Bernese Alps to the Appenzell Alps are entirely in Switzerland, the southern ranges from the Mont Blanc massif to the Bernina massif are shared with other countries such as France, Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein.
Valais, more formally the Canton of Valais, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion.
Morzine, alternatively known as Morzine-Avoriaz, is an alpine commune on the Swiss border in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France.
Les Portes du Soleil is a major skisports destination in the Alps, encompassing thirteen resorts between Mont Blanc in France and Lake Geneva in Switzerland. With more than 650 km of marked pistes and about 200 lifts in total, spread over 14 valleys and about 1,036 square kilometres (400 sq mi), Portes du Soleil ranks among the two largest ski areas in the world. Almost all of the pistes are connected by lifts – a few marginal towns can be reached only by the free bus services in the area. The highest elevation accessible on skis is 2260 m and the lowest is 930 m. As with many other Alpine ski resorts, the lower slopes of the Portes du Soleil have snow-making facilities to extend the ski season by keeping the lower slopes open during the warmer months.
Verbier is a village located in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is a holiday resort and ski area in the Swiss Alps and is recognised as one of the premier off-piste resorts in the world. Some areas are covered with snow all year. Skiers have settled in the Verbier area in order to take advantage of the steep slopes, varied conditions, and resort culture.
Veysonnaz is a municipality in the district of Sion in the Swiss canton of Valais.
Arolla is a village in the municipality of Evolène in the Swiss canton of Valais. It is situated at the end of the Val d'Hérens, south of the cantonal capital, Sion.
Samoëns is an alpine commune on the Swiss border in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. It was the principal commune for the canton that bore its name until it was abolished in 2015. The town of Samoëns is located in the French Alps' Vallée du Giffre, just southwest of Champéry in Valais.
Villars-sur-Ollon, commonly referred to as Villars, is a village in Switzerland in the canton of Vaud, part of the municipality of Ollon.
Saint-Jean-d'Aulps is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Situated in the heart of the Vallée d'Aulps, as well as being the home to an active farming community, it is popular with holiday-makers in the Summer, for walking, and in the Winter for skiing as it is a part of the massive Portes du Soleil ski area.
La Tzoumaz is a ski resort in the Swiss Alps, in the canton of Valais. It is part of the "Four Valleys" ski area, which consists of various ski resorts, including Verbier, Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumaz, and Thyon. As such it has direct access to over 400 km of runs. Named after the word "tzoumer", meaning taking a break, La Tzoumaz nestles against the same mountain as Verbier, Mont Savolyres, and is at the same altitude (1500m). However, unlike Verbier, it is situated on north-facing slopes and hence enjoys a longer ski-season, lasting from early December all the way through to late-April. The resort has splendid views over the Rhone valley from the side of a small sunny valley on the north side of Verbier.
Abondance is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
Le Châble is a village in Val de Bagnes, Valais, Switzerland, below the ski resort of Verbier.
La Chapelle-d'Abondance is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
Mieussy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. It is a traditional Alpine farming village in the Vallée du Giffre, around 35 kilometers east of Geneva. The area is known for its scenic views, skiing, and local foods. It is host to the "Foire d' Automne", a harvest festival which runs for two days in October.
Mont Fort is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, located near Verbier in the Swiss canton of Valais. It lies on the range between the valleys of Bagnes and Nendaz, north of the Rosablanche. With a height of 3,328 metres (10,919 ft) above sea level, Mont Fort is the highest summit north of the Col de Louvie.
Mont Gelé is a mountain of the Pennine Alps, part of the Municipality Riddes and overlooking Verbier in the Swiss canton of Valais. Located on the range north of Mont Fort, its summit is the tripoint between the municipalities of Bagnes, Riddes and Nendaz. It is one of the two mountains named Mont Gelé in the valley of Bagnes, the other being located on the Italian border.
Les Masses is a small ski resort town in Val d'Herens. Les Masses is part of the municipality of Hérémence, Valais, Switzerland. It is in the Four Valleys ski area, in the easternmost part, at 1500 metres altitude.
Thyon is a purpose-built ski resort in the Swiss Alps, located in the canton of Valais. The resort is situated in the central part of the canton, in the region of Sion, and is associated with the village of Les Collons. It forms part of the "4 Valleys" interlinked ski area, which together includes Thyon, Veysonnaz, Haute-Nendaz, Verbier and La Tzoumaz. The ski pistes from Thyon and Veysonnaz effectively constitute a large, single integrated ski area, and connect with the rest of the "4 Valleys" area.
Vercorin is a village in the Swiss Alps, located in the canton of Valais. The village is situated in the central part of the canton near Sierre, at a height of 1,320 metres (4,330 ft), on a plateau overlooking the Rhone valley. It belongs to the municipality of Chalais.
