Munich’s Beer Culture: A Walking Tour of its Biergartens with Context

Munich's romance with beer began when Augustiner monks began brewing as far back as 1328. Almost 50 years later, although only 11,500 people lived in the city, there were already 21 breweries developing their craft. On this walking tour, you’ll join Stefan Hermansdorfer, a beer sommelier and Context Travel expert, as you grasp this rich heritage through the famed biergärtens and breweries of this vibrant city.

Starting at Karlsplatz, the very center of Munich, you’ll walk along Neuhauser Straße, where you’ll drink in the history of the different beer varieties. You’ll go on to discover how wheat beer used to be a status symbol, dominating the beer market until the 1700s for this very reason. Stefan will tell you about Carl von Linde’s famous contribution to the beer industry and how, in 1871, he developed the first refrigerating machine for Bavarian breweries, making it possible to brew cold fermented lager even during the warmer seasons. You’ll find the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum, where you’ll hear how beer and Munich have walked hand-in-hand for centuries. Finally, you’ll explore the renowned Hofbräuhaus, a historic beer hall with a dark past. The beer hall has seen its fair share of significant historical events, including being the site where, in 1920, Adolf Hitler gave a speech, and playing a role in extinguishing a fire at the Munich National Theatre.

On this walking tour through Munich, you’ll have a chance to:

• Drink a beer at the Alter Hof, a brewery founded in 1589 by Duke Wilhelm the Pious
• Delve into the 1516 purity law that shaped beer production and explore the diverse brewing styles that have defined Munich’s beer scene
• Uncover the fascinating tale of how the Augustiner monk’s brewery got nationalized after ongoing conflict with local political figures
• Appreciate the unique cultural differences that distinguish the federal state of Bavaria from the rest of Germany
• Stroll through the Viktualienmarkt, a daily food market that spans five acres in the heart of Munich
• Discover the nuances of ordering beer in German
• Hear about Oktoberfest, the world’s largest Volksfest (a German festival), which is held from late September until the first Sunday in October, with more than seven million visitors attending the annual event
• Unlock the city’s secrets, including an old beer cellar underneath the Philharmonie Am Gasteig Cultural Center
• Learn how King Maximilian I, Prince Ludwig, and Leo von Klenze extinguished a fire at the National Theatre with beer from the nearby Hofbräuhaus München
• Try a beer at Giesinger Bräu, the popular brewery that Steffen Marx, the founder, started in his garage in 2006

By the end of this 90-minute tour, you’ll have a better grasp of the various kinds of beers and their evolution, as well as where to find them in Munich. Prost to an unforgettable exploration of Munich’s beer culture!