Watch that Gluwein
After two or three glasses of Gluhwein, however, you might find yourself lying in the road, giggling uncontrollably. The reason? At least one of the bars laces its Gluwein with Schnapps.
As the skies darken, the action moves into the centre of town. The Vernissage, in the Ferienart resort is the hub for upmarket drinks, while the bar in the Popcorn Hotel attracts a younger, hipper audience. At night it turns into a club. Other bars to check out include John’s Pub and Crazy Night in the Best Western Metropol.
It’s worth noting the scene here has a strong Swiss and German flavour. The number of Brits is limited – which means you won’t find too many pubs filled with blokes staring in silence at Man U’s latest Champions’ League fixture on TV. Thank goodness.
Needless to say, not everyone likes the nightlife. “We had always regarded Saas Fee as a quiet resort at night. Unfortunately, we discovered that the main road can become rather noisy due to late opening hours at several of the resort bars,” remarked one reporter. Anyone anxious about not getting their sleep should avoid rooms overlooking The Popcorn, opposite the church.
A retro ski event
For something a bit offbeat, The Annual Vintage Ski Races take place on the Kreuzboden above the neighbouring village of Saas Grund in March. This involves vintage and retro races, and in both categories participants do not merely compete to determine who is the fastest, but also to see who has the most stylish and original outfit. There’s entertainment and comedy for spectators too.
Many places to party is the answer starting with SnowPoint at the end of the skiing day right next to the Swiss Ski School Meeting Point. Then working your way up the village for Apres ski is Zur Muhle on the bridge, The Black Bull always with lively dancing and music, Igloo – a small bar down some steps, Nesti’s and don’t forget to ask for “Bruce” (a drinking game you might regret but great fun). Night Clubs – Popcorn is number 1 for most but Poison and Schalager Temple Metroploe) are a couple of others. The Dom Bar opposite the Swiss Ski School has live music and Happy hours regularly and its counterpart up the mountain is Dom Rocks, which overlooks the glacier, brilliant sunny terrace and you can stay overnight in the rooms and drive the piste machine at night and ski brand new tracks while most people are still asleep!