Intellectual Ferment of a Different Kind
It was my last day in Bamberg, and the sun had finally dispersed all the clouds, gloriously illuminating the fall foliage. I had just spent the late morning hours at Greifenklau and still had a few hours before my train. The gravitational pull of Aecht …
Munich’s Beer Seasons You have to admire a city where the rhythms of life revolve around excuses to tap a keg and raise a mug of good cheer. Munich is one such city where the seasons are marked by festivities that involve a healthy …
Not a cloud in the sky and the streets are starting to radiate the heat of the late afternoon. So much to see in Vienna. But I could use a cool drink right about now. Perfect time to head to a beer garden. “A …
You can’t go wrong with any of Munich’s breweries, be they the “Big 6” or smaller ones like Giesinger or the Forschungsbrauerei. But for me, one brewery stands a few centimeters taller than the rest: Augustiner. What I love all the more about the …
~Introducing Nürnberg~ An Imperial Free City from the beginning of the thirteenth century until it became part of Bavaria during the Napoleonic era, Nürnberg answered only to the emperor. It was a frequent site of the Imperial Diets, and distinguished itself as a …
Introducing Garmisch-Partenkirchen Down south in Bavaria the ice-blue lakes amid contoured hills collide with the rugged and craggy Karwendel and Wetterstein massifs, jagged peaks that are among Germany’s highest. The result: grand landscapes with verdant foothills and geranium-bedecked chalets against a backdrop of limestone …
The weather didn’t look very promising when I woke up that September morning on my first trip to Munich since the pandemic. I had gone to Augsburg the day before in search of a few places I hadn’t yet had a chance to visit—and …
It’s late afternoon and I’m a few beers in. I weave my way through families pushing strollers and groups of friends gathered in front of beer cellars and stop for a quick “3 im Weggla,” three Nürnberg Bratwurst in a bread roll. At the …
Why Brno? Hands up if you’ve ever been to Brno. For my part, I hadn’t until this past September, despite the fact that it’s only 1.5 hours from Vienna—practically on my doorstep these past ten years! I’ve been more than a few times …
~German Beer Day, the Feast of St. George, and the Reinheitsgebot~ German Beer Day is almost upon us, which means it’s time to stock up on your lagers so you can celebrate in style. The 23rd of April is a big day in German …
The Alps of Southeastern Bavaria Berchtesgadener Land was once coveted for the wealth of its salt. As the salt trade waned over the course of the nineteenth century, interest in southeastern Bavaria’s spectacular scenery grew. It was a time when Europeans discovered a new …
If you’ve spent any time at all in Germany, chances are you’ve been to Munich. And you may even have visited Salzburg in neighbouring Austria, either on your way to Munich from points east like Vienna or Budapest, or as a day trip from …
Starkbierzeit and the “Fifth Season” You’re rarely at a loss for an excuse to have a beer in Bavaria. You’ve got beer garden season in the warmer months, and Oktoberfest in the fall. You’ve got Maibock season in the spring and a slew of …
