Après-Ski / Nightlife

Come evening, intimate taverns and rollicking discos open their doors. For quieter entertainment, elegance and perfect location head for the Wunderbar on the top floor of the Grand Hotel overlooking Lake Zell.

The Sportstüberl (6547-8222; photo left), in the Hotel Lebzelter, is an après-ski bar built in the 1700s, and its bartenders wear lederhosen. It is open 4 p.m.–4 a.m. and offers an atmosphere where locals and tourists gather for a cold beer or a hot Jägertee. Here townsfolk sometimes challenge each other at Stocknagaln, a game where the object is to hit a thin nail imbedded in a block of wood with the sharp blade of an ax.

The Jagawirt (6547-8737) is one of the most picturesque après-ski gathering spots.

Curiously, the largest (and the most lively) night haunt in the region lies on the outskirts of tiny Kaprun, not in Zell am See: The Baum Bar Reiteralm (6547-8216; photo below) burned to the ground a few years ago, and when it was rebuilt it bounded back better than ever. A huge dance floor is usually packed by midnight. Partygoers boogie till closing time at 6 a.m.

Entertainment is harder to find in Kaprun, but it is there. The Kitsch & Bitter (6547-8663) and the Paletti Pub (6547-7778) are perfect. Another good disco is La Bomba. The Vine Bar de Vino, Killy´s Bar and the Music Pub Pavillion (6547-7291) are recent additions to the Kaprun nightlife.

In Zell am See, one of the most popular stops for vacationing Europeans is the Villa Crazy Daisy Pub (6542-72526), Salzmannstr. 8, which is usually full of Brits, Dutch, Swedes and other party-hardy types. Bands play seven nights a week. Order drinks like “No Thanks I’m Fine,” “Against the Wall,” “Orgasm” and “Slippery Nipples.” The Pinzgauer Diele (6542-72164) has great après-ski ‘till 7 p.m., then after 11 p.m. it’s considered the top disco. It’s often loud with ski movies. The Bierstadl features 33 different kinds of beer and is where the locals gather. Classics features live music, but can be a bit smoky. Hirschenkeller is a blues, rock and reggae bar across the street from the post office under Hotel Zum Hirschen. Viva Club (6542-47477) disco heats up after 1 a.m. at 4 Kirchengasse. Après-ski can be enjoyed at the outside bar atop Schmittenhohe, overlooking the church and at “Einkehr” near the Zeller Bergbahn.