June 1, 2026

Of Beer, Beehives, and the Bienenheim (Munich Beer Garden Sketches)

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 got drenched in the process.

Today was looking like more of the same. Undeterred, I headed out along the S3 for lunch at the stellar Brauerei Maisach in the flatlands west of Munich. By the time I was finishing the last of my Räuber Kneißl Dunkel, the cloud cover had broken and hopeful rays of sunshine were fanning out across the landscape. My plan for the day was coming together nicely.

Food, beer, and the famous Räuber Kneissl Dunkel at Brauerei Maisach west of Munich — *Make a day of it and visit Brauerei Maisach*

A Beer Garden in the Woods of Western Munich

Lochhausen is a wooded district that has retained its pastoral character since the days it was a village on Munich’s western outskirts. It also happens to be along the S3 line that connects Maisach with Munich. Even better, the woods and lanes near the Lochhausen train station conceal not one but two beer gardens. First up: the Deutsche Eiche near the train station.

A few beers later I headed west into the woods toward Aubing in search of a fabled beer garden surrounded by beehives. Passing a pond here and a few ducks there, I eventually found this little gem in the forest — Waldwirtschaft Bienenheim, the place where the bees live.

The Bienenheim is tiny as far as beer gardens go, a cozy and well-shaded garden and terrace behind a Wirtshaus, all ringed by beehives. (Wondering why old beer steins have lids? To keep out stray blossoms and leaves. And bees. That’s what your beer mat is for today.)

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Beer Gardens and Beehives

The beer garden was tempting enough, but first I had to check out all the beehives glinting in the late afternoon sun. In colourful bursts of green, orange, and yellow, the beehives dotted this tidy Kleingartensiedlung, a collection of huts and gardens that city dwellers use to grow fruits and vegetables. And, in this case, to tend bees and make honey.

Two kind members of the local small garden collective let me in for a quick wander through the orchards and flower beds and told me the history surrounding the place.

About a hundred and fifty years ago, King Ludwig granted this plot of land once used for brickmaking to the Obst und Imker Verein (Fruit Growers’ and Beekeepers’ Association) of Aubing. And the Wirtshaus with its beer garden? It’s the former clubhouse of the beekeepers’ association. To this day the beekeepers of Aubing still hold their club meetings at the Wirtshaus. And, of course, they sell their delicious honey there.

Waldwirtschaft Bienenheim

Back at the beer garden I found a spot under one of the majestic horse chestnut trees shading tables bedecked with potted chili pepper plants. To my pleasant surprise, Bienenheim had beers from Brauerei Maisach on tap. And tasty food. One of the owners is a chef who’s an advocate of regional and seasonal cuisine. It’s not for nothing that the Slow Food Guide sings the praises of the kitchen.

Dishes run the gamut from Schweinebraten, ox goulash, and duck to the tasty “Imkerbraten” roast pork shoulder in a sauce made from honey and the famous Dunkel from Maisach. Vegetarians won’t go hungry, either. The gardens around the Bienenheim produce an abundance of herbs, which feature in the Knödel, the Käsespätzle, and the salads.

Current Wirtshaus at Bienenheim and former clubhouse of the Fruit Growers’ and Beekeepers’ Association of Aubing — *Former clubhouse of the Fruit Growers’ and Beekeepers’ Association of Aubing*

As far as Wirtshäuser go, it makes up for what it lacks in traditional Gemütlichkeit with contemporary touches. It’s been renovated in an light and airy way, with slender columns of birch branches that give you the impression of being in the woods—an interesting if unconventional design choice.

But you’re here not so much for the Wirtshaus as for the beer garden, the food, and the woods and bees surrounding the place. Just remember to put your beer mat over your glass when you’re in the beer garden.

Getting There

There’s an easy way to get to the Bienenheim, and a way that takes you on a roundabout walk through the woods past grazing cows, flocks of geese, and meadows cleared from the forest.

For the easy way, head west along Federsee Straße from the Lochhausen station on the S3 line, then hang a left on Karl-Heinz-Weg and follow that around the bend to Bienenheim.

For the roundabout way, take the trail south from the station along the Fischbach stream past a small pond and some fields, then duck into the woods at the first right and wind your way along the paths. You’ll pass the Gänseweiher pond along the way. Ask people out for bike rides or strolls for directions. That’s what I did. The old ways still work fine on these trails.