La Stua in Selva Val Gardena puts on some great live music and events
Italy is one of the best places in the world to ski, with its huge ski areas and unique rocky backdrops adding to its strong après-ski scene.
If you’ve got your mind set on Italy and a fun party scene is key to you, then look no further than the following resorts, where you’ll find places to cut some iconic shapes in your ski boots.
If you’re new to skiing, have a read of our guide explaining what après-ski actually is - you’ll want to be up in the mountains straight away.
Italian après has a less hectic reputation than in France and Austria, with more of an emphasis on food and soaking in the mountain environment, however these are the resorts where you can have a sing and dance, too.
READ MORE: Have a look at what we've got for the best après-ski resorts in Austria!
Italy's best ski resorts for après-ski are:
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Livigno
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Sauze d'Oulx
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Cervinia
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Selva Val Gardena
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Pila
1. Livigno
Livigno is a duty-free haven which is always an attraction, and has about 115km of lovely slopes to enjoy.
The top venue to aim for is the Stalet bar at the bottom of the Carosello 3000 gondola (or take the black run if you’re up to it), where you can enjoy the lovely views with some beers, alongside the 1,000 other people it’s got capacity for.
Those with a bit more energy in the tank will enjoy the DJs and live music that are regularly playing - plus it’s got a dance floor inside and food served all day.
Up at the top end of the Casorello 3000 is Tea Borch, which you might want to pop into before Stalet for a drink or three. Allegedly you can get a lift from someone in a skidoo down the slope if needs be, although we’re yet to see this!
Back in town you’ll enjoy Marco’s Pub, which puts on live music 2 nights a week for a very rowdy and energetic crowd - or you can stand at the back and enjoy it in peace if you don’t want to get too embroiled in the action!
For more lively scenes, try Kuhstall. It’s a cellar bar which builds up gradually through the evening, before chairs are pushed aside and the makeshift dance floor bursts into life.
And for a genuine late night then head to Miky’s Disco Club, where you enter via a slide (stairs also available) before dancing the hours away to DJs among a packed and top atmosphere.
The Stalet Bar in Livigno is always bursting with energy
2. Sauze d'Oulx
Sauze d’Oulx has long had a strong reputation for parties, being dubbed the Benidorm of ski resorts in the 2000s! It’s since managed to shrug off that particular comparison, but is still a strong pick if you’re after some fun - and of course some great skiing in the Milky Way ski area.
The first stop straight off the slopes should be the Village Café where you can have a nice warm up pint before heading over to La Grangia which has regular live DJ sets from a balcony above the crowd full of people dancing on tables and letting their hair down.
Back in town the Derby Bar is a favourite with plenty of DJs and dancing - the same is true of Ghost’s Pub, which encourages you up on the chairs and tables and has beer towers and decent prices.
Miravallino is a slightly more sophisticated option which is a pub and restaurant which puts on live music into the early hours.
3. Cervinia
Cervinia is nestled cosily under the spectacular Matterhorn mountain (think Toblerone packaging!) and offers some brilliant skiing as part of the huge Matterhorn Ski Paradise, which has 360km of pistes.
It’s also got some fun après-ski to get stuck into. For some slopeside dancing, head to LOVE, an undeservedly cringe name for such a fun venue, where live DJs and saxophonists bring the energy.
Back towards town, there’s the Yeti Bar which is a standard stop off on the way home, while Ymeletrob turns into a party venue after the clock swings past 10pm. Live music seekers should make note of the imaginatively named Après Ski Bar and the Thistles Pub, where you’ll almost certainly be surrounded by Brits.
Cervinia has a couple of nightclubs which are well worth a try - Bianconiglio and Sound Club.
Have a read of our complete guide to Cervinia’s après and nightlife scene for all the key details.
4. Selva Val Gardena
Part of the Sella Ronda circuit and Dolomites Superski area, pretty Selva Val Gardena has some top notch skiing, with a strong après-ski scene to match.
Piz Seteur is one of the top slopeside huts up the mountain, with lots of music, dancing and performers, while the Snowbar down at the bottom of the slopes is a cosier location for live music.
Back in town, La Stua is a lovely venue with indoor and outdoor capacity, which puts on lots of live music events from the balcony above (see first picture!). Not far from the Costabella lift, it stays open until 2am and is a favourite, while Luislkeller is a basement venue just around the corner which has a fantastic party atmosphere until 1:30am.
If you’re looking for a real nightclub type of vibe then Salto’s isn’t a bad shout, while The Goalies Pub is another on our list that’s worth checking out.
Snowbar in Selva Val Gardena is a fun and more personable bar with lots of live music
5. Pila
A modern resort with a variety of skiing and great snow conditions, Pila has something for everyone - including those wanting some fun once the sun goes down!
Bar Yeti is a good place for a warm up drink, while Le Chatelaine is also popular for its homemade Grappa drinks. After sampling these, nip over Gallagher’s Irish Pub, which is just across the piste from Bar Yeti and stays open much later with lots of shots, DJs and live music.
If you’re looking for a genuine late night then make a beeline for La Niche, where there are full on disco parties by at least about 10pm most nights.
Pila is a bit of a cheat pick, as (ironically) it’s also really useful for getting away to Aosta, a large town just down the valley which is an 18-minute gondola ride. Aosta is a beautiful Roman town with plenty going on, including the British Old Distillery where dancing on tables is encouraged.
Pub Beautiful and the Fashion Cafè are top picks, while the Discoteca Pigalle is a proper nightclub - although make sure you plan your journey back to Pila, as the cable car will be shut. There is also a free shuttle bus between the two, but the last bus back up to Pila seems to be at 22:30.
Discover Italy's après-ski scene for yourself with Iglu Ski
If Italian après sounds like the one for you, then let us help you sort the perfect ski holiday for you.
Call us on 020 3848 3700, or make an enquiry and we’ll answer all your questions. And if you know what you’re after, have a look at our best Italy ski holiday deals.
We’re the UK’s largest ski travel agency and have been doing it for more than 26 years. All of our staff have done seasons in the mountains - we really are experts.
If you’ve been put in charge of booking for a group and you’re not quite sure where to start, have a read of our group booking guide - it might just put your mind at ease.
