Get a taste of true Bavaria

Get a taste of true Bavaria in a Beer-Hall. A true Bavarian experience wouldn’t be complete without a taste of true Munich in one of its historic beer halls. By far the heaviest in terms of historical value & possibly the most famous beer hall in the world is the Hofbräuhaus.

The Hofbräuhaus beer goes back to 1589 when Wilhelm V dissatisfied with the beer brewed in Munich decided to build his own brewery & recruited the master brewer of the Geisenfeld Monastery, who started producing the first brown beer at the Alter Hof (Old Court) in 1592. The brown ale of Hofbrauhaus did not please the next Duke Maximilian I who turned to wheat brewing beer securing at the same time the monopoly of the product in 1602.

The Old Court brewery could not cope with the exploding demand for white beer leading Maximilian to the decision the relocation of the brewery to its current location at Platzl where the beer hall was built as an extension of the brewery. The court’s decision in 1852 to privatize the tavern raised a storm of indignation by the people of Munich and a solution was found when the State of Bavaria became the owner. In 1896 the Brewery was relocated and a year later the tavern was refurbished into a modern restaurant.

It was at the Hofbrauhaus that the future Nazi Party held its first mass meeting with an audience of 70 people who came to drink and listen to Hitler. Just over one year later Hitler’s impassioned oratory skills drew 2000 people in attendance as he presented the Nazi party’s program from the roster of the second floor of the Hofbrauhaus.

The Hofbrauhaus was destroyed in 1944 but after a period of 14 years, it was fully restored. The unique Schwemme, the vaulted hall at the heart of the Hofbräuhaus, is frequented both by locals that appreciate its proverbial Bavarian coziness (Gemütlichkeit) as well as visitors from all over the world in search of the essence of all that is Bavarian.

Hirschgarten is the largest beer garden in the world. It’s providing space for up to 8.000 (!) guests and is part of Munich beer culture since 1791. Augustiner-brewery & restaurant very close to Marienplatz has a history that goes back to 1328 when according to historical records a brewery was already operating at the time. Today the Augustiner Großgaststätten in the pedestrian precinct in Munich with its Muschelsaal, or Mussel Hall, and Arkadengarten, or Arcade Garden is one of the few historical buildings from Munich’s Art Nouveau period which have remained unchanged.

The traditional Augustiner Keller provides an indoor beer hall as well as the second-largest beer garden in Munich (up to 7.000 guests). The atmosphere on a summer evening is unequaled. Waldwirtschaft If there is any one beer garden that is an absolute must see, it is this cozy place in the southern suburbs of Munich. If the weather permits it, you should not miss out. It offers a cozy outdoor location, live jazz, big band sounds on the weekend, and traditional food stalls.