Your Guide to Beer in Nuremberg

~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 cultural and economic center until the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) tarnished its luster. By the nineteenth century the city had recovered, becoming an industrial powerhouse along the way.

This combination of economic prowess and ancient connections to the Holy Roman Empire was too much for the Nazis to pass up as they staged their idea of a racially pure Germany. It was here that fanatical party rallies were held. And it was here that the odious Nürnberg Laws stripping German Jews of their citizenship were promulgated.

Nürnberg was reduced to rubble in January 1945. Given its symbolic importance, the city was chosen in the aftermath of the war as the site of the Nürnberg Trials, which tried high-ranking Nazi officials and military figures for war crimes.

If political and military history have left their mark on Nürnberg, the city is also an important cultural center. Nürnberg was an early center of humanism, and established itself as a powerhouse in the printing world. Albrecht Dürer was born here, as was Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel.

Culinary Culture

On the culinary front, Nürnberg is renowned for its Nürnberger Bratwurst and famous for its Lebkuchen. Both culinary delights are on full display every winter when the Christmas market on the Hauptmarkt gets into full swing. And you’ll find plenty of places serving beer to accompany your food, whether that’s bratwurst or Schäufele, the hearty Franconian dish made from pork shoulder.

Nürnberg may not be a beer mecca like Bamberg or Munich, but lays claim to its own indigenous beer, Rotbier, and is home to breweries and Wirtshäuser that serve up traditional beers and well-regarded craft beer.

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Watering Holes Near the Old Imperial Castle

If you’re short on time and want to focus your explorations, you’ll find a cluster of drinking spots along Bergstrasse as it ascends toward Tiergärtnertor and the castle.

Café-Bar Wanderer/Bieramt

For an excellent selection of Franconian beers, set aside time for Café Wanderer at the foot of the Kaiserburg, Nürnberg’s hilltop fortress. When the weather’s nice, tables and chairs fan out in front of this tavern jutting out from the bastions, offering fine views of the Albrecht Dürer Haus and a front-row seat to the comings and goings on the popular Tiergärtnertorplatz. When it’s cold, you won’t have any trouble making new friends in this narrow tavern.

*Note that the café offers cake and coffee during the day, along with a limited selection of beers. Bieramt, located in a former coachman’s house, doesn’t open till late afternoon. The entire operation shuts down for the months of January and February.

Altstadthof

Established in 1984, the Altstadthof was among the first wave of small Hausbrauereien in Germany that challenged the conglomerates. It was also at the forefront of the revival of Rotbier, a medieval beer indigenous to the city and its surroundings.

I recall the beers being more solid on my first visit way back in 2008, but as seems to be the case with so many Hausbrauereien, quality can fluctuate from one year to the next, or even from one season to the next. This time around I ordered the “Gold Rot Schwarz” taster set consisting of the Kellerbier, the Rotbier, and a Schwarzbier, rounding out my session with a Rote Weiße, a wheat beer that draws on Nürnberg’s red roots. The Rote Weiße turned out to be the best of the bunch, with the coffee and dark chocolate-inflected Schwarzbier a close second.

As for the Altstadthof’s claim to fame, the Rotbier was all intense caramel and butterscotch with a touch of milk chocolate. But it was also on the sweet side, and betrayed a tendency toward diacetyl.

Altstadthof’s atmosphere is par for the Hausbrauerei course, a cross between a North American brewpub and a Central European tavern with dark wood paneling and arched windows. The place gets cozier at night when the lights dim.

Wirtshaus Hütt’n

This place across from the Altstadthof doesn’t look like much from outside, but your druthers will melt away once you find a seat at the bar and have a look at the beer list strong on regionals. In addition to some of the more familiar Franconian breweries, keep an eye out for bottlings from Landwehr in Rothenburg and Brauerei Reh just east of Bamberg.

Don’t expect a contemplative pint here. Hütt’n is the kind of place where everyone talks to everybody.

Bratwursthäusle

A rustic tavern in the shadow of the Sebaldus Church, Bratwursthäusle is a shrine to its namesake. There’s always a ribbon of smoke rising up from its chimney, a sign that the charcoal grills are firing on all cylinders churning out fabulous Nürnberger-style Bratwurst. Some might lament the fact that Tucher dominates the beer list, but if the Bajuvator Doppelbock’s available, it pairs extraordinarily well with the bratwurst.

On the River Boundary Between the Sebald and Lorenz Quarters

Trödelstuben

Snug and cozy, the Trödelstuben rises up on the Pegnitzinsel, a tiny island in the Pegnitz that once served as the city’s market for used and antique goods. Trödel means everything from bric-a-brac to antiques, and all of this is on display in the narrow confines of this two-storied building that feels like a medieval guesthouse.

If this sendup of Old Nürnberg occasionally crosses the threshold into cliché, it’s worth thinking back to the date of its 1952 reopening as a tavern. The Trödelstuben symbolized postwar rebuilding. But in its celebration of Old Nürnberg, it cast a line to the past, offering residents refuge from cares about a still uncertain future.

These days, it’s easy to get lost in revery as you sip your beer and let your eyes wander across this interior landscape of wood carvings, pewter tankards, elaborate tiles decorating the stove heaters, stained glass motifs of Old Nürnberg, and even a wooden statue of Dürer at his desk.

At the City Fortifications

Kopernikus

Occupying a stretch of the old city fortifications near the Tratzenzwinger watch tower and the Kasematten Gate, Kopernikus features a beer garden atop the city wall and a unique outdoor drinking spot in the old watchmen’s corridor. The beer garden upstairs and the cozy tavern downstairs are part of the Krakauer Haus, a cultural center that reflects the strong ties forged between Nürnberg and Krakow. It’s also why you’ll find pierogies on the menu alongside a fine selection of Franconian beers.

I peek into the cozy tavern, but since the sun has just come out after the deluge, I opt for a table in the watchmen’s corridor up the stairs. Tables are pressed up against the stone walls of the wooden gangway, with potted bamboo between each two-seater affording enough privacy to drift into contemplation of the cityscape framed by the balustrade and the timbered roof of the gangway.

In the distance I spy the towers of the towers of the Kaiserburg (Nürnberg’s hilltop castle) as I take my first sips of a Dunkles Landbier from Krug in Breitenlesau. Once I’m done, I’ve got a choice between beers from Meister, Penning, Lindenbräu, and the classic “Huppi” from Grasser in Huppendorf, all on draft. Spalt, Gutmann, and Poland’s Tyskie round out the bottled offerings. What’s a guy to do? I close my eyes and point as I settle into another beer in what has become my favourite spot in Nürnberg for a chill afternoon.

Further Afield

Schanzenbräu Schankwirtschaft

A few steps from the U1 Bärenschwang stop, Schanzenbräu’s Schankwirtschaft is a spare, no-nonsense tavern that gestures simultaneously to the past and the present with its wood-paneled walls and exposed concrete. The small courtyard beer garden out back cranks up the coziness factor a notch, with plenty of shade and a rustic wooden structure to protect you from stray raindrops.

Schanzenbräu is among Nürnberg’s most popular small breweries, with a heavy accent on traditional styles in comparison with Nürnberg’s more craft-driven orca bräu (whose beers I really like). All of their beers are unfiltered, and their Rotbier is among the top examples of this style I’ve had — less caramelly sweet than most, with a taut toffee and biscuit malt foundation overlaid with elegant hop spice. The Schwarzbier really shines, with generous helpings of mocha, malted milk, roasted nuts, and dried dark cherry. It’s malty but well-attenuated, a wonderful example of why we need more Schwarzbier in our lives.

Landbierparadies

A few hundred meters southeast of the Nürnberg train station, this bottle shop really is a paradise of beer from across the Franconian realm. Stock up here for train beers, for hotel night caps, or for beers to take home with you.

*Note: As I was finishing up this guide, I came across a social media post notifying folks that the retail side of the Landbierparadies business will shutter at the end of September 2026. This is a huge loss. But the Wirtshaus side of the business will soldier on. (The site to which I linked is in German, but you’ll still be able to figure out the locations of their Wirtshäuser.) They’ll continue to sell the kinds of regional Franconian beers that made them famous.

Gutmann Dutzendteich

If you end up visiting the Nazi Party Rally Grounds and its excellent documentation center, you can spend some time decompressing at Gutmann Dutzendteich, a Gasthaus on the edge of the Dutzend Pond. Or just skip the poignant history lesson and enjoy a stellar Gutmann and hefty Franconian food in this airy establishment, or in the beer garden terrace overlooking the pond.

For those of you who haven’t heard of Gutmann, this brewery 60 km south of Nürnberg is a Weissbier powerhouse. Their Heller Weizenbock released for the winter holiday season is among my favourite Weizenbocks anywhere.

Beer Festivals

Nürnberg hosts not one but two major festivals per year where you can find local and regional Franconian beers. The Fränkisches Bierfest (Franconian Beer Festival) takes place in June and hosts roughly forty breweries on the castle grounds. The Altstadtfest takes place in September along the Pegnitz.

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Last but not least, you’ll hear plenty of chatter (especially in online forums dedicated to Franconian beer) about how it’s best to just skip Nürnberg and head to Bamberg. True, the beer scene in Bamberg is heads and shoulders above Nürnberg’s.

But … ! You’d be depriving yourself of a visit to a city steeped in the good, bad, and the ugly of German history if you bypassed Nürnberg and headed straight to Bamberg. The city also makes an ideal base for the legendary 5-Seidla-Steig beer hiking path. And Nürnberg’s beer scene isn’t half-bad, especially in comparison with similar-sized cities in northern Germany.

So just ignore the naysayers and set your sights on Nürnberg for a day or so.

Related Posts

A Step Back into Old Nürnberg at the Trödelstuben Tavern

Bamberg’s Sandkerwa: A Beer Lover’s Beer Fest

Forchheim: Three Breweries and a Forest of Beer Cellars

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Images by Franz D. Hofer

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