The stops
- Adventure · Price: low Innsbruck - Imperial capital in the Alps Imperial capital nestled in the Alps where Habsburgs built their summer residence. The Old Town arcades house wine bars serving Austrian wines beneath the Golden Roof. A gateway to Tyrolean wine culture combining mountain adventure with urban sophistication.
- Adventure · Price: low Traditional Tyrolean Heuriger experience Traditional wine taverns where local producers serve their own wine with cold platters of Speck, cheese, and bread. Look for the Buschen (pine branch) above the door signaling the tavern is open. Authentic mountain hospitality at its finest.
- Adventure · Price: moderate Arlberg wine challenge across resort areas Ski the interconnected Arlberg resorts (St. Anton, Lech, Zürs, St. Christoph) while collecting wine tastings at mountain huts. A unique challenge combining alpine skiing with Austrian wine discovery across Europe's largest connected ski area.
- Adventure · Price: moderate to high Live saxophone player + wine list + dancing on the bar There's a saxophonist playing over the house beats. The wine list runs deeper than any après bar has a right to. And at 4pm, someone climbs onto the bar and starts dancing - and management actively encourages it. Basecamp is St Anton's answer for those who want the party but also want options. Premium burgers by day, buzzing après by afternoon, full club mode by night.
- Adventure · Price: moderate St Anton's hidden rock music après-ski with live bands While MooserWirt and Krazy Kanguruh battle for après supremacy, Griabli sits next door with a secret weapon: live rock music. Every Tuesday from January to March, local bands play classic rock'n'roll, prog-rock, indie, punk, and funk. It's St Anton's "best-kept secret" - mellower than its neighbors but equally lively when the guitars come out.
- Adventure · Price: high World's largest large-bottle wine cellar at 1,850m Hidden beneath an unassuming alpine restaurant at 1,850m lies the world's largest large-bottle wine cellar. The Wine Dome, opened in 2022, houses 7,000+ bottles including Bordeaux magnums up to 27 liters. Chef David Kurz earned 3 Gault & Millau toques serving French-inspired alpine cuisine directly on the piste. This is where serious wine meets serious skiing.
- Adventure · Price: moderate Drink with a living ski legend in his trophy room Karl Schranz is a living ski legend - 2x World Cup champion (1969-70), Austrian sporting icon, and the man controversially banned from the 1972 Olympics. His hotel's bar displays his World Cup globes, alongside photos with Audrey Hepburn, Jean-Claude Killy, and Queen Elizabeth II. Schranz himself often mingles with guests. His wife and daughters run the hotel; the fireplace crackles; the wine is Austrian.
- Adventure · Price: moderate St Anton's oldest après bar (1965), now owned by Olympic gold medalist Mario Matt Before MooserWirt existed, there was Krazy Kanguruh. Founded in 1965, KK is St Anton's original après-ski bar - the birthplace of the culture that now defines alpine skiing. Since 2009, it's owned by Mario Matt, "der Arlberg Adler" (Eagle of Arlberg), who won Olympic slalom gold at Sochi 2014 and has 15 World Cup victories. Slightly mellower than its neighbor, but equally legendary.
- Adventure · Price: moderate St. Anton après-ski wine experience Birthplace of alpine skiing and legendary après-ski culture. Legendary bars like MooserWirt and Krazy Kanguruh serve Austrian wines to skiers fresh off the slopes. The party atmosphere is electric, but quality wine bars exist for those seeking refinement.
- Adventure · Price: moderate to high The basement where après-ski becomes actual nightlife until 4am MooserWirt closes at 8pm. Krazy Kanguruh winds down. Most après bars follow. But Postkeller is just warming up. In the basement of Hotel Post, St Anton's party continues until 4am. Piccadilly upstairs has live music and conversation. Postkeller downstairs has serious dancing. This is the classic St Anton arc: MooserWirt 4pm → Piccadilly 9pm → Postkeller 11pm → Kandahar bar 2am → bed (maybe).
- Adventure · Price: moderate The village of 100 souls that produced the father of modern skiing Stuben am Arlberg has 100 permanent residents and one of skiing's greatest stories. Hannes Schneider was born here in 1890, son of a farmer. He invented the stem turn, founded Austria's first ski school, starred in 15 films with Leni Riefenstahl, was arrested by Nazis in 1938, and escaped on the Queen Mary to a hero's welcome in New Hampshire. His bronze monument stands in the village, and Hotel Mondschein's 17th-century wine cellar awaits.
- Adventure · Price: moderate The highest point in St. Anton - 4-country views from a 4-person cable car At 2,811 meters, the Valluga is the "Roof of the Arlberg" - the highest point accessible from St. Anton. The journey requires three cable cars: the modern Galzigbahn, the Vallugabahn I, and finally the tiny Vallugabahn II from 1955 that carries just 4 people. From the summit platform, views extend across four countries: Austria, Germany (Zugspitze visible), Switzerland, and Italy. To SKI down, you need a registered mountain guide.
- Adventure · Price: high One of Europe's highest 3-Gault-Millau-toque restaurants at 2,085m At 2,085 meters on the Galzig, the Verwallstube isn't just a mountain restaurant - it's one of Europe's highest 3-toque establishments. Stefan Fahrner's French-inspired cuisine features truffle prominently, and the wine list matches the altitude ambition. Thursday evenings transform the space with candlelight and live piano. Ski here for lunch, stay for the experience.
- Adventure · Price: moderate The villa where Hannes Schneider was convinced to spread skiing worldwide This 1910 Art Nouveau villa holds the moment that changed skiing forever. German industrialist Bernhard Trier built it as a retreat, then used it to convince local ski instructor Hannes Schneider to teach his revolutionary technique worldwide. Post-WWII, it served as French military HQ. Now a museum with Karl Schranz's 1962 Kneissls, historic equipment, and the restaurant where Felicity Jones filmed "Chalet Girl" (2011).
- Adventure · Price: moderate Austria's highest parish wine culture At 1,930m, Obergurgl is Austria's highest parish - guaranteed snow from November to May. The intimate village offers sophisticated après-ski without Sölden's crowds. Wine bars here serve Austrian bottles to a knowing international clientele.
- Adventure · Price: moderate Zillertal valley wine traditions Mayrhofen anchors the Zillertal ski area with authentic Tyrolean après-ski. The legendary Scotland Yard pub has been serving skiers since 1969, while traditional wine bars in the village center offer Austrian bottles away from the beer-fueled crowds.
- Adventure · Price: moderate Penken Park mountain wine terrace The Penken mountain top hosts a cluster of restaurants with sun terraces overlooking the Zillertal valley. Afternoon wine on the terrace, surrounded by peaks and skiers, captures the essence of Austrian mountain hospitality.
- Adventure · Price: moderate Ski Circus wine crawl experience Saalbach's "Ski Circus" connects 270km of slopes across the Glemmtal valley. The après-ski scene calls itself "Home of Lässig" (laid-back) - less intense than Ischgl but with excellent wine options in traditional mountain bars.