Traunstein: Beer in the Foothills of the Bavarian Alps

I’d passed through Traunstein several times on trains between Vienna and Munich and had always been struck by the beauty of its surroundings. The picturesque region is a place of flower-bedecked meadows, old wooden farmhouses, and cows grazing languidly in emerald fields. Situated amid rolling hills in the heart of southeastern Bavaria’s Chiemgau region, Traunstein is also just a stone’s throw from the wild and majestic Alps towering up to the south. And then there’s the beer scene: a lively market square surrounded by taverns, three breweries, and one of the more pleasant beer gardens in Bavaria.

One day I happened upon some beers from Hofbräuhaus Traunstein at a bottle shop in Vienna. Tasty, those beers were, so much so that I resolved to take a day trip to Traunstein the next time I was in Salzburg.

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The Town That Salt Built

Traunstein owes its history to salt and its strategic location. When the lords of Truna set up shop here in 1120, they established control over the commercial salt route from Munich to Bad Reichenhall on the border of the archbishopric of Salzburg. Traunstein became part of Bavaria in 1275, eventually receiving privileges pertaining to the storage of salt. By 1400, Traunstein was making a pretty penny off the “Scheibenpfennig” custom levied on every 68-kilogram measure of salt it stored. Funds from salt brought new industry and significant wealth to the town, including the state-of-the-art Karl-Theodor Saltworks built in 1787, its smokestacks towering above Traunstein’s steeples.

In 1860 Traunstein was connected to the railway line that ran from Munich to Salzburg, a serendipitous fate that saved it from becoming a provincial backwater. The town’s luminaries set about attracting numerous wealthy pensioners to settle in Traunstein by marketing the town as a health resort with fresh air and views of the Alps. By 1912 when the saltworks went quiet, Traunstein had gained a reputation as a “health and pub resort,” a reputation that attracted day trippers from Salzburg and overnight visits from urbanites in Munich.

Traunstein has been known since the Second World War as the “cultural capital of the Chiemgau.” On any warm day, the main market square is thronged with people relaxing with a coffee, an ice cream, or a beer. Today, it’s still enough of a beer town to support three breweries for its 22,000 residents — a ratio of breweries to citizens that’s higher even than that of Bamberg.

Wochinger-Bräu

From the train station it’s a mere 10 minutes to your first beer at Wochingerbräu. Wochinger’s claim to fame is that it’s “the finest beer from Traunstein’s smallest brewery.” And the beer is, indeed, fine enough to make Wochinger worth a journey.

Not only is the beer fine. Wochinger’s tranquil beer garden, set in a small grove of oak and horse chestnut trees, is one of the most pleasant in the region. It radiates that intangible atmosphere that makes it more than just a collection of tables strewn about under leafy trees: shade ranging from dappled light to deep woods; a “sunniness” emanating from the yellow Gasthaus fronting the brewery; a calmness surrounding the rustic architecture of the former stables.

Wochinger Through the Ages

Though founded in 1587, Wochinger didn’t arrive in Traunstein till 1886. It all started with a price hike. The Wochingers, a long-established brewing family in the Lower Bavarian town of Rotthalmünster, became personas non grata after increasing the price of their beer by two pfennigs. That might not sound like much, but it represented a ten-percent increase in price, and the Lower Bavarian locals were none too happy with this new state of drinking affairs. Jakob Wochinger’s children were even sent home from school with protest signs bearing the message, “We won’t drink 22-pfennig beer.” That was enough for Jakob Wochinger. He eventually acquired the Untere Bräu on the northeastern corner of Traunstein’s Stadtplatz market square, along with Untere Bräu’s summer Bierkeller which, at the time, was a few paces outside the city.

And what a summer garden it was! A beautiful neo-classical country chateau formed the core of the Bierkeller that had been serving summer guests since the late eighteenth century. Painted in Maria Theresa yellow and capped by a mansard roof, this Gasthaus added a touch of elegance both to the garden and the surrounding neighbourhood. To this day, Wochinger’s beers mature in cellars directly under the beer garden — a true Bierkeller.

Wochinger’s beers were a hit in his newfound home. In the decade between 1894 and 1904, Jakob gradually moved beer production from the market square to the grounds of his Bierkeller, erecting a state-of-the art four-story brewhouse that still stands next to the Gasthaus. These days the brothers Theo and Rudi Wochinger still use all four floors of the brewery, along with its vintage copper kettles and Linde wort chiller, to brew their tasty beers.

Wochinger’s beers

I can think of few better ways to start off a morning beer garden session than with a Wochinger Pils, a crisp beer with a cookie dough malt character that quickly gives way to a smooth bitterness and a profoundly hoppy burst of linden and floral mint. (Two Tankards).

The Wochinger Urtrunk is a glass of unfiltered golden goodness. Neutral honey, shortbread, and a touch of marzipan meet freshly mown Alpine meadows and peach-like yeast undergirded by a subtle current of floral hops. Creamy and softly effervescent, the carbonation is just high enough to keep the finish refreshing. (One Tankard).

For fans of the darker arts, the Wochinger Export Dunkel is a chestnut and garnet beauty that delivers cocoa and pumpernickel accented by black cherry and spicy hops suggestive of cinnamon. This is no malt behemoth. Instead, it’s an eminently quaffable beer garden draught with a finely calibrated balance that splits the difference between malt sweetness and bitterness.

Hofbräuhaus Traunstein

From Wochinger, head in search of Hofbräuhaus Traunstein’s Bräustüberl on the bustling main square lined with cafes, ice cream stands, and restaurants, all with seating spilling out onto the market square. Maximilian I, Duke and Elector of Bavaria, founded the Hofbräuhaus Traunstein in 1612 as a “Weisses Preyhaus,” or white beer brewery. For Maximilian I, whose Wittelsbach dynasty held a monopoly on wheat beer, the new Weisses Preyhaus provided income to balance the budget and to pay off the debt he had inherited from his father. Soon after the secularization of 1803 when many monastic breweries fell to the new kingdom of Bavaria, the Wittelsbachers divested themselves of their brewery in Traunstein.

The HB Traunstein has been in the hands of the Sailer family since 1896. During the early decades of the twentieth century, HB Traunstein absorbed two other breweries in Traunstein, Sternbräu and the Bachbrauerei, cementing its place as a regional player. The youthful Maximilian Sailer currently runs the show. He was born in the brewery and grew up in the brewery — a not-untypical Bavarian story, especially when it comes to breweries that have been in the hands of the same family for multiple generations.

HB Traunstein’s beers are brewed with mountain spring water from the Traunsteiner Hochberg and hops from their own hopyards in the Hallertau. Recent renovations combine up-to-date technology with traditional brewing practices and implements such as open fermentation and horizontal storage tanks. For their cask beers, HB Traunstein has turned to one of the last coopers in Germany, the Munich-based firm Fass Schmid, to fashion their oak barrels.

HB-Traunstein’s beers

The Helles is superb: rich yet delicate, with ample country bread, light honey, fresh hay, a delicate hop spice, and a beguiling hint of sulfur mingling with stone fruit. The Pils is slimmer in body and more effervescent, but with a malt character of freshly crushed grains accented by that unmistakable pepper-spice-floral combo of Hallertauer hops. (Helles: Two Tankards; Pils: One Tankard)

The 1612er Zwickl is one of the best I’ve had, a hazy golden panoply of floral aromas that evoke cornflowers and Alpine meadows in summer. It’s got that beguilingly round yeastiness reminiscent of peaches and bread dough with a hint of honeyed sweetness. Creamy carbonation and a refreshing mild pepper bite will have you ordering another before you’re halfway done your first. Elegant and smooth. Like peaches and cream. (Three Tankards)

Hofbräuhaus Traunstein’s copper-mahogany Dunkel is malt heaven. Fresh pumpernickel, Ovaltine, Spanish fig and chocolate cake, light toast, and a pleasant sprinkle of baking spice in the depths make for a complex and expansive beer. Despite all the malty goodness, the subtle hop spice and pleasant effervescence keep the beer deft on the palate. Epic malty aftertaste; rich and flavourful without being heavy. (Two Tankards)

Wirtshaus Atmosphere

The food at HB Traunstein is what you’d expect from a Bavarian Wirtshaus: ample and tasty. The Obatzda platter is classic, and the Matjesfilet is perfect for those wanting a break from meaty dishes: pickled herring filets served with a delicious tartar sauce, a salad topped with a mound of fresh onions, and a mountain of parsley-sprinkled potatoes.

The Bräustüberl has been renovated recently, but it’s a tasteful renovation that preserves the “Gemütlichkeit” of the historic building with its arched passageways. White walls and large arched windows brighten the space, while dark wood paneling echoes tradition. The décor is clean, even sparse in comparison with the usual etchings and hunting trophies that line the walls of your typical Bavarian Wirtshaus. Paintings of the brewing process add a unique touch.

Of note: The brewery itself is about a hundred meters southeast of the main square. Brewery tours run on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 11:00 a.m., with an additional Monday evening tour at 6:00 p.m. English tours also offered. Contact info@hb-ts.de.

Worth Knowing

*As for Traunstein’s third brewery, Schnitzlbaumer, it wasn’t open on the day we were in town. Here are a few brief notes: Founded in 1575 as Oberer Bräu. Oldest brewery in Traunstein. In the hands of the Schnitzlbaumer family since 1889; acquired by the Frauendörfer family in 2014. Kettles tended by brewmaster Stephanie Frauendörfer. Also brews an IPA.

*Traunstein is only 25 minutes from Salzburg, making it an ideal day trip. Have an ice cream after lunch and take a leisurely late-afternoon stroll through town before catching your train back to Salzburg for the night. Prost!

Sources

Traunstein (official website): https://www.traunstein.de/ (For a detailed history, see: https://www.traunstein.de/media/2608/stadtgeschichte.pdf)

Wochingerbräu (official site)

Hofbräuhaus Traunstein (official site)

Karl Gattinger (ed.), Genus smit Geschichte: Reisen zu bayrischen Denkmälern—Brauhäuser, Bierkeller, Hopfen und Malz (Munich: Volk Verlag, 2016).

All images by Franz D. Hofer

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Subscribe to my quarterly Beerscapes Newsletter for more on the fascinating world of beer culture, along with travel tips about where to find the best beer experiences in Europe, North America, and beyond.

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