The ‘Ibiza of the Alps’ Preps for a More Subdued Ski Season

Every winter afternoon, the Austrian village of Ischgl resounds with the heavy clump of boots as its dozens of après-ski joints fill with sweaty visitors. Dedicated skiers from Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K., and farther afield come for reliable snow, pulse-pumping expert terrain, and 45 lifts serving 150 miles of slopes. But for many visitors, the appeal is more about partying than pistes.

Ischgl’s slogan, “Relax—if you can,” gives it a reputation as the Ibiza of the Alps. There’s the Insider “table dance” bar and Schatzi, where women in revealing dresses modeled on traditional Alpine attire shimmy and shake. The Kuhstall (Cowshed) calls itself the “Home of Wahnsinn,” German for “craziness.” Amply lubricated with beer, schnapps, and glühwein, the dancing stretches into the wee hours, when the hardiest of revelers stagger back to their hotels just as the sun reaches the rocky peaks above town.