Once upon a time, Mayrhofen had a reputation as a family-friendly ski town – but increasingly it is known for itsjet-propelled apres-ski scene. In part, that’s because of the success of Snowbombing – the annual, full-bore debauch-athon which takes place in April (and attracts 5,000 people) and grows more popular every year.
Mayrhofen is one of the big party towns of the Alps
In part it’s because of the bars themselves. There are two stars of the local scene: the White Lounge up on Ahorn – an igloo-hotel with an ice bar outside and a laid-back afternoon vibe – and the Ice Bar at the Hotel Strass, next to the Penken gondola station in town.
The afternoon usually works like this. On a sunny day, skiers and snowboarders stop at the Penken or the Ahorn and have a couple of drinks in the bars up there – before heading back into town and falling into the Ice Bar at about 4.30pm. They stay there till 7.30pm.
There’s then a break for dinner, before the action spreads out to the bars along the triangle formed by the Haupstrasse, Scheulingstrasse and Pfarrer-Krapf-Strasse. Look out for Mo’s, Scotland Yard, the Piccadilly, and a bar called Funky’s. Several have live music, and the atmosphere in most is pubby and unpretentious. If you’re looking for something less beery, head upstairs to the lounge-y and relatively chic Harakiri bar on the Haupstrasse.
Much later the scene shifts again, up to the top end of the Haupstrasse, where you’ll find two discos on the Ahornstrasse – the Schluesselalm and Sports Arena.
The Ice Bar is a hot, sweaty (read smelly) après bar and full of men. Not a nice place for girls! For a more classy, but still really lively and traditional après – the Brück’n Stadl is the place to go. It has a DJ so there is interaction with the punters (as opposed to piped music in the Ice Bar), so is great fun. Get there before 5 to get a good spot. It’s in town, not far from the Ahornbahn.