11 Best Après-Ski Scenes in Europe for Slopeside Soirees
Après hubs across the Alps that feel like a Slim Aarons photograph come to life.
Après-ski is a loaded term. One that, when pronounced incorrectly, sends shivers down the spines of serious skiers, and those whose post-slope form has shifted from Aperol-soaked terraces and tabletop boot stomping to a hammam or hot-chocolate-and-Titanic style of evening. But they were complicit. They once joined the sweaty après crowds with semi-peeled salopettes, smudged mascara, and wild abandon. What started in the 1950s as a French term for after-ski socializing soon morphed into a fully-fledged tradition—a little harmless (and occasionally heavy) fun after a hard day carving up the slopes.
The Scandinavians have their sauna-and-fika take on the ritual, the chic Italians tend to shower first and party later (in a wine bar, at best), and in their snow globe villages, the Austrians and French partake in post-piste vin chaud, and sometimes beer culture. No matter the case, each resort is home to its own identity and unspoken codes. From high-altitude cabarets on sun-blasted terraces to low-key institutions with live music, here’s our guide to the best après-ski scenes in Europe.
Sölden, Austria
For: Unpretentious, mulled-wine-fueled après with great DJs
This Austrian resort’s lively après scene is almost as legendary as its high altitude skiing. Dubbed the “Ibiza of the Alps,” there’s no shortage of après options between the Giggijochbahn and Gaislachkoglbahn—an area which, from midday onwards, morphs into a thumping alpine party strip. Expect a lively crowd and loud music from rustic mountain huts such as the Gampe Thaya (show up early for a pre-game fondue). Head to Hühnersteign or Rotkogelhütte, whose glühwein-soaked terrace springs to life with views of the Rettenbach glacier and a scatter of deck chairs to soak up the sun.
With warm pine interiors, a traditional terrace, and a buzzy après crowd, slopeside Panorama Alm somehow blends coziness with a high-energy party outside, thanks to a roster of DJs. Those skiing down to Philipp, just above Sölden in Innerwald (the last station), will be treated to an even wilder scene, courtesy of the Zentrum Shuttle funicular ferrying groups home. Back in town, those drawing out the après can swing into Sölden classic Marco’s on the main drag for live sports, a beer-fueled boogie, and superior currywurst. Fire and Ice is another resounding favorite with the après crowd who decamp here from the slopes as soon as the lifts close, then head onto more “nightclubby” Katapult, where international acts and DJs keep everyone on their feet till the wee hours.
Where to stay in Sölden, Austria:
- For sleek design and a hot spring bath: Das Central
- For direct access to the slopes: Hotel Hochsölden
- For fine wines and steam saunas: Hotel Valentin
St Anton, Austria
For: A boot-stomping belter of a party
With the new Flexenbahn cableway link to Lech and loads of varied terrain to carve and conquer (not to mention the superb off-piste), St Anton is a hard-and-fast snow globe of fun for all kinds of skiers. Its après is a masterclass in Austrian mountain madcapper-y, where one can expect beer-hall style terraces, the odd lederhosen, and folky live music when sports aren't on. Krazy Kanguruh is St Anton’s après original—where schnitzels, beer, and table dancing convene for a party that kicks off around 11 a.m. (with a dangerously easy slide home down the run Red 21). Fellow mountain party cabin MooserWirt pumps out the Euro tunes for ski boots pounding tables under a giant disco ball.
Das Basecamp collects those unwilling to go home and get changed, although even in town, St Anton’s dress code is far more laid-back than the likes of Courchevel or Verbier. Bobo’s is the spot for a clipped cowbell-spin on karaoke and cocktail-fueled dancing, while seasonaires and sports fans make a beeline for Bar Cuba and its constant flow of live music.
Where to stay in St Anton, Austria:
- For ski-to-door access and a hammam: Hotel Post
- For a blend of sport and spa: Hotel Schwarzer Adler
- For a cozy, traditional ski lodge: Hotel Grieshof
Chamonix, France
For: A metropolitan take on the mountains
This French resort’s après scene is as vast and varied as its terrain—and a magnet for serious skiers who are led by guides on epic backcountry adventures. Mountain restaurant menus are geared towards thigh-busting skiing, with hearty fondue and tartiflettes. Chamonix’s après can lift to party levels by 3 p.m., and La Folie Douce is for high altitude cabaret on the lower green's Brevent run.
Skiers energized after a full day on the slopes spill onto Marmottons’s terrace (at the very bottom of the Argentière home run) for panachés and indie performers. At the north end of town, Chambre Neuf is the classic hangout, where cool beer and live music coalesce in sticky, sweaty rapture—often on tables with chanting. Just opposite, ski guides and real-deal mountaineers debrief the day’s adventures at brasserie-style Elevation 1904, which also switches into bar mode, much like L’Alibi in the town center, whose laid-back tapas, wine, and whisky scene drags on (happily) until two in the morning.
Peering over the river, La Terrasse is a pink deco building synonymous with Chamonix's après, a live music hot spot for skiers, many of them British. Meanwhile, most of L'Amnesia's clientele have skied home to power nap and spruce up for a long night of international DJs, cocktail rounds, and scantily-clad performances.
Where to stay in Chamonix, France:
- For a spruced-up, historic château: Refuge du Montenvers
- For an upscale and stylish stay: Hôtel Mont-Blanc Chamonix
- For a chic hotel with free ski shuttles: Le Hameau Alber 1er
Méribel, France
For: Les Trois Vallées’ après institutions
Between scenic squiggles through snow-dusted pine forests, raclette-focused restaurants flickering like amber beacons behind a thick blanket of snow, and postcard mountain views from chalet terraces and gurgling tubs, Méribel lives up to all the snow globe expectations. Many who skied here back in the day return every year, citing not only profound nostalgia but the slick chairlift system to limit lines (with easy links to Val Thorens and Courchevel). And from cozy, traditional chalets to the heart-thumping views of mighty Mont Blanc, the après scene is really just the cherry on top of this ski resort town.
The Meribel-Courchevel Folie Douce leads the charge with its magnum-heavy, wildly flamboyant cabaret scene that rolls out along tables and terraces to an energetic crowd. Le Rond-Point (or "Ronnie’s," to Méribel loyalists) sits in plum position for a bed-in après session, just above Méribel, with a flowing bar (go for the toffee vodka) and sensible 6 p.m. last call to allow revelers ample time to edge down into the village for chalet suppers. On par with Ronnie’s legendary status in Méribel is Jack’s, just opposite the Chaudanne lift, which puts on the ultimate combination of elevated pizzas and burgers, live music and events (including pub quizzes), and cocktails.
Where to stay in Méribel, France:
- For ski-in, ski-out access: Hotel Le Coucou
- For chalet-style rooms: Hotel La Chaudanne
- For a truly unforgettable stay: Hotel Mont Vallon
Val d’Isère, France
For: The original, hardcore après
Val d’Isère’s après scene remains invariably wild—by 4 p.m., the resort resembles one big thumping party. By 2 p.m., ski helmets are typically tucked over chairs at the original La Folie Douce, found at the top of La Daille gondola (whose down-lifts are a frequent saving grace), where a saxophonist loosens the crowd and cabaret dancers lure in diners from La Fruitière and La Cucucina.
Just above the Olympic gondola, Cocorico’s heated terraces host a more spontaneous style of show, with tabletop dancing and a short slide home that can barely be labeled as skiing. The party typically moves from the slopes to the foot of the runs, where vin chaud, Grand Marnier, and Barillon de la Rosée Blanche absorb the revelers. Those in need of a stopgap tend to mop up the Champagne and panache’s excess with a crêpe or chalet supper before heading to Val institutions like Bar des Tontons and La Bananas, or a swishier newcomer, B'Bar Val d'Isère (one of several cleaning up Val d’Isère’s après act).
Where to stay in Val d’Isère, France:
- For a buzzy, retro-luxe scene: Experimental Chalet
- For a haute-modern alpine retreat: Airelles Val d'Isère
- For a slopeside spa: Hotel Le Val d'Isère
Tignes, France
For: A small-but-mighty aprés scene
Somewhat overshadowed by Verbier and Val D’Isere’s raucous après scenes, Tignes knows how to let its hair down in less pretentious fashion—and on a more manageable scale. The form tends to be (for those in the table thudding ranks), to start the party at La Folie Douce with a high-octane cabaret lunch at La Fruitière—followed by DJs, singers, and flamboyant dancers starting at 2 p.m. (with more low-key lunch options available at their canteen-style café). There’s typically a mad scramble for the last lifts towards Tignes, and, from thereon in, après spots very much depend on the village your hotel or chalet is based in.
Tignes is fragmented into multiple villages: Tignes Le Lac, Tignes Le Lavachet, Tignes Val Claret, and then, further down the mountain, Tignes 1800 (Les Boisses) and Tignes Les Brevieres. Undoubtedly the liveliest, Val Claret now brings the après scene with open-air Cocorico (which Val d’Isère skiers will be familiar with), right by the Lanches chair lift. An indoor stone-baked pizza restaurant goes hand-in-hand with happy hour, followed by live music and a DJ set. Those after a more traditional dinner with good wine and live music should book a table at Le Caveau, then shift across to its bar area. Party folk then make their way to Val Claret’s two main nightclubs: Melting Pot and Blue Girl. Le Lac, in central Tignes, is also energetic, and keeps goggle-marked punters happy with live music drinking dens such as Loop Bar.
Where to stay in Tignes, France:
- For a modern mountain refuge: Hôtel Le Diamond Rock
- For lodge-like, alpine ambiance: Le Paquis
- For charming views: Hôtel les Campanules
Val Thorens, France
Go for: Mountain cabaret and subterranean clubbing
As the highest resort in Les Trois Vallées, Val Thorens’s snow cover is as sensational as its après. La Folie Douce enjoys a near-sacred status in this resort, despite its spin on the Val d’Isère original, where performers lift the terrace onto tables from their chalet balcony stage. The Brits descend on the Frog and Roastbeef for happy hour and pub grub (despite feeling vastly incongruous with the alpine setting) or join the locals at always-hopping Rhum’ Box for an unbuttoned après, soaked in 30 different rums. For full-throttle clubbing, with scant regard for lift opening times, Malaysia is one of the biggest clubs in the Alps, with world-famous DJs oiling the crowds until the early hours.
Where to say in Val Thorens, France:
- For family-friendly slopeside fun: Hotel Kaya
- For a Scandi-inspired five-star hotel: Altapura
- For alpine wellness and design: Le Fitz Roy, a Beaumier Hotel
Livigno, Italy
For: City-grade nightlife without the VIP nonsense
Seemingly cut adrift from the world in the Italian Alps, high-altitude Livigno offers some of Europe’s best skiing, with many traditional ski-in, ski-out, chalet-style hotels. Once a sleepy Lombardy village in the 1950s, the resort now offers a cornucopia of après-ski frolicking, with a high-low mix of bars lining its main stretch paced by fur-clad Nonnas.
Yes, there’s the après at Alegra with its crowd-pleasing tunes, or the circus-themed Stalet, both at the bottom of the black Carosello run, but Italians do things a little differently. Rather than a beer-soaked après, they typically break up a day’s skiing with a long lunch or a red wine and cicchetti pit stop, then a shower, snooze, and suddenly its aperitivo hour. At precisely this time, Milky’s Disco Club switches on the charm with a warming cocktail or spritz, while Tagliede's après-ski is more about the relaxed pizza and Peroni. Tuesdays are when you'll catch the resort’s coveted Mountain Feast, which features a snowmobile ride to a knees-up supper.
Where to stay in Livigno, Italy:
- For a minimalistic-chic and convenient stay: Camana Veglia
- For top-notch slope-side amenities: Hotel Bucaneve
- For an authentic mountain retreat: Francesin Active Hotel
Klosters-Serneus, Switzerland
For: Fireside drinks that occasionally get spicy
Klosters's après takes its cue from the resort’s clientele: discreet royals and old money types eager to pelt down its vast and varied terrain for a Swiss hot chocolate or lunch at Wolf’s Den. Most après scenes (if you can even call them that) in Klosters are posh-but-unpretentious and unbelievably pretty. The scene often takes place in the cozy, amber-lit Pellegrini Bar (more fine whisky than plastic beers) and the traditional chalet-style Alpina Bar by the station. But it’s the Chesa’s famous cellar bar on Bahnhofstrasse that wins in the star-studded après stakes—Gene Kelly famously danced on its tables, and a pianist has been tinkling away since the 1930s. A curious blend of traditional chalet and school disco, Casa Antica also absorbs the revelers, with its pocket-sized dance floor and cozy booths.
Where to stay in Klosters, Switzerland:
- For a smaller luxe hotel with sun terraces: Valsana Hotel Arosa
- For alpine-style wellness: BelArosa Suiten
- For a top-rated holiday home: Ferienhaus & Ferienwohnung
St. Moritz, Switzerland
For: Seeing how the other half does an après
Not only is St. Moritz high enough for heaps of snow and sunshine, but its Cresta-focused, Slim Aarons-documented history of snow-capped palaces and frozen lakes bestow it a near-mystical status. St. Moritz is essentially one chic century-long party laced in curious traditions (snow polo and the likes) and star-studded lore. Most tales emerging from years of refined revelry lead back to Badrutt’s Palace—St. Moritz’s fairytale turreted hotel—which recently opened its own mountain club, Paradiso. Here, a mix of serious skiers and designer-clad gondola riders sip Champagne to Euro hits, all amid a theatrical mountain backdrop. Sternbar Marguns has been around a little longer, with its sun trap terrace and famously louche bar, so tall it's seemingly in the clouds. Schneebar Pirates on the Rocks is another less ritzy spot at Corviglia’s top station, whose live music and laid-back allure feel wildly out of step with everything St. Moritz stands for. Meanwhile, the Roo Bar at Hauser is a classic, whose cellar dance floor mops up the après crowds who’ve made it home to change.
Where to stay in St. Moritz, Switzerland:
- For a hotel on most bucket lists: Badrutt's Palace
- For foodies and spa-lovers alike: Suvretta House
- For a central location and chic design: Hotel Arte
Verbier, Switzerland
For: A high-low mix of international glamour and beer-soaked live gigs
Everyone knows the après is on par with the first-class skiing in Verbier. This is where seasoned skiers come to carve the perilous, mogul-ridden Tortin run, or glide down the wide, cruise-y reds making up the beloved Gentianes–la–Chaux, with vin chaud pit stops. The Swiss resort has a ski-hard, play-hard mentality that sees early risers maximize slope time before piling into a long lunch at the likes of Chez Dany around 2 p.m., which invariably rolls onto a rosé-fueled afternoon at Le Rouge Bar.
If pounding tables in ski boots to live music is in the cards, head to Le Mouton Noir (Verbier’s equivalent of La Folie Douce), or Le Farinet for its live music dive and retractable, fair-weather roof. The grown-ups typically end up in the Farm Club, a Verbier institution beneath the now Experimental Chalet Verbier, which has seen many a well-oiled prince, heiress, and celebrity grace its smoky dance floor. Wherever you choose to après, it’s Verbier tradition to visit Patisserie La Poste, a hole-in-the-wall bakery en route home—soaking up the rosé with a freshly-baked, 4 a.m. croissant.
Where to stay in Verbier, Switzerland:
- For the W's first ski resort in Switzerland: W Verbier
- For sleek style, slopeside: Hôtel de Verbier
- For cozy-chic convenience: La Cordée des Alpes
This article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK. Additional reporting by Jessica Chapel.
