Zell am See Après-Ski: Where to Go After a Day on the Slopes

My personal highlight: a few runs on the Schmittenhöhe, with the glorious view over Zell am See and the surrounding mountains.

Ursula Auer, Hotel Der Schütthof

Is Zell am See good for après-ski?

Yes. The Schmittenhöhe, Zell am See's own ski area, has 23 mountain huts, restaurants and après-ski bars by its lift company's own count, and the town centre has bars and clubs that stay open after midnight.

Which bar you end up in depends on the lift you finish at; our guide to skiing in Zell am See covers the lifts and pistes themselves, and our guide to the Zell am See piste map goes through them run by run.

Which après-ski bars are near the areitXpress?

The Cabrio (Salzachtalbundesstraße 22) is the lift company's bar right at the areitXpress valley station in Schüttdorf, described by the company as its après-ski meeting point, with drinks and music to end the ski day.

The Dorfschenke (Brucker Bundesstraße 106), next to the children's ski area of the Skischule Zell am See and about 200 m from the areitXpress valley station, is open in winter only, with après-ski every day.

At the top of the areitXpress, the AreitLounge is a restaurant and mountain inn, and the AreitAlm, right next to the lift station, is a restaurant with a day bar, open again in winter. Leave time for the way down: the areitXpress is planned to run until 4.30 pm.

Après-ski at the lifts on the town side

At the cityXpress valley station

The bar next to the Sporthotel Alpin, by the cityXpress valley station in town, is open to non-residents, with music and drinks.

At the top of the Schmittenhöhebahn

The SchnapsHans Bar is at about 2,000 m by the Berghotel Schmittenhöhe, right at the top station of the Schmittenhöhebahn. The lift company counts the SchnapsHans Bar among the region's top après-ski spots, and the bar has been part of the Berghotel for more than 45 years. The Schmittenhöhebahn is planned to run until 5 pm, so plan your way down before then.

At the Sonnenalmbahn valley station

The Häferl (Schmittenstraße 121), right at the Sonnenalmbahn valley station, invites you to unwind after a day on the mountain. Right next to it is The Base 939, which the lift company describes as a place for the last drink of the ski day.

Zell am See après-ski bars in the town centre

At the end of the ski day in winter, the Insider bar, in the middle of the town centre at Kreuzgasse 1, becomes a meeting point for guests and locals, with drinks and DJs. The Ginhouse (Dreifaltigkeitsgasse 1), with its AprèsChill Lounge, is open again from 20 November 2026.

For live music, Villa Crazy Daisy (Salzmannstraße 8), a restaurant, café and bar over three floors, has a different band on its first-floor stage every day from 23 December. Bierpub Zell am See (Sebastian-Hörl-Straße 9) has house-brewed beers and, in winter, regular live music evenings and a pub quiz.

For dancing, the Pinzgauer Diele (Anton-Wallner-Straße 6) has been a bar, restaurant and disco since 1964, with international DJs. Greens Pub (Seegasse 1) has Greens XL below it, with club music in the vaults. Later at night, Kreuzgasse 1, the Insider's address, also has the K1 Club, a nightclub, and Club Sensation, with 80s and 90s hits, party classics, chart hits and a lounge.

What time does après-ski start in Zell am See?

Après-ski in Zell am See gets going in the afternoon, as the lifts close: the areitXpress is planned to run until 4.30 pm and the Schmittenhöhebahn until 5 pm. In town, Villa Crazy Daisy's Après-Chill starts at 3 pm on its panoramic terrace.

The times below are opening hours, from each place's own website or the Zell am See-Kaprun tourism board; check them before you go.

Après-ski events in winter 2026/27

Dutchweek is planned for 13 to 16 January 2027 and early March 2027, with events on the Schmittenhöhe and in Kaprun. During Dutchweek, après-ski at the Cabrio from 3 pm to 8 pm needs a Dutchweek wristband, while the live music at the Berghotel Schmittenhöhe has free entry, from 11 am to 4 pm in January and 12 noon to 4 pm in March according to the lift company. In Kaprun the Dutchweek programme at the Baumbar Arena runs from 4 pm to 2 am, Saturdays until 4 am, with the Dutchweek wristband only, according to the tourism board.

The lift company's Schmitten Sound brings live acts, regional artists and international DJs to huts, open-air stages and après-ski spots on the Schmittenhöhe all winter 2026/27.

The Nightslope, the floodlit piste no. 6 at the Ebenbergbahn in Zell am See, is planned for night skiing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 January to 25 February 2027, until 8.30 pm and except on 9 February, depending on the snow.

For Christmas and New Year, Hotel Latini has a guide to Christmas and New Year in Zell am See.

Après-ski in Kaprun: the Baumbar and the Eisbär

The Baumbar in Kaprun (Sigmund-Thun-Straße 4) has an outdoor and indoor après-ski arena in the winter season and is open from 22 October 2026 to 10 May 2027, 11 am to 2 am Monday to Thursday and Sunday and 11 am to 5 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Eisbär après-ski bar is on the Maiskogel, Kaprun's family ski area, at 1,040 m right by piste 33, with snacks and drinks, and is open again from December 2026.

Bus line 660 runs as a ski bus between Zell am See and Kaprun. You can use it with the Guest Mobility Ticket, included when you stay at Hotel Der Schütthof, or, in ski gear during the lifts' operating hours, with a valid Ski ALPIN CARD. From 19 December 2026 to 4 April 2027 it runs every 15 minutes, except between 11.20 am and 2.20 pm, when it runs every 30 minutes.

An evening in Schüttdorf

Hotel Der Schütthof has Kathi's Café & Bar, open daily from 3 pm in the winter season, and Hotel Latini next door has the UNO Bar, open daily from 9 am in winter, with cocktails, long drinks, wine and beer and regular live music. Non-residents are welcome at both.

For dinner in Schüttdorf we recommend Village Kitchen, a restaurant and lounge at Kitzsteinhornstraße 22, on the same street as Hotel Der Schütthof; Hotel Latini's guide to where to eat in Zell am See lists Village Kitchen's winter opening days. Papa Rudolfo, Hotel Latini's Italian à la carte restaurant right by the hotel, reopens on 10 December 2026 and is open 11.30 am to 10 pm daily, with the kitchen (pizza included) open until 9.30 pm.

For an evening at the hotel itself, see ski holidays at Hotel Der Schütthof.

How do you get back to Schüttdorf after après-ski?

From the Cabrio and the Dorfschenke at the areitXpress, you walk back to Hotel Der Schütthof. Between the cityXpress and Schüttdorf, the bus (in winter, the ski bus) is easier than the train. From the Schmittenhöhebahn and Sonnenalmbahn valley stations, ski bus 71 runs to the Postplatz in the town centre, and from the town centre the Pinzgau local railway (Pinzgauer Lokalbahn) runs from Zell am See to Kitzsteinhornstraße, a request stop about 150 m from Hotel Der Schütthof.

Trains and buses run later in the evening than people often assume. Depending on the season there is a dedicated evening and night bus between Zell am See and Kaprun, and special services run for events. Please check return times locally; the timetables are at reception, which is open round the clock in Hotel Latini next door.

The nearest bus stop to the hotel, Schüttdorf ÖBB-Postbus Garage, is 5 minutes on foot. The Guest Mobility Ticket covers trains, Postbus services and the Pinzgauer Lokalbahn, but not the night bus lines.

If you go into town straight from the slopes, the Schmittenhöhe offers ski and snowboard service, hire and ski depots at its valley stations. The camera-monitored ski room at Hotel Der Schütthof is open 6 am to 9 pm with your room key card, and if you are back after 6 pm on your last ski day, you can return equipment from the hotel's ski hire the following morning.

If you are still choosing where to base yourself, our guide to where to stay in Zell am See compares Schüttdorf, the town centre and Kaprun.