No slopes, no ski boots, and yet four people stand side by side and lift a board of glasses together. In Advent 2026 there’s a slice of après-ski in Salzburg right in the middle of the city: at the Apres Allstars stall at our Christmas market at Mirabellplatz (Mirabell Square), where you can have a go on the Shotski (a ski with several shot glasses mounted on it). All around you there’s the smell of Glühwein (hot mulled wine, spiced with cinnamon, cloves and orange) and Bauernkrapfen (traditional fried dough pastries), and on many evenings brass players perform in front of the palace.
Where can you find après-ski in the middle of Salzburg? For example at the Salzburg Christmas market at Mirabellplatz, in front of Schloss Mirabell (Mirabell Palace). In Advent 2026 you can have a go on the Shotski at the Apres Allstars stall there. The market is open daily from 19 November to 31 December, and entry is free.
What is après-ski? Après-ski is French for “after skiing” and means getting together after a day on the slopes, with music and drinks. According to the US magazine Punch, the word first appeared in a French ski magazine in 1938.
You’ll find which other huts are at our market further down.
Apres ski in Salzburg without the slopes: what to expect at Apres Allstars
With us at Mirabellplatz you get a slice of après-ski in Salzburg without having been on the slopes first: at the Apres Allstars stall you can have a go on the Shotski. According to the Apres Allstars exhibitor page, everyone raises their glass at exactly the same moment.
Behind the stall are Tobi Deckert and Michi Gasteiger from Siegsdorf in the Chiemgau (the Chiemsee area), both skiers and product developers. A note on our own behalf: Tobi Deckert also writes for this blog. What exactly a Shotski is, how a round works step by step and where the idea comes from are explained in detail in What is a shotski?.
Just the essentials here: a Shotski is a board with several glasses in a row. Everyone lifts it together and, on a call, drinks at the same time. That’s exactly what makes it a round for groups; you can’t do it on your own.
What you’ll see at the Apres Allstars stall
At the Apres Allstars hut, everything revolves around skis in miniature. According to the exhibitor page, you’ll find:
- The shot glass shaped like a ski boot: a 4 cl (40 ml) glass that clicks into a real mini ski binding. The story of the glass is in The ski boot shot glass.
- The Shotski: the board where you have your go.
- Wooden mini skis: with binding and glass, to wear around your neck. In one photo on the exhibitor page they hang from the ceiling of the hut.
The stall makes a good backdrop for a souvenir photo: a row of people at the Shotski, the mini skis above, the lights of the market behind. You can read more about how the glasses are made in workshops for people with disabilities in Pidinger Werkstätten: who assembles the ski boot shot glasses by hand, and the whole story of Tobi and Michi on apres-allstars.com.
If you’re still looking for a present for someone who loves skiing, you’ll find ideas in Gifts for skiers.
With friends, colleagues or your work Christmas party
A Shotski needs several people, so it’s one of the things to do in Salzburg in December for groups who come to the market together:
- With friends: you meet in town after work, get yourselves a Glühwein and finish with a round on the Shotski.
- With colleagues: Mirabellplatz is quick to reach after the office. Trolleybus (Obus) lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 go straight to Mirabellplatz, and from the main station it’s a walk of around 10 to 15 minutes.
- With your work Christmas party: if your team moves on after dinner, the market makes a good next stop. On Fridays and Saturdays we’re open until 9 pm, Sunday to Thursday until 8 pm, and from 24 to 31 December special hours apply.
How many people can join in at once is best asked directly at the stall. If you’re coming as a larger group, allow some time so that everyone gets a turn.
Glühwein, pretzels and Krapfen to go with it
Something warm is part of après-ski, and you’ll find it at several of our huts. A few huts that go well with your round:
- Christl-Alm: home-made Glühwein to Grandpa Sepp’s secret recipe, Glühmost (hot spiced cider) and Kinderpunsch (alcohol-free punch for children), plus Bauernkrapfen baked right on the spot, Pofesen (fried bread slices filled with plum jam) and Apfelradeln (apple rings fried in batter). We tell their story in Over 35 years at Mirabellplatz: the Christl-Alm.
- Alexander Reisinger: Salzburger Brezen (pretzels from Salzburg; also the name of Alexander Reisinger’s business), Glühwein, Glühmost, orange punch and hot sausages. More about the pretzels in Salzburger Brezen.
- Familie Rettenbacher: Fleischkrapfen (meat-filled pastries), Kaspressknödel (fried cheese dumplings) and hot Speckbrot (bread topped with Austrian bacon), plus schnapps and liqueurs.
What makes Glühwein, Glühmost and Punsch different is in Glühwein, Glühmost, Punsch, Kinderpunsch: what’s the difference?. You’ll find all the huts with food in our guide to food at the Christmas market.
Our exhibitors
Who else is at Mirabellplatz besides Apres Allstars, from Glühwein to pretzels? Our exhibitor overview shows all 18 huts.
Programme at the market: brass, lights, Krampus
There’s live music with us in front of the palace, plus two special evenings. According to our programme for 2026:
- Advent music in front of Schloss Mirabell: on many days at 5.15 pm, for example on Saturday 21 November 2026 with the Bürmooser Blechbläser, a brass ensemble. From 27 to 30 December the ensembles play earlier, at 3.30 pm.
- Lighting of the Christmas tree: Wednesday 25 November 2026, at 6 pm.
- St. Nicholas and Krampus: on Wednesday 2 December 2026 at 6 pm, St. Nicholas and Krampus – a horned, fur-clad figure from Alpine folklore who accompanies St. Nicholas – hand out sweets to the children, with the Altgnigler Krampus- und Perchtenpass.
Our tip: come on a music day shortly before it starts (usually 5.15 pm, from 27 to 30 December 3.30 pm), listen to the brass players and then head to the Shotski with your group. All dates are on our programme page.
Drinking age: schnapps from 18
In the province of Salzburg, young people may only buy and drink drinks containing distilled spirits, in other words schnapps, including in mixed drinks, from the age of 18. Other alcoholic drinks such as beer or wine are allowed from 16.
If you’re coming with teenagers or children, there’s Kinderpunsch for them at Christl-Alm and at Alexander Reisinger’s. And for everyone else: join in for only as many rounds as you want, and have something without alcohol in between. Nobody has to drink to be part of it.
Frequently asked questions
For example at the Christmas market at Mirabellplatz, in front of Schloss Mirabell. At the Apres Allstars stall you can have a go on the Shotski, and all around there’s Glühwein, pretzels and Advent music.
Daily from 19 November to 31 December 2026: Sunday to Thursday 10 am – 8 pm, Friday and Saturday 10 am – 9 pm. Special hours apply from 24 to 31 December; you’ll find them all on Opening hours and directions.
Yes. At the Apres Allstars stall you can have a go on the Shotski. How many people can join in at the same time is best asked directly at the stall.
Yes, as a stop after dinner or after work. The market is central, trolleybus lines 1 to 6 stop at Mirabellplatz, and on Fridays and Saturdays we’re open until 9 pm.
18 for schnapps. In the province of Salzburg, drinks containing distilled spirits, mixed drinks included, are not allowed for young people under 18. Beer and wine are allowed from 16.
No, entry to our market at Mirabellplatz is free.
Sources
Retrieved on 30 October 2026: Punch, Aaron Goldfarb, “Who Invented the Shotski and Why?” (3 June 2016) · Apres Allstars, “About us” page (apres-allstars.com) · oesterreich.gv.at, youth protection: alcohol, tobacco and other nicotine products, Salzburg section (as of 12 August 2024) · information from Tobi Deckert (Apres Allstars), 30 October 2026 · our pages Exhibitors, Programme and Opening hours and directions