Beer without borders is not only the motto of a well-known Craft Bierr brewery, but also on our trips. As beer lovers, we are always on the lookout for breweries, brewery pubs or beer gardens and want to get to know the local beer.
We prefer to drink the beer that is produced directly on site or in the immediate vicinity. Especially the smaller breweries, which often offer the tap even in the brewhouse, often produce great-tasting and sometimes quite unusual beers, but unfortunately often do not stand out in the large traditional beer scene. Larger breweries often offer a wide range of beers, appeal to a broad audience, and are much more likely to be represented, especially in restaurants.
The variety of the offer is almost infinite… the taste so different… and yet the brewing process is always the same. When the opportunity arises, we enthusiastically participate in brewery tours, looking forward to tasting the beer at the end and often carrying home a bottle or two. We enjoy talking to the brewers about their beers and always learn something new.
In search of the good taste of beer in Germany
No country has a similarly high density of breweries as Germany. There are said to be over 1,500 breweries in 16 German states. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia are home to about 70 percent of Germany’s breweries. So it’s not hard to find good-tasting beers.
Forchheim is known for its Kellerwald, among other things. "Nauf auf die Keller" was also the motto for us as we set off on foot to the Forchheim Kellerwald.
The hike is just under 6 kilometres long and took us from Hallerndorf to Willersdorf. Of course, not without making stops at breweries or cellars along the way.
During a walk along the Müggelspree River, we noticed the striking building of the Berliner Bürgerbräu. It attracted us almost magically and we tried to catch some impressions.
One of the oldest private breweries in Saxony can be found in Meißen. The private brewery Schwerter Meißen GmbH not only sells its beer in shops, but also has a brewery that is located in a commercial area.
The municipality of Aufseß is located in Franconian Switzerland. Here you will find the Aufseß Brewery Trail, which even made it into the Guinness Book of Records in 2001.
The municipality of Hallerndorf is located in Franconian Switzerland. Here you will find the Rittmayer brewery, which is one of the oldest breweries in the district. During a guided tour of the brewery, followed by a tasting, you can learn a lot about the art of brewing and the development of the brewery.
During a walk along the Neißstraße in Görlitz, we discovered tables and chairs under some arches of a house where guests were sitting with glasses of beer. The Görlitz Bierblume brewery magically attracted us and we stopped in.
Görlitz beer from the Landskron Brau-Manufaktur (Brewery Manufactory) - we went on a journey of discovery through the brewery and, of course, tasted lots of beer.
The Brandenburg Beer Road took us near Caputh in the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark. Here, in the Forsthaus Templin, is the brewery, a certified organic brewery.
On the way to Bernau we passed through the district of Börnicke. Here, right next to the Börnicke Castle manor house, is the brewery of the Bernauer Brauereigenossenschaft, which brews the excellent Bernauer beer.
If you're in Hannover, you should also drink Hanöversch - we definitely think so. So we went to the Brauhaus Ernst August to drink beer from Hannover and have a nice evening.
The former machine house of the "Aktienbrauerei zum Feldschlösschen" is located in Budapester Straße. Here you can not only drink the beer of the Dresden brewery, but also enjoy good hearty food.
Berlin is so wonderfully diverse and offers interesting excursion options that we, as Berliners, are only gradually discovering. We went on a discovery trip to the Old Malt House of the Schultheiss Brewery.
Since late summer 2019, there has been a new location for beer lovers in Berlin's Marienpark - the BrewDog DogTap Berlin opened in September.We were there shortly after the opening and not only looked around, but also tested beers.
Fancy a beer hike? In Franconia you will not only find numerous breweries, here you can combine beer drinking with hiking on the Five-Seidla-Trail.
As in every city we visit, we set out to find breweries, beer gardens and brewpubs. Finding a beer garden in Magdeburg where we felt comfortable and the beer tasted good was done quickly.
Franconia is beer country and Bamberg is considered the beer capital - is that really true? I set off for Bamberg to discover Bamberg beer, the breweries, the cellars and the city's beer scene.
In Berlin I visited the Old Malt House and learned something about the history of malting. In Bamberg I was now allowed to visit the highly modern Weyermann malt house. I wonder if there are still similarities.
In addition to very good food and excellent wine, the region of Churfranken also offers drinkable beer from regional breweries. A little beer tasting just before dinner was of course just the thing for me.
It is raining cats and dogs when we arrive in Alpirsbach. Actually just the right weather for a guided tour of the Alpirsbach brewery. But of course it's not just us who have come up with this idea and so more and more people gather under their umbrellas at the meeting point.
A trip to Radeberg and a visit to the brewery just belong together. As part of our research trip to Radeberg, we, too, visited the Export Beer Brewery Radeberg.
A short trip to the north of Germany brought us to Flensburg. Of course, this also had to include a beer tasting to try Flensburg’s beers.
The Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens is still an insider tip in Berlin. A brewery with a restaurant was created right in the centre of the Marienpark in Berlin. We visited it and were enthused.
Beer hikes
Since we like to move around a lot and not just drink beer, we now simply combine both topics and go on beer hikes that take us from one brewery pub or brewery to the next.
The hike is just under 6 kilometres long and took us from Hallerndorf to Willersdorf. Of course, not without making stops at breweries or cellars along the way.
The municipality of Aufseß is located in Franconian Switzerland. Here you will find the Aufseß Brewery Trail, which even made it into the Guinness Book of Records in 2001.
Fancy a beer hike? In Franconia you will not only find numerous breweries, here you can combine beer drinking with hiking on the Five-Seidla-Trail.
Breweries, Craft Beer and Craft Beer Bars Discovered in Europe
If you’re traveling in Europe, you can, of course, also have access to German beer varieties. However, we prefer the local offer. Some countries are known for their beer production, in other countries you have to search a bit, but usually find beer that comes from the region.
Porto is known for its wine. But is there also good beer there? We went in search of craft beer in Porto and discovered some great breweries.
In Cordoba, especially in the city centre, there are countless possibilities to eat and drink something. Many of the restaurants in Córdoba profit from the day visitors who arrive in the city every day.
5 Szczecin breweries we visited and drank very good beer and also ate well. Some of the breweries are so close to each other that you only have to walk a few 100 meters until you can drink the next beer.
For most holidaymakers, Portugal is associated with wine. But there is also very good Portuguese beer and the craft beer scene in Lisbon has developed steadily in recent years. We tested craft beer in Lisbon on a pub crawl.
In search of a good craft beer in Málaga, we came across the local microbrewery La Fábrica de Cruzcampo in Soho. A place that beer lovers should visit.
There are not only sheep on Texel, beer is also brewed on Texel - and really well. Texelse Bierbrouwerij has been brewing special beers that accurately describe life on the island since 1999.
If you think that Italy is only for wine lovers you are mistaken. They do exist, the beer drinkers! I’m quite happy about that because I have to admit that I do not care for wine at all. But give me a tasty beer and the trip will be a good one.
The Czech Republic and beer belong together. We would like to introduce you to some of the beers. Whether you like the beer is up to you.
Czech Republic and beer belong together. The brewery density is very high and so we started in Prague to visit the first breweries and taste the beers.
What do you drink in Krakow? Talking to locals one is under the impression that Krakow is indeed a vodka city. But over time, Krakow developed a vibrant beer culture that cannot be ignored. So, is Krakow now a City of Beers?