As our Crystal awards continue, we head off the slopes and find out where our customers voted as the best resorts to party in. A ski holiday is like any other, in that people want to enjoy a drink with their mates or loved ones. Après is often a big factor when choosing a resort.
Remember, all of these results have been voted for by our customers. Our destination experts can walk you through each award winner in more detail so you can decide for yourself.
Après Ski
The Mooserwirt in St.Anton, getting busy – Image courtesy of coyote-agile
1st – Ischgl
Matt: Ischgl’s status as an epic mecca for powder lovers means that a holiday here is going to be memorable. The après ski however tries its best to eliminate those memories. Even if Europop is not normally your cup of tea, at the Trofana Alm you’ll be up on your feet, dancing like it’s 1999. Next to the Hotel Elizabeth is Schatzi, where some may be distracted by their take on traditional dirndls. Kuhstall is always busy and has a fun ambience, with the DJ playing plenty of classic tunes. The Top of the Mountain opening and closing parties are also pretty spectacular, with Deep Purple, Rihanna, Kylie, Elton John, P!nk, Pussycat Dolls, Mariah Carey being just a few of the artistes to have performed over the past few years. Which reminds me – this year’s opening event will see Canadian “rock stars” Nickelback getting the party started.
2nd – St Anton
Matt: St. Anton has a reputation for some of the best après ski in the world. Down in town there are an almost silly amount of bars offering live music, dancing, beers and Jägermeister. But where the après ski really comes into its own is on the mountain. For a more Austrian feel, then Heustadle’s rock/Tirolean music combo will have you singing along in no time, even if you don’t know the words. For live music, check out Taps. Next door to Taps, happy hour at the Krazy Kanguruh runs from 3.30-4.30pm. The final stop for many tends to be the world-famous Mooserwirt. Expect to be dancing on tables ‘til well after dark at the world’s number one après ski bar. Just a warning, the last free ski bus leaves from nearby just before 6pm. Otherwise it’s a cab ride home (around €10 depending on where you are staying) or a short, yet unlit, ski back to the village. The dark mogulled run after a few too many shandies can be dangerous, so take care.
3rd – Saalbach
Matt: Saalbach is an enigma of après ski. It’s well deserved to be in the top 5, but not many people are aware of how good it actually is. It’s usually standing/dancing room only at the hugely popular mountain huts of Goaßstall and Hinterhag Alm. Back down in the village, Bauer’s Ski Alm is the top spot for partying like there’s no skiing to get on with tomorrow. It’s quite fortunate that you’ve got the mountain air to revive your head in the morning.
4th – Whistler
Mike: What? Canada has après ski? Damn right it does. Not only does Whistler have some – it’s got loads. As you ski back into Whistler Village, you can see Longhorn Saloon’s huge deck brimming with people and pitchers. Plonk your skis up on a rack and you can always head up to GLC (Garibaldi Lift Company) who no longer make lifts but do pour a great pint (and it gives you a vantage point of the village filling up). Staying over in Blackcomb Village? Not to worry, Merlins is right at the base. We don’t need to tell you where, as you’ll see it and hear it when you ski down. You can then follow the night on in one of the plethora of pubs, bars and clubs. Tell yourself it’s medication for jet lag.
5th – Mayrhofen
Nick: Well, Austria couldn’t manage a clean sweep of the awards for après ski, but it had a good go. Whilst Mayrhofen may be host to the season ending Snowbombing festival, there’s a lot more to it than that. The party starts before you’ve even left the slopes at the Schirm Bar & Pilz Bar – located at the top of the Penken gondola – with test tubes full of various types of drinks flying around. It’s perfectly located, so you can get a bit of Dutch courage before descending in what is – in my opinion – the scariest gondola ride in Europe. At the bottom, you’re confronted by the Eis Bar – possibly the wildest Austrian après bar I’ve ever been to. Expect blaring Euro pop, Dutch revellers dancing on tables and enough Jagermeister to sink a battle ship. A quick walk over the river to Nikki’s Schirmbar will reward you with some local Schnapps in edible wafer shot glasses. Head down to Scotland Yard, which is styled as a traditional British pub. It’s got British and Austrian beer and is normally packed with seasonnairres and tourists. You may be tempted to hit one of Mayrhofen’s 3 nightclubs, but we’d recommend an early night if you even want to think about first lifts tomorrow.
Nightlife
Now that you’re done with the après ski, the late night party begins.
Start the night on the slopes in Val D’Isere – Image courtesy of Edward Simpson
1st – Pas de la Casa
Matt: What happens in Ibiza after it closes for the winter? All the DJs and workers go and find a winter home. That winter home is Pas de la Casa. So it’s really no surprise that Pas has been voted the best party resort in Europe for the second year running. It’s a buzzing town with more places to drink than you’ll be able to get through on a week holiday. Paddy’s is your friendly local Irish pub and Milwaukee’s is the American bar. The bartenders at El Marsellès have a habit of setting their bar on fire (in a controlled manner). And you’ve got loads of lively nightclubs including Underground and Bilbord. Beer prices are pretty reasonable, especially for a ski resort, and when you want to eat you can try the genuine Catalan flavours of Burger King, McDonalds and kebab (don’t worry there are proper restaurants too).
2nd -Ischgl
Mike: This is the one we mentioned earlier – not only did it make ‘Top 5 Apres Ski’ but it’s also made the Nightlife awards. So take it easy on the après because you’ll be guaranteed there’s more to come. The nightlife here blows the socks off almost everywhere else. Famous clubs like Pacha (who consider Paris Hilton as one of their regulars) rub shoulders with a plethora of other bars and clubs. It’s not all wallet-heavy in Ischgl. Places like Fuchsloch are the epitome of what Austria does best – fun and friendly nightlife going on into the small hours and the best atmosphere around.
3rd – St. Anton
Matt: Somehow, last year St. Anton didn’t make the top five resorts for nightlife. Perhaps it’s because the après ski is just so good that most people forget to hit the town after dark. Well, they are missing out. When you have a choice of so many great bars and nightclubs, it can sometimes be difficult to decide when to spend your time and money. Last season I visited St. Anton twice, partly for the fantastic snowboarding, partly for the après and nightlife. For some reason I always seem to end up gravitating to a bar where I warble out a bad version of Mustang Sally at a Karaoke night. If karaoke is not your thing, don’t worry. To name a few hotspots: Bobo’s, Picadilly, Scotty’s, Bar Cuba, Post Keller, and Kandahar are all open late for drinks, dancing, live music and (if you love it like me) karaoke.
4th – Borovets, Bulgaria
Mike: Borovets drops a couple of places after coming 2nd last year, but to be voted into the Crystal Awards for nightlife two years running shows that it’s something pretty special. OK, so we know that drinking is cheap in Bulgaria and Borovets probably offers the best value. But it’s not just cheap drinks that makes Borovets so great. The atmosphere on its colourful streets is electric in the evenings. Yes, there’s the odd stag-do but there’s the usual, friendly, après-ski buzz and the pubs just don’t seem to shut – meaning you can drink through into the early hours even if you don’t choose a club.
5th – Val d’Isere, France
Helen: This world-class resort is renowned for its incredible nightlife. Val d’Isere tends to attract wealthy young professionals and socialities. It’s got an array of glamorous hotels and shops to go along with the impressive amount of pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs. You get a real mixture of cosy alpine pubs to relax in, where you can listen to brilliant après bands at the bottom of the slopes, or you can go for the chic cocktail bars. Later on, you get the choice of two huge clubs; the famous Dicks tea bar or the Doudoune Club. Whatever you choose, you’re in for a treat.
We think we might need a glass of water, some aspirin, and a lie down after that list. Do you agree with how our customers voted? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter.
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