Apres Ski in Breckenridge
The old gold-miners’ town of Breckenridge has a thriving and welcoming local community. The town center is a National Register Historic District.
Breckenridge Village
Breckenridge has real Wild West roots and is 100 years older than neigbouring Vail. Breckenridge’s pastel-painted weatherboard buildings reflect this.
Breckenridge was formally created in the 1860s as miners flocked to the area in search of gold. World War II officially ended the mining era and in December of 1961 the Breckenridge Ski Area opened for business.
Today, Breckenridge serves as the county seat and in 1981, the Secretary of the Interior designated the greatest concentration of the town’s historic structures a National Register Historic District in Colorado. But it’s the people rather than the public buildings that make Breckenridge such a welcoming place. There is a thriving local community and you’ll feel the welcome as you are strolling along the streets or sampling the cafés and coffee houses. Breckenridge is perhaps the most authentic Western ski town in Colorado.
Apres-Ski Bars & Nightlife in Breckenridge
Breckenridge’s bars and nightlife are consistently rated among the best in the reader polls conducted by skiing magazines and a whole spectrum of apres-ski and nightspots await you.
The Maggie Restaurant located at the base of Peak 9 is one of Breckenridge’s liveliest après-ski hangouts. The Silver Bullet Saloon in the Bergenhof Restaurant at the base of Peak 8 serves specialty drinks for apres-ski.
Cecilia’s, Sherpa and Yeti’s, Tiffany’s, the Liquid Lounge, and Burke & Riley’s Irish Pub are a just a few of the hot spots around Breckenridge. The Underworld Club is a popular hangout for snowboarders.
Restaurants in Breckenridge
Breckenridge is a lively, sophisticated resort with an international clientele. The town has over 50 restaurants to satisfy all appetites and pockets. The choice runs from American through Chinese, Cajun, Italian, French, Tex-Mex and Japanese.
The main snag with Breckenridge restaurants is pretension – what you see is often less than what you get. This being so, personal recommendations count a lot and will vary from year to year so talk to locals and to other guests and ask what they suggest.
Places that have stood the test of several visits are the Café Alpine, Pierre’s at the Riverwalk, and the pricey (but just worth it) Top of the World at the Lodge and Spa.
If you’re looking for breakfast, look no further than the Blue Moose Café. Located in the heart of the downtown, the Blue Moose offers a great homecooked breakfast at reasonable prices. Just be sure to bring cash, since they don’t take credit cards!
Kenosha Steakhouse serves contemporary Japanese-American steakhouse cuisine in a friendly atmosphere with an extensive drink menu. Also be sure to check out the Breckenridge Brewery. The restaurant offers hearty portions of standard, but tasty bar fare at exceedingly reasonable prices. The beer has garnered acclaim, so much so that the brewery recently began distribution throughout Colorado.
If you’re looking for the locals’ favorite bar, look no further than Downstairs at Eric’s, an unassuming sports bar. Eric’s is a great deal, offering a large selection of cold draft beer and remarkably good bar food at non resort prices. The pizza’s great and the hot wings are not to be missed. Locals also like the Gold Pan, an authentic Western saloon.
Other Activities in Breckenridge
Non-ski activities in Breckenridge include Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and dogsled tours; off the snow you can visit a fully functioning gold mine and enjoy an hour-long tour of the historic town on foot.
There is a wide variety of annual winter events including ski and snowboard competitions. In addition to alpine skiing, there are numerous other winter recreational activities including Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, sleigh rides and dogsled tours. Non-skiers might also enjoy taking the BreckConnect gondola up from town to the base of Peak 8. It’s free and a nice way for skiers to meet up with nonskiers for apres-ski or lunch at the base of Peak 8.
Off the snow you could visit a fully functioning gold mine, go fishing, or browse the many quaint stores on Main Street. Other sporting activities to be found at The Breckenridge Recreation Center include indoor tennis, swimming, an indoor rock-climbing wall, a gym, saunas and spa, and you can ice skate either outdoors or indoors at The Breckenridge Ice Arena. In addition to all that, there is a skateboard park featuring a nine-foot (2.7 m) deep bowl.