Having spent the large majority of this season in St Anton, a resort with a reputation for both challenging skiing and lively après ski, when visiting Kaprun for a week I was fairly apprehensive as to how it would match up on both these fronts. Having blogged last week on the skiing in the Europa sport region, which did not disappoint, this week it is time to compare the après options in both towns.

In comparison to St Anton, Kaprun feels both very relaxed and fairly deserted. It is much smaller. This is not to say, however, that there is not a good night out to be found in Kaprun.

A great place to start your night is Paletti’s bar and restaurant, in the centre of town. It serves good pizza at very reasonable prices and has a large drinks selection. Later on in the night it becomes a very lively après ski bar, where you are bound to meet at some point the friendly owner Wolfgang who both serves behind the bar and also makes a habit of coming round and greeting everyone in there.

Further into the centre of town there are a number of other options. These include The Pavilion après ski bar, and the aptly named Party Keller which both get busier as the night carries on and stay open fairly late.

Perhaps my favourite bar in Kaprun is the typically Austrian Baum Bar. It is situated slightly outside of the town centre, near to the bottom of the Maiskogel ski area and serves fairly cheap drinks in a very authentic setting. One of the highlights here is the traditional Austrian game of nails that can be found in the corner of the bar. In order to play you first have to tap your nail into a plank of wood. The aim is to then be the first person to tap your nail the whole way into the wood using the thin end of a hammer. This is tricky to start off with and tends to get even harder the further into the night it gets.

Beyond the restaurants and bars of Kaprun there is a range of other things to do in town. The wellness centre has both a heated indoor and outdoor pool with mini rapids to help keep you entertained. In the town centre is a very large Inter-sport with a very unusual design. This is well worth a visit, especially for the free 3D cinema that is located on the top floor, as well as for the wide selection of ski and snowboarding gear. On top of this, every other Monday sees a ski show put on, by one of the main ski schools in Kaprun. This takes place at the bottom of the Maiskogel lift and is definitely worth watching if you are in town.

Although, Kaprun is not the liveliest town in the Alps, what it does have in abundance is character. Even though its nightlife might not compare to that of St Anton, it still offers an enjoyable and interesting night out.