Skiing in Europe is really only half the fun. What happens at the end of the day, or usually mid-afternoon, is what a great ski holiday with friends is really all about. And the après-ski fun usually starts right on the slopes!
We’ve chosen some of our favourite resorts based on their après-ski appeal. Each and everyone of these has been diligently tried and tested by one of our team. We go to enormous lengths to ensure you get only our very personal recommendations. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it!
We make no apologies for the fact that every single one of our recommendations is in Austria, because in our expert and well-researched opinion that is exactly where ALL the best après-ski action is to be found.
St. Anton, Austria – The Mooserwirt and the Krazy Kangaruh
Number one on the list is St. Anton which is only for hardcore party animals! We’ve had some of our biggest party nights and worst hangovers during a week at St. Anton – it is not a resort for the timid. The slopes are pretty challenging too!
Any good band on the après-ski circuit has to play at St. Anton’s famous Mooserwirt outdoor stage at some point during their career – it must be an Austrian law or something! The rest of the time there is a DJ cranking up the party tunes and famously begins with ‘The Final Countdown’ at 3pm. It honestly does not take many minutes for the place to become jam packed and go nuts!
Directly adjacent to the Moosewirt on the other side of the slope is the Krazy Kangaruh. Another après-ski spot that is so legendary for hard-core partying that we only know we were there because David still has the t-shirt and a few random selfies on his phone. Other than that our memories are entirely blank – that’s how good a night it is at the KK!
The ski down to the bottom of the slopes from both of these venues feels treacherous after a four hours of après-ski and not a lot of floodlights – it’s when all the limbs get broken! We vaguely remember a river near the bottom which you need to slow down to avoid landing in. If in doubt walk to one of the nearby hotels and call a cab to get down off the mountain. It might save your life!
Obergurgl, Austria – The Nederhütte
We almost don’t want to tell you about this one because it’s an absolute gem, one of our favourites and it’s hard enough to get in at the best of times! The Nederhütte is without a doubt small but packed with atmosphere and hosts one of the best live house bands (Die Nederlumpen) we’ve ever seen.
The Nederhütte is on the slopes but there is a ski lift close by if you are with someone who can’t manage the red run down to it or wants to hang up their ski boots before picking up their drinking boots.
You’ll need to be there by 2:30pm at the latest to get inside, otherwise you can enjoy the party from the umbrella bar outside and watch on a screen. At 4pm sharp the bands own warm-up video begins and the atmosphere builds… Then the barman and waitress that had previously served you your drinks are begin taking their positions as the bass guitarist and drummer. The owner of the venue is the lead singer, his son is on percussion. They rock the gig like it’s the Super Bowl. Dancing on the table is encouraged, rounds of shots will fly and at 8:30pm sharp the band will finish up allowing you to ski back to your hotel. If you can’t quite manage that safely, they even provide a free ski-doo taxi service to ensure you don’t break a leg or get a DUI skiing home! Our friend fractured his shoulder making the post-après-ski descent… #justsaying
Ischgl – Top of the Mountain Party
There are many fabulous après-ski huts all over the slightly expensive and a bit posh party town of Ischgl, but it’s the big names that rock up for the Top of the Mountain party that everyone wants to see. The season closing party is pretty much a whole weekend affair with various parties happening throughout the town in numerous huts and in the main square.
The big open-air concert on the last day is a ticket only event that starts at 1pm and it’s packed with party-goers dressed up like it’s carnival and ready to rock out for the last time of the season. Get your tickets early – the closing party ticket includes the day’s ski pass. This year Lenny Kravitz is the headliner.
Stubai – The Mutterberg Alm and The Dorf Pub
The Mütterberg Alm is at the bottom of the glacier in the Stubaital resort but you could even warm up at their lively Umbrella bar at the top of the slopes before taking the gondola down to party-central!
A DJ pumps the tunes out from this place from around 3pm and both the indoor and indoor bars are jumping! The glacier is a bus ride away from the main town of Neustift where most hotels are based, so you are safe in the knowledge that you will be chauffeured back after a few hours of professional après-skiing!
Once back into Neustift, if you are still able to party then the Dorf Pub offers several different bars depending on the atmosphere you are after, both above and below ground. Hint: Going underground might make for a messy night and poor skiing the next day. You have been warned!
Hintertux – Hohenhaus Tenne
The Hohenhaus Tenne is mercifully situated at the bottom of the Glacier in Hintertux so you can more easily stagger your way back to your hotel after a banging afternoon and evening at this mammouth, multi-story après-ski event! It’s a huge place reminiscent of a mega nightclub and – unusually for an après-ski venue – is open until 11pm. If you are still going at that late hour after starting at 3pm, then we salute you!
Extra fun fact, for those of you that are Ed Sheeran fans, Hintertux is the location of the beautiful video that was shot to accompany his massive hit, “Perfect” and the Hohenhaus Tenne is where he performed a private concert for a few hundred lucky fans.
Now, back to our final après-ski party venue…
Wagrain – The Kuhstall
There’s many a ski hut called the Kuhstall in various different Austrian ski resorts, and without a doubt each one is party central. The Kuhstall in Wagrain is no exception and it sits at the apex of three lovely runs so a perfect spot to meet friends after a day of skiing to get your drink on! It’s a pretty fancy spot – with lots of cow hide backed seating and Moet & Chandon champagne bottles encouraging you to spend your euros, but beer, weizen and shots are also perfectly standard drinking fare here too! A DJ cranks up the crazy après-ski schlager music and before long people are dancing on tables in ski boots. There is a gorgeous outdoor area here if you get a blue sky day and this hut is right at the bottom of the slopes, but it will require a short bus or taxi ride back into Wagrain to your hotel. From our limited memory the curvy roads back didn’t help our post-après-ski-hangover that was already coming on after a heavy session in this place!
So after about ten years of dedicated research, that’s our top spots of tried and tested party venues for the professional après-skier! We’d love to hear about your experiences at any of these places and in fact if you discover a few more!
#ExploreEurope
