Après-ski wine challenge at Papperla Pub

Papperla Pub is Zermatt's legendary après-ski institution, where generations of skiers have celebrated with wine, beer, and dancing on tables. The wine challenge involves sampling local Valais varieties while surrounded by the festive mountain atmosphere.

What to do there

4 things to do

1. 1 Find the 1879 Building Where Locals Have Partied for Generations History · Free

   Built 1879 - same era as Elsie's Wine Bar. Papperla Pub (Steinmattstrasse 36, 3 min walk from main Bahnhofstrasse) is Zermatt's cult après-ski institution where locals and tourists, young and old, ski bums and millionaires all drink together. This building survived the 1931 car ban, two World Wars, and countless celebrations. Walk around the exterior and find the year 1879 carved into the wood - touch the timber, blackened from smoke and age, weathered by Alpine winters. Arrive 3pm (opening time) to see the building in daylight before the après-ski crush.

   Backup: If you can't find the building (unlikely - it's famous), ask any local 'Wo ist Papperla?' They'll point you there and probably join you.

   Log Memory
2. 2 Order the Valais Wine Flight - Challenge Your Palate Wine · Price: moderate

   Papperla is known for beer and cocktails, but they stock Valais wines for those who know to ask. Inside at the bar, when bartender makes eye contact, ask: 'Do you do a Valais wine flight?' Request 3 glasses: Fendant (white, crisp, the 'water of Valais'), Petite Arvine (white, citrus/saline, complex), Cornalin (red, velvety, the pride of Valais). CHF 30-45 for the trio. Taste them in order - light to bold. Ask bartender: 'Which one do locals drink?' Watch their answer - it reveals their personality.

   Backup: If Valais wines are limited selection, order mulled wine (winter, CHF 8-12) or Glühwein - traditional Alpine après drink, still uses local wine base.

   Log Memory
3. 3 Count the Languages You Hear - Zermatt's Babel Effect Adventure · Free · Optional

   Zermatt attracts 2 million visitors/year from every continent, and Papperla is where they collide during peak après-ski (5pm-8pm). Stand still for 10 minutes and count languages you hear. Goal: 5+ (easy), 10+ (impressive). You'll catch Swiss German, High German, English, Italian, French minimum. Listen for Japanese, Arabic, Dutch, Swedish, Russian. This is what 'international ski resort' sounds like - the babel effect in real time.

   Backup: If pub is dead (unlikely but possible on weekday early season), the language diversity is still there - read the graffiti and stickers on the walls (accumulated over decades, many languages).

   Log Memory
4. 4 Dance to 80s Remixes - Surrender to the Après-Ski Chaos Adventure · Free · Optional

   By 7pm, ski boots are off, inhibitions are gone, and people are dancing on benches to 80s hits remixed with house beats - think 'Take On Me' with a bass drop. You'll resist for 30 minutes, then find yourself singing 'Sweet Caroline' with 200 strangers. This is après-ski culture distilled: exhaustion + alcohol + endorphins + live music = collective joy. Arrive 6pm-8pm for peak energy, stand near the dance floor (the space in front of the DJ), and surrender to it. A 70-year-old Swiss farmer will be next to a 25-year-old London banker, both singing the same song.

   Backup: If you're too tired/sober/shy to dance, sit on the terrace with your wine and WATCH through the windows. The chaos is entertainment enough. Or come Monday-Thursday (quieter, less dance energy, more conversation).

   Log Memory

Insider tips

• Arrive by 3pm for prime table-dancing territory and wine selection

• The local Fendant and Cornalin by the glass are excellent values

• Live music starts around 4pm - pace yourself for the long après-ski session