On our August 1st podcast episode you might have heard me refer to a beer crawl I organized after our Dolomites Running Retreat.
On this page I will show you our exact itinerary. You’ll notice that this itinerary is built around famous beer and cultural highlights, hiking, and places I like to go that few tourists know about. The secret to successful beer crawling is to build enough walking/hiking into the day to burn off the extra calories!
Munich
We kicked off our tour in Munich, a city world-renowned for its historic brewing legacy. It proved to be the perfect starting point for our beer exploration.
- Augustiner Keller: Our very first stop was this famous, vibrant biergarten located right near our initial hotel in the Maxvorstadt neighborhood.
- Hofbräuhaus München: It’s a bit touristy but we couldn’t miss Munich’s most legendary, royal beer hall, which originally opened its doors way back in 1589.
- Hacker-Pschorr Donnisl: We snagged outside tables just in time to enjoy a pour while watching the famous Glockenspiel strike at 12:00.
- Schneider Weisse Bräuhaus: Aside from the excellent wheat beer, this spot had the best Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes) of the trip.
- Bier & Oktoberfest Museum: We drank Augustiner inside a historic structure built in 1327.
- Mini-Hofbräuhaus: inside the sprawling Englischer Garten
- Augustiner Schützengarten: Here we met up with my local German friends, Andy and Franzi. Andy is an ultra runner and long-time listener to the MTA podcast
Monastery Andechs
Next, we journeyed out to the famous Benedictine monastery perched atop the “Holy Mountain” (Heilige Berg). Monks have been brewing here since 1455. Once inside, we drank their strong, malty Doppelbock. They also serve a mean pork knuckle at lunch time. Kloster Andechs is an easy drive 50 minute from Munich.
Schwangau
From Andechs, we headed into mountain landscape of Schwangau, home to Castle Neuschwanstein.
- Tegelberghaus: We rode a cable car up 5,600 feet to this historic restaurant built in 1835. Up in the clouds, we enjoyed epic views of the Alps, drank König Ludwig beer. From there, we hiked down (6 miles) to the Marienbrücke and Neuschwanstein Castle Restaurant.
- Schwangau Castle Brewery: Later that evening, we enjoyed a full dinner at this local craft brewery and distillery.
- Königliche Kristall-Therme: this is a indoor/outdoor thermal pool complex that few tourists know about.
Most tourists take a bus to Schwangau and stand in line at the Marienbrücke to get a glimpse of the castle. My recommendation is the hike down from Tegelberg, get some exercise and amazing views from above the castle as you descend to the bridge.
Berchtesgaden
- Hofbrauhaus Berchtesgaden: We made our way to this historic brewery founded in 1610 (which is completely independent of Munich’s HB).
- Goldener Bär: here they serve Wieninger Bier, a regional favorite brought in from nearby Teisendorf.
- Kehlsteinhaus (The Eagle’s Nest): We rode the historic brass-lined elevator through 124 meters of solid rock to reach this infamous summit structure built in 1938. Sitting out on the sunny terrace, we drank Hofbräu München while soaking in massive alpine views, followed by a deeper dive into history at the local Document Center.
Salzburg
Crossing the border into Austria, we brought our epic crawl to a grand finale in beautiful Salzburg. At our hotel, the Gästehaus im Priesterseminar, we had the incredible luck of crossing paths and chatting with Elizabeth Von Trapp—granddaughter of Maria and Baron Georg von Trapp—and her husband, Ed!
- Augustiner Bräu Mülln: We spent time at Austria’s largest beer tavern dating back to 1621.
- Stern-Biergarten: Tucked away in a charming courtyard right off the famous pedestrian street, Getreidegasse, we relaxed with a large pitcher of house Sternbräu.
- Salzburg Whisky Museum: We found our way to this lively Irish bar (despite the museum name).
- Stiftsbäckerei St. Peter: Before heading up to the castle, we stopped in at Austria’s oldest bakery tucked right against St. Peter’s Abbey. This place has been operating since the 12th century!
- FestungsBahn Funicular & Hohensalzburg Fortress: Right next to the bakery, we hopped onto Austria’s oldest operating funicular railway. After touring the castle we bypassed the descent ride and enjoyed the steep walk back down the fortress footpath. Look for the Steigel Beer Garden.
Instead of returning to Munich we stayed the last night in Oberschleißeim, which is closer to the airport. I found a hotel within walking distance from the Palace Biergarten Oberschleißheim where we drank HB beer and listened to live traditional music. It was the perfect way to end the week.
