Après-Ski / Nightlife

Après-ski activities in Sölden start after 3 p.m. and last until promptly 7 p.m. when all bars empty of guests who head home to ready for dinner and nights filled with dancing, drinking, and smoking. Expect to pay a cover charge of €4-€5 to get into most bars for the later nightlife.

Philipps in Innerwald is a favorite outdoor bar on the Number 11 trail back into town. Heiner’s Adabei is a good place to stop along trails 21 or 22. The Hinterher at the base of the Giggijoch cable car is a loud, fun, friendly bar always filled beyond capacity. Shirmbar outside of the Hotel Liebe Sonne is yet another outdoor bar overflowing with partiers dancing in their ski boots and singing to the cranking music.

Joker — Da ist die Hölle los (We’re raising hell here; photo right) is decked out in an infernal motif, with flames, goblins and demons. Old chairlifts converted into restaurant chairs are suspended from the ceiling. The early crowd is teenage and the later clients are older. They offer a selection of specialty drinks, and a climbable cliff leads to the Bierhimml (Beer Heaven) similarly decorated with angels and clouds. Loud music and pizza are served up. Some credit cards are accepted at both establishments.

Another hot spot is the glass-enclosed Bla-Bla Eisbar at the Pension Dominic (2646) which opens at 3 p.m. just in time for the first après-skier. It attracts a young snowboarder crowd. Lawine blasts live rock’n’roll music and has pool tables.

Crave mixed drinks with music for ballroom dancing? The upscale Alibi Bar at the Central Hotel is home to the €11 margarita—not for the faint of wallet. Credit cards accepted. At Jacob’s Weinfassl (5030) taste a variety of Austrian and Italian wines.

In Obergurgl, Nederhütte rocks with accordian and guitar for aprés-ski. A stop at the Edelweiss Bar at the base of the Gaisberg lift is then in order. Later head to the Joslkeller with country music. Then discover the Hexenkuch’l in the Hotel Jenewein, the Krumpn’s Stadl at Pension Schöne Aussicht, and the Austria Keller in the Hotel Austria with oom-pa-pa music and mugs of beer.

In Hochgurgl the place to be seen is the either the African Bar in the Hotel Hochgurgl, the Putt In Bar at the Hotel Riml or Toni’s Almhutte at Sporthotel Olymp.