You’ve hit the slopes and have been making the most of the awe-inspiring 3 Valleys ski area. Heading back to resort as the slopes close your thoughts turn to apres. Whether you’re looking to party like it’s 1999, relax with a few drinks in a cosy nook or switch skiing or snowboarding for another activity, Courchevel and La Tania have options for you.
APRES PARTY!
In La Tania look no further than the Ski Lodge. This, the biggest bar in La Tania, is renowned for its live music apres and if you pop in when apres band Bring Your Sisters is in the house you can expect the whole bar to literally be bouncing to their (cover) tunes. The drinks flow, the music is loud and audience participation is high. They have bands most evenings starting at 5pm and when the days get longer in the spring the bands play out on the terrace.
Courchevel Moriond (1650) hosts the best apres scene of the Courchevel resorts and you could do worse than to head to the Bubble Bar or Funky Fox. The latter being more of a post-apres (or apres-apres) bar that continues the party way into the (not so wee) small hours.
Chilled Apres-Ski
If you’re looking for a more relaxed apres-ski experience in La Tania why not head for cocktails at La Taiga. On the other side of the road from the snowfront bars, La Taiga is an altogether cosier and more relaxed affair.
Children in La Tania need not miss out on apres either. Why not take your kids for a delicious crepe and hot chocolate at Les Chanterelles.
In Courchevel 1850, head down to the Bar l’Equipe, a lovely warm and cosy spot for a quiet drink or two. It has a rustic wooden interior with alpine chic decor and warm lighting giving you a great all round ‘hygge’ experience. Another cosy apres experience can be found in Courchevel Le Praz at La Table de Mon Grand-Pere where they serve the best vin chaud (mulled wine) in the valley in front of a roaring fire.
If you prefer to apres at a terrace bar the Tremplin in Courchevel 1850 is for you. It’s not cheap but the table service and people watching is top notch.
Our favourite place in Courchevel Moriond for a relaxing post-ski drink or two is the Fire and Ice bar on the snowfront just out the front of the Portetta Hotel. It has an outdoor bar, comfy seating, a wood fire and the drinks and service are both excellent.
Apres-Ski Activities
Want to continue the action from the day into the evening? There are activities galore in Courchevel. Choose from 2 extreme sledding runs, one from the top of the Ariondaz bubble in Courchevel Moriond and the other from the top of the Tovets chairlift in Courchevel 1850 down to Courchevel Village.
If you just can’t get enough skiing or snowboarding then head for the Verdons by night, a chance to hit the snowpark and the pistes to the side and below it after the lifts close under the floodlights (every Wednesday evening in January and February).
Ice-skating in Courchevel is another option for those with energy to spare after skiing. The ice rink can be found on the ground floor of the Forum shopping centre.
The Aquamotion centre swimming pool just outside Courchevel Village has a little something for everyone. For adrenaline lovers there are waterslides and a wave pool but there is a great kids area for little ones with a gentle slide, fun obstacles, water jets and sprinklers as well as two further pools, one to relax in and one for those looking to get some exercise. Elsewhere in the Aquamotion centre there is a spa with massage/treatment centre, a climbing wall and a gym.
With all of these apres activities on the menu we imagine you will be heading home from your ski holiday feeling a happy mixture of exhausted and refreshed.
Photos: Remi NGuyen Cao