Out and About Near Munich: Beer Gardens, Breweries, and Beer Halls

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: You can never have too much Munich in your life.

But what about those times you really do need a break from the big city? Maybe some meadows dotted with cows, Alpine scenery, pristine lakes, or all three?

Last week I posted on my Facebook page about breweries, beer halls, and beer gardens in Munich on the assumption that folks arriving soon for Oktoberfest might want to see a bit more of the city. This week I’m extending the geographical reach to encompass places along the S-Bahn lines and local trains that branch out from Munich, this time on the assumption that you might want to escape the hustle and bustle of Munich for an afternoon in the countryside.

What follows is an introduction to just shy of ten beer spots to visit once you’ve imbibed the charms of Munich, all within thirty minutes to an hour and change from Munich via public transport or regional train.

*Of note: I’ve included links to longer posts on most of these destinations and establishments under “Related Posts” below.

Kapplerbräu (Altomünster)

S2 terminus, about 50 minutes from Munich.

Kapplerbräu occupies an elegant heritage-protected building to the northeast of the market square. If the weather sings al fresco, forego the charms of the inn and head straight to the courtyard beer garden secluded beneath shady maple trees.

And what a beautiful garden idyll it is, perfect for contemplating nothing in particular. Hedges hem the courtyard on two sides, the cheery white-washed walls of the inn reflect light into the shade, and potted plants make common cause with ivy to heighten the sylvan charm. An old well sits off to the right of the entryway to the Altes Brauhaus along one of the inn’s walls, a well that once served as the source for the brewery’s water.

Start off with the Export Bier, a honeyed and smoothly bittered affair. Follow it up with the Naturtrübes Helles, a refreshing glass of country bread with floral and mineral notes. Repeat for the rest of the afternoon.

Of note: Maierbräu is also in town, and their beers, their terrace on the market square, and their old tavern with its painted wood ceiling trim are mighty fine. Better yet: It’s conveniently situated on your way to and from Kapplerbräu.

HB-Tegernsee (Tegernsee)

Take the regional train from Munich’s main station and make sure you get on the correct part of the train, which splits in Schaftlach. You’ll be there in just over an hour.

With its Alpine chalets and lakeside promenade, Tegernsee is a popular weekend retreat for the citizens of Munich. It’s also home to the Herzoglich Bayrisches Brauhaus Tegernsee (HB-Tegernsee for short) housed in the town’s monastery. If the imposing chateau housing the brewery isn’t enough to tip you off that you’ve found good beer, the lively terrace fronting HB Tegernsee’s Bräustüberl will. The terrace affords superb views of the lake and mountains, and the Bräustüberl with its white walls and vaulted ceilings is a classic Bavarian beer hall.

Food here is traditional Bavarian with a local touch. The smoked trout comes from the chateau’s own smokehouse, and is a good option if you want a taste of Bavaria’s Alpine lakes and streams. Then there’s the beer. If you know, you know. And if not, get thee to Tegernsee.

Kloster Reutberg (Sachsenkam)

Buses from Munich run infrequently, but it’s an easy 5-kilometer walk from Schaftlach on the trainline to Bad Tölz/Tegernsee.

The panoramic view of the Alps from Kloster Reutberg’s terrace is one of the best beer garden views in Bavaria. The beers here issue forth from an old copper system right next to the monastery church that rises above the beer garden. On any given day you’ll have about twelve beers to choose from. Styles run the gamut from Helles, Pils, and Export to Bock, Märzen, Kellerbier, and Weissbier. And the food is locally sourced. You can’t go wrong here.

Kloster Benediktbeuern Bräustüberl (Benediktbeuern)

Regional trains from Munich’s main station run regularly, and get you there in about an hour.

You won’t be making a pilgrimage here for the beer (Spaten/Franziskaner), but the sub-Alpine setting is second-to-none. The town of Benediktbeuern is a maze of lanes full of farmhouses and Alpine chalets decorated with flower boxes. It’s also the home of Kloster Benediktbeuern, an opulent Benedictine monastery almost at odds with its modest rural surroundings.

Once you’ve had your fill of this rococo masterpiece, head to the rustic Kloster Benediktbeuern Bräustüberl or the airy beer garden out back. Birds chirp among the hedges that break up the space into cozy niches, and the monastery church bell regularly tolls the intervals of the hour.

Bräustüberl Maisach (Maisach)

On the S3 line toward Mammendorf, about 30 minutes from Munich.

Head west to the plains and rolling hills outside of Munich for a hearty lunch of Bratensülze (cold roast pork in a zippy aspic) and tasty beers, especially the Räuber Kneißl Dunkel named after a local villain (Kneissl the thief).

Locals sheltered Räuber Kneissl from the gendarmes, sometimes out of admiration, sometimes out of fear. Kneissl once evaded capture by allowing himself to be smuggled out of a farmhouse courtyard in a narrow barrel used for spreading manure (Jauchefass). If you ask your server, he or she might let you into the small exhibition in the Bräustüberl chronicling the life and times of this local legend.

The brewery dodged a bullet earlier this year and almost went under. It’s now under new ownership, and funding has been secured for the next fifteen years.

Kloster Andechs (Andechs)

Take the S8 to Herrsching am Ammersee, then hike the roughly five kilometers to the top for beer and food in the beer hall, on the sun terrace, or in the beer garden.

Perched atop the Holy Mountain with a panoramic view of the Alps, Kloster Andechs is Bavaria’s oldest pilgrimage site. Though it still welcomes pilgrimage groups, the monastery plays host to scores more who make the trek for a different reason: the world-class Andechser beer. All of the beers on tap go wonderfully with hearty cuisine like sausages from the onsite butcher or freshly baked pretzels.

The monks fund their charitable endeavours from the proceeds of the latter-day pilgrims who climb the Holy Mountain to wash down hearty Bavarian classics with Kloster Andechs’ beer. All the more reason to drink up!

Ayinger (Aying)

Take the S7 toward either Kreuzstrasse or Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn (35-40 minutes).

Ayinger is Munich’s “country brewery,” and it’s easy to see why. When you take the train from Munich, the city suddenly gives way to a broad green plain with the snowy, jagged outline of the Alps rising up to the south. The brewery sits on the outskirts of a village where wooden chalets cluster around an onion-domed church as white as the driven snow.

Aying and its brewery present a study in contrasts. You can tuck into hearty Bavarian fare like Tellerfleisch in the rustic surroundings of the Ayinger Bräustüberl in the center of the village. But the delicious beers accompanying the traditional food come from a state-of-the-art production facility, one that’s well worth touring if you have the time.

Hallertauer hops are on full display in Ayinger’s brightly aromatic and peppery Bairisch Pils, one of the finer Pilsners in Bavaria. The wheat beers at Ayinger are top shelf as well. On the darker end of the colour scale, Ayinger’s Alt-Bairisch Dunkel mingles malted milk and coffee roast notes. And that’s just the tip of the Ayinger iceberg.

Weihenstephan (Freising)

RE3 runs hourly to Freising from Munich (24 minutes). The S1 to Freising also runs hourly (43 minutes).

Weihenstephan is a brewing institution steeped in superlatives. Not only is it home to one of the most famous brewing schools in the world, it’s also said to be the world’s oldest existing brewery (founded 1040, though this date is contested). Today’s brewery traces its roots to 724, the year when St. Corbinian founded a Benedictine monastery atop the Nährberg Hill.

Walking is the best way to get from Freising to the holy grail atop the hill. Your scenic quest takes you past pastel facades and along the Moosach stream that runs through the woods. Look for the path up the embankment, which whisks you up to the brewing school and on to the brewery and Bräustüberl.

Like all good beer pilgrims, you’ll want to stop off for food and liquid sustenance before touring the brewery, all gleaming stainless steel and massive conical fermenters tucked into age-old buildings. The panoramic view from the shade of the Bräustüberl’s beer garden is impressive even on a misty day and the food on point. You’ll also find the entire line of Weihestephan’s beers on tap, from their renowned Weissbiers to lesser-known beers like the 1516 Kellerbier or the Edel-Pils.

As for Freising itself, it’s a picturesque mélange of narrow Gothic lanes and opulent Baroque buildings. Freising’s landmark is the twin-steepled Mariendom, which towers high above the Altstadt.

Die Drei Königinnen (Augsburg)

Regional trains get you there in half an hour, give or take.

Located just beyond the Fuggerei, the Drei Königinnen (Three Queens) conceals a secluded treasure of a beer garden in its courtyard. You’ll feel like you’ve been let in on a secret as you drink in the sunshine shimmering through the leaves of the majestic trees rising up over this small oasis of calm. Near the back of the garden is a covered seating area held aloft by slender iron columns. This was once an outdoor bowling alley.

The Augusta Bräu beer served here is on point, especially the refreshing, lightly bready Helles and the satisfying Kellerbier. Head inside to the airy Wirtshaus when the weather’s cool for filling dishes like Käsespätzle. Bonus points: You’re in Augsburg.

Addenda

Beerscapes Newsletter

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Prost, everyone! Happy beer explorations in and around Munich.

Related Posts

Kloster Andechs: And Blessed Be Thy Beer

Ayinger, Munich’s Country Brewery

Weihenstephan: On the Cutting Edge of Brewing at the World’s Oldest Brewery

Of Martyrs and Moby Dick: Weihenstephan’s Vitus Weizenbock

Kloster Reutberg: Magnificent Alpine Views and Beers Worth the Hike

Augsburg, Historic Beer Town on Munich’s Doorstep

HB Tegernsee: Lakeside Brewery with an Alpine View

All images: Franz D. Hofer

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