The Best Beer Gardens in Munich
Beer gardens became popular in 19th-century Munich during the rule of Max I, the King of Bavaria. Today the tradition lives on and there are over 100 beer gardens in Munich. They are surprisingly family friendly, with most of them even having a playground! Visitors are often surprised to learn that you can even bring your own food to a Munich beer garden—as long as you buy the beer there!
Englischer Garten
One of the most enjoyable things you can do in Munich is sit down at a bench in one of the many beautiful beer gardens, which serve as familiar gathering points for locals, friends, and visitors alike. The beer is top-notch, and the atmosphere warm and friendly—it’s impossible not to have a good time. The second largest beer garden in Munich is under a tall pagoda, the Chinesischer Turm, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Englisher Garten. Used under a [Creative Commons Attribution license|http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/].
Nymphenburger Str. 2, 80335 München, Germany
As is the beer garden tradition in Munich, you can bring your own food to the Löwenbräu Beer Garden as long as you buy a beer. Alternatively you can choose to purchase chicken, spareribs, or pretzels to snack on. The Löwenbräu Beer garden is a popular place holding up to 1000 people.
Hochstraße 77, 81541 München, Germany
With well over a hundred beer gardens to choose from in Munich, locals have quite the choice, but the Paulaner am Nockherberg is a local favorite. Perhaps the multi-award winning naturally cloudy beer known as “Nockherberger“ has something to do with it. As with all beer gardens it’s opening hours are weather dependent.
3 Georg-Kalb-Straße
One of Munich‘s loveliest beer gardens, the Waldwirtschaft, “WaWi” for short, is located in southern Munich on the banks of the Isar River. Many people cycle or walk to it, stop for a drink, then return along the Isar. It’s also famous for its jazz concerts. Check the website to see a list of events.
52 Arnulfstraße
The most “rustic” of Munich’s beer gardens, the Augstiner Keller serves freshly tapped Augustiner Edelstoff beer from the traditionally made wooden barrels. It’s a popular beer garden with both locals and visitors. Conveniently located near the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) it offers a tranquil oasis in the middle of the city.
Innere Wiener Straße 19, 81667 München, Germany
Serving their world-famous beer, the Hofbräukeller am Wiener Platz is where locals go to unwind after work under the shade of the chestnut trees. It’s also a popular beer garden with parents since it has a large play area for kids.
Hirschgarten 1, 80639 München, Germany
The Royal Hirschgarten, – normally just referred to as the Hirschgarten (Deer Garden) is Europe’s largest beer garden, with seating for an incredible 8000 people! Its’ original purpose was to serve as hunting grounds for Munich‘s nobility. Part of the history is still retained today, with deer in a large enclosure that guests can observe over a choice of Augustiner, Kaltenberger Brewery beers with their King Ludwig brands or a beer from the Tegernsee Ducal Breweries.
