A big do in terms of bringing your kids is that you'll often find a great playground right beside a beer garden. So you can just kind of sit close to the playground and watch your kids while you're enjoying your drink. As long as your kids are old enough. There's also often little toddler playgrounds right inside beer gardens so that you can bring younger children, as was mentioned.
Yes, same here in Bavaria's neighbour, Upper Austria. The beer gardens are family friendly and not far from us is the very nice Gösser beer garden in Wels. It's in the middle of a residential area in the city centre, and it has a children's playground. And they do great food too. And in the winter the same place becomes a Christmas Market.
@@woltersworld Have you thought about doing a feature on Irish microbreweries and pubs where you can purchase such beer. One such beer is the Kilkenny brewed Sullivan’s beers in Kytelers inn. 1:49 and 1:58 is that younger versions of you. A beer garden here is an outside seating area of a pub. Schwarzbier is from Saxony. Our fifth year Exchange student teacher was from Dresden and gave Guinness/Irish stout the thumbs up. The benches of a beer garden are no different than the bar counter of a pub. Cash is always easier in a public watering hole. Those who are underage are allowed into pubs here but must be out by a certain time.
The two main things I experienced in Germany, concerning drinking in public, don't forget money for bathrooms (they are not free) and don't get belligerently drunk in public...major no-no. The first one I found annoying, the second one I truly appreciated. Also, be culturally aware of the fact that local breweries are dominant. Just because you had a certain brand in one hamlet, don't expect the same brand in the next hamlet.
The restrooms in beergardens are free. They just mostly have people there who keep the restrooms clean you might want to tip, but you are not forced to.
yes ok and i have never been so please forgive my ignorance.... but I have never understood how anyone anywhere from any country, much less Germany or Bavaria, can drink multiples of these huge liter steins of beer and not be belligerantly drunk in public?!?!😂 lol again, I have never been so I am totally ignorant. Maybe the Germans just have a natural liver tolerance to multiple liters of beer at a time? Hahaha not me! One liter I’d be sloshed! Messy drunk! Belligerant drunk! haha yep I am a “lightweight”.
I prefer beer gardens in the franconian switzerland. Beautiful landscape and little villages (good for walking around), many local breweries (highest density of breweries), relaxing gardens with much activities for kids, and close location for me. And most of all, subjectively, the best beer in germany (and therefore in world)
One thing that is surprising to most tourists is that in Bavarian beer gardens you are allowed to bring your own food as long as you buy the drinks there. They probably wouldn't like it if you bring a really big meal, but some bread with cheese or sausage or some snacks are totally fine. Really great if you have allergies or other dietary requirements that don't work with the food sold there!
From all the videos I've seen so far the traditional food served in beer gardens is absolutely delicious, so why would I bring my own food? Please enlighten me 🙂
@@ComboMuster I literally mentioned it in my comment? Allergies or other dietary requirements that don't work with the food sold there are a thing. Even as a vegetarian your choices can be quite limited. Also it's much cheaper if you bring your own food from home.
@@elearmorning Oh thank you for enlightening me. If I bring my own food what more than a couple of sandwiches could I pack? I would miss all hearty, tasty traditional German food and thank God I am not a vegetarian 🙂
@@ComboMuster Firstly, it's traditional to do this, and people like to be able to bring whatever they choose. Choice is always good, right? Second, the range of food is not always very wide, especially if you're veggie or got food allergies, for example. Third, small biergartens don't always sell food anyway, so you have to bring your own. Fourth, you guessed...it's cheaper. It's fun both ways, to be honest - get food there or bring your own.
that is my kind of Christmas treat. Coins, check, games, check, money for deposit, check. I've been in Munich but dream of going to smaller towns. In Munich I liked the garden in main park downtown. Rented bikes and rode there. Fantastic. Thanks🤠
It's not beer garden specific, but related. As a child in Bavaria I really liked Kinderbrau, a non-alcoholic beer with less hops and more malt than regular beer. As the name suggests, it's made just for kids, and is a great alternative to soda. If you've kids along, I'd get them some. Helps with that whole "feeling all grown up" thing.
I love Germany. Great place to visit. The beer and food is always so good, and the country is so beautiful in so many parts. Also very friendly and safe.
The toast is very common all over the world & with Germans (from different parts of Germany), to look everyone in the group strait in the eye as an act of sincereness wishing everyone in the group "prost"(cheers). I've seen the glass tap before, it may be regional or maybe just person folkway- still great style points made with this. I've also witnessed tapping the glass (or stein) twice on the tabletop, no matter how you play it the important thing is the positive social engagement.🍻
The Stamtisch reserve sign could be for an educational purpose - with beer! Back in the 1980's I remember visiting friends in the beautiful old city of Regensburg north of Munich. There was a modern university on the outskirts and once a week in the student bar a table was reserved and an event was held called a stamtisch where, in this case, people could practice their English.🍻 🙂
This was great! Was in Berlin this summer and you are spot on! Love the moderation and social construct of Biergarten and Kneipe! Did NOT know about the Reservierter Tisch! Cool concept. Some of the old cafes in Boston’s North End used to keep a premo table near the door just for elderly locals. Unfortunately most of the old Italians have died off and the tables are in the mix with the tourists.
Don't be afraid to try something new to you. My friend was stationed in Germany and said to order the longest name on the menu and don't ask what is in it, you'll like it
Here is something to be aware of as a tourist. If you are wearing a rucksack be careful when moving around the tables. I learnt this in Freiburg at the Kanonenplatz, took out drinks on the next table. They took it very well.
Don’t miss the brewery beer gardens in Salzburg where you go to different little “stores”. Meat person, radish lady, wash your stein in the water dispenser etc. and know people do bring there own food and like you say tables can be reserved so don’t mess with their systems. And, while some may disagree, you can go back to a restaurant you really like. My brother and I loved the Augustiner in Munich and Salzburg and the food so much better than many. So don’t feel like wrong to go back to same place. And Augustiner the beer from wooden barrels you can’t go wrong!
@@oldfrittenfett1276 You cannot please everyone. Still, if you don't try it you will never know whether it was good or not. I stand by my suggestion to try whatever is the local beer! If you don't like it, fine, but then you have had a new experience.
@@christopherx7428 Even the locals prefer other beer. The only reason it still exists is, I think, that in order to get a license to sell beer at a Pub or Restaurant you have to have a contract with a local brewery. This has changed a bit but up until the 70's, Ganter was pretty much the only place to go. But yeah, try everything is good too.
Here in Fulda ( eastern hessia) there is a beer garden/pizzeria/german pub/restaurant called Wiesenmühle. It’s a former mill at the river also called Fulda. Great place, nostalgic atmosphere, wonderful pizza and you can even rent a room to sleep. But the best thing is that they also are a small brewery. Their beer is the best you can get anywhere in the region. It never quite tastes the same, sometimes more fruity, sometimes it’s a bit stronger and bitter but always great. And the seasonal beers often are even better. If you ever get the chance to visit, do so. Of cause there are a lot of other reasons to come than just beer. You can visit the historic barock inner city, the old churches and monasteries or of cause the beautiful nature of the Rhön with its mountains, castles, old forests and moors that many fairytales tell about. Fulda is both 1h from Frankfurt(Main) and from Kassel. You can also easily reach it from nearly every place in Germany by train.
This vid reminds me of the older travel channel where Andrew zimmern was discovering culture though food. I don’t comment much but you have a awesome channel.
Finally got to enjoy a variety of Beer Gardens this summer. (Prior trip to Munich/Salzburg was in March and it was literally freezing out) ... My observations: Reservations - gardens or breweries are nuts with these. In Dresden there was a brewery on the river. Wanted to enjoy a beer with a view, one table had reservations for 5pm. It was well after 6... I asked if we could sit there for a quick beer, was shut down, pointed out the fact they were 90 minutes late and the hostess responded "time does not matter." Had some great food, always simple - sausages, potato salad (team Vinegar base here), fried chicken. Can honestly the absolute clear worst food we ate at a brewery was good. Not meh. Not bad. Flat out good. And Stiegl in Salzburg and Pilsner Urquel in Prague served up two of the best meals I ate the entire trip. All reasonably priced. Honestly, the concept, atmosphere, beer, food and total experience of the dozen to 18 I visited lived up to my lofty expectations.
@@oldbittercraig3513 Rauschbier is it’s own animal. It’s an old method of literally smoking the malt. I’m pretty sure that you will only find this done in Bamburg and certainly not outside of Franconia anymore. Bamburg had; it may still, the world record for the most beer brewed per capita of any city in the world. I used to play semi pro American football there on the Bamburg Bears. I lived in Schweinfurt, worked in Wurzburg, and played football in Bamburg. Was a lot of fun until I dislocated my knee.
I agree that the Beer Gardens are just to relax and enjoy yourself i was in 1 in Munich in the Summer while Inter-Railing was a Saturday night it was very chill / relaxed vibe it was really enjoyable and relaxing
The best beer garden I've been to in Germany was the Andechs Monastery west of Munich. You can take the S-bahn train to Herrsching and then a bus to the bottom of the hill of the monastery. It's a hike up the hill but well worth it. Not only do they serve great beer but the food there is fantastic. They're renowned for their roast pork knuckles and their dopplebock beer. It is my favorite memory of my trip to Germany.
❤I fondly recall being in Munich on an extended work assignment in the late summer doing flight test at the Dornier aircraft factory outside of Herrsching, where I was staying. I asked my local coworkers what to do over the weekend and they kept telling me to go to the monestary just up the road. I became tired of saying that I wasn’t particularly interested in the spiritual pursuits and by the 3rd weekend, I finally decided to go see what they were all raving about. Wow! It was so incredible and something right out of a movie. The monks in the cloister are organized in guilds and each guild specializes in a skill. One raises cows and makes cheese and butter, one raises wheat and makes bread, another raises livestock and prepares meats including hacksen (the roasted knuckles) and another brews beer. All the guilds sell their wares around the perimeter of the grounds and you make a delicious picnic on the grass in the sun and maybe take a nap, too! The beer was in wooden barrels and these great beasts of men would toss down the empty barrel and toss up a full one onto the rack and pound in a wooden bung to pour. After tapping a new barrel, all the guys in leather aprons would then each pour a quart (mass) and knock it back to make sure the barrel hadn’t spoiled. Then they were filling steins as fast as they could pour. I’ll never forget that Sunday afternoon, it was one of the best experiences of my life, plus I could honestly tell my dad that yes, I did go to church on Sunday 😁
@@TheGreatGastronaut Sounds interesting much of that monastic tradition in Ireland disappeared with the dissolution of the monasteries. Kilkenny’s Franciscans brewed beer for themselves and the general public.
Don’t forget Spezi for kids (a mix of orange and cola sodas) and Hefeweizens (mit Limon) for a refreshing wheat beer! Always a relaxing (die Gemütlichkeit) ambiance! And, remember toasting “Prost!” And Augen Auf! For good (“things”).
Hey, if you haven't already, you should definitely check out the "Rauschbart" beer garden, it's a beautiful beer garden with a nice view over Horb am Neckar (Baden-Württemberg). I live like 3 km away from it and really can recommend it. Also try the "halbe Hähnchen" (half chicken) there, they're quite delicous.
The Freiburg Beer Garden is awesome! Two of my other favorites are the biergartens at Schneider Weisse brewery in Kelheim. The Weisse Lamb in Kelheim is neat too.
I've been to Europe 9 times. After watching the Freiburg video's, it's on my list next trip to Europe. Maybe start in Pilsen, then Prague, Freiburg, and head North, NW. We've been to the old East Germany and Berlin, so we'll head to Hamburg, Dortmund, and maybe end up in Amsterdam. Thanks for the great video's.
I don't know if that's different in southern Germany, but up here in the North of the country not looking into the other persons' eyes when cheering doesn't mean you'll have seven years of bad luck. It means you'll have bad sex. Those years of bad luck will only happen if you break a mirror while looking into it. Trust me.
As a Freiburger, I'm a wee bit disappointed that you didn't mention the best Bratwurst in the whole of Germany: the famous 'Lange Rote mit Zwieble'. It's sold at every Wurstbude on the Münsterplatz. Wolter, it's spectacular! Don't miss it when you visit our beautiful little city the next time...cheers, mate! 😂😘🍻
Bamberg have Wilde rose keller and Special keller that have a nice view over the city. I and some beer geeks are heading over in November and will probably not be outdoors at any of those.
Wilde Rose also has a Gasthaus downtown, and their new beer is absolutely amazing. Also, try Sternla, they have a heated beer keller where you can sit outside in November.
Spezial Keller might be open. They have a little building up there with some tables inside. If not, try the brewery located downtown in Königstraße. In November, you can also try the "bock"beers of the breweries. It is the season. But be careful with the bocks, they are really strong. Have fun in Bamberg!
@@oberfrange Hi, Me and our travel organizer are actually staying at the Spezial hotell, the others are at Fässla. We have planed an arrival dinner at Spezial. As most of us have been there several times, and our tour guide knows the area well we will have an intence 5 days in Bamberg and some of the close villages. I particularly look forward to visiting Heckel brewery in Waschenfeld. That was one of the best visits in the last tour of Franken.
I haven't been to Oktoberfest , but we did drive by where Oktoberfest is held in Munich. We had lots of beer on our tours of Lowenbrau and Brewdog breweries, not to mention the beers we had that were included with our meals.
@@woltersworld We have all been there!! I had long hair in a ponytail down to my a## in 1986. Now when I`m 55, I`m more beautiful and humble then rich 😂 But I still do have long hair in a ponytail
I’m an American living in Germany. My favorite is Weldebrau in Plankstadt near Heidelberg. Sadly, Biergarten season is almost over, but next weekend I’m at Oktoberfest 😁
I am about the only Native Canadian that likes/knows about the stangen type glasses Or the slap in the face of beer if you drink from a boot wrong Also know when to get up and go for a walk And enjoy the rest of the day I love the pork with potatoes and onion I forget the name of the lodge we ate at But in English it was The Hunter's gathering? ..Fantastic foods
It's no so different. There are also a lot of beer gardens where you can't bring your own food either in Germany, because the beer garden is part of a restaurant.
A few things that come to mind. Some places you actually have to pick your maß yourself from a cabinet, give it a rinse in a tub, and then take it to the counter to get filled. If this is still happening post-Covid, it will be self-evident. Half liter beers are much more practical. Some beer gardens have the little beer and food huts/kiosks AND a full-blown restaurant in them. If you sit at a table with a table cloth, it will have table service and bringing your own food is not allowed. Tables with no table cloth are auto-service and you have to go up and get your own stuff. If the beer garden is near capacity and you need to ask to share a table with its occupants, a pleasant knock on the table is the typical way to ask permission. It will almost always be given. NEVER sit in a stammtisch, EVER...or you may have someone sit in your lap. Getting something to eat is good advise. Beer gardens can get a little raucous in the evenings. But during the day, think family picnic and quietly chatting with friends.
Funny how you have no idea how all those things work… Maybe you learn a bit of the language and a bit more of the culture and forget the non-sense you wrote
@@exploreshare7925 I'm just going by my experiences from living in Germany for 8 years and visiting dozens of times since I left. But hey, you stay negative!😋
Let me preface my Don’t, I was in the Army in Mannheim (Eichbaum Brewerie…AWESOME Beer) at the same time my brother was in Bad Kreuznach and my best friend was in Frankfort, I went to beer gardens in those as well as Heidelberg, Nuremberg and Mainz. Every time and every place you can pick out the American’s, predominantly Men…they will always stand. My don’t: Don’t stand…sit and enjoy yourself. Standing puts you in the way of people who want to relax, or dance, or the staff who might be cleaning, or retrieving glassware….SIT!
I was in Germany when I was 17 with my good friends and our local youth club, staying with host families in Wurzburg. We travelled around Germany too, but we absolutely LOVED the beer gardens and I’m ashamed to admit that everything you advised NOT to do, we DID! The beer was so good, and v strong and by the time we came home (after three weeks), we all had massive beer bellies lol. We even had a few of those infamous litre glasses in our suitcases too (oops). It was an amazing trip, meeting amazing people. My advice for beer gardens? Wear elastic waisted bottoms to allow for ‘growth’ 😂
I still have my big 1lt stein beer glass from a visit in the 1980's. I though not bad for a DM 5 deposit and brought it back to the UK in the top box of my motorcycle!
A brewery tour in NZ was epic. We thought they would only let us loose on the keg afterwards for a little while, so we went at it like a bull at a gate. 3 hours later the Monteith's kept on flowing. Dudes throwing up, girls backing into urinals, it was brilliant. Germans seem to be a bit more formal..
Another big Don’t for Biergartens and drinking beer in Germany in general is not finishing your beer. In the US for example it’s not a big deal to leave an unfinished beer, but in Germany it’s definitely not appreciated and the waiter might get angry and ask you why 😬😬
Haha yeah, happened almost every time our American friends visited us in Nürnberg. We even heard of people pouring out unfinished beers on the Biergarten gravel 😬😬. They’re lucky the Franconian Gods didn’t strike them down
As a German-American, one of the hardest concepts to explain to some of my Southern friends is the concept of "family bars" which is quite similar to the biergarten. Once they understand that the family bar accepts accompanied minors, then you have to explain what the differences between those and "non family bars." By the way, in my family, beer flowed heavily. However, if someone ever got visibly drunk, they were "persona non grata" and were NOT invited back. That is something that I had to explain to my friends.
Also interesting fact. Bavarian Duesch and Hoff Duesh are extremely different dialects. Most Bavarians understand both these days, but some older people do not. It's the difference between Mandrin and Cantonese.
Sorry, but this is not accurate at all. There are local dialects all over Germany, and in Bavaria alone there are a couple of quite different dialects (Upper Bavarian, Franconian, Svabian, Palatine, Lower Bavarian etc.). Hochdeutsch (I suppose that is what you meant?) is actually rather the written form as all spoken German is influenced by the speaker's background. BTW Hochdeutsch comes from "Oberdeutsch" which is the Bavaria language family. There are not two different forms of German. That is like saying there is English and there is the London dialect.
@@anitapenkert389 The Upper Bavarian regional dialect is still widely in use and considered very popular, so maybe that's what led Joe to believe that Bavarian and Hochdeutsch are two mainstream languages in Germany. Which they, of course, aren't.
Never buy the one-liter Steins unless you are a really fast drunker. I am actually a fast drinker but I still prefer the smaller beers as I like my beer cold.
Hi Wolter! I don’t have much time in Europe but i do want to visit a German Christmas Market. Do you recommend Freiburg over Frankfurt? I will be around Colmar and Basel
i have not played uno since probably about 12 y.o. and I am in my thirties. I have totally forgotten how to play. I do remember it being a simple fun game though. Welp, anyways, alas, I won’t be traveling to Germany any time soon, even though I would like to, because of... uhhhh... poorness on my part. Hahaha but maybe someday!
There are about 1200 official breweries in Germany. The Germans make every single type of beer possible, but you better hope your local brewery is to your taste because the local stuff always gets pushed hard and other beers can be hard to get.
Speaking of "cheers" do you all cheers, then tap glass on table before taking a drink? Is there everywhere or just certain areas of the world that do that? Growing up in my Volga German town in KS we didn't do that, I move to a city 4 hrs away and everyone taps their glass first before drinking. What is the appropriate "cheers"?
@@woltersworld thank you for relying. So there isn't a wrong or right way, but can you explain why the tap on the table? Is there a meaning behind it? Bad luck if you don't, something like that?
Don't be a drunk jack-ass, #1 rule! I love rolling through German parks in the summer watching young people enjoying each other's company and all seemingly with large bottles of excellent German beer in each hand. In the states, with a similar demographic and situation? Mayhem! Prosit.
you can get the usual stuff at Biergartens, Coca cola, fanta. sprite or juice - pur or as a Schorle(juice with sparkling water 50:50)or you can try alcohol free beer
DO: When joining a table it is customary in Germany to ask "Ist hier Frei?" or is this seat taken? Germans do this even if it is obvious the table has space and they expect your answer to be yes.
Best Biergarten hands down is Augustiner-Keller in Munich. Best beer, great location, great city.
Thanks. My hometown.. hope to visit my hometown next year.
@@davidbrown8081 Great food as well!
A big do in terms of bringing your kids is that you'll often find a great playground right beside a beer garden. So you can just kind of sit close to the playground and watch your kids while you're enjoying your drink. As long as your kids are old enough. There's also often little toddler playgrounds right inside beer gardens so that you can bring younger children, as was mentioned.
So true
There are sometimes a kinderplatz adjacent to the garden with a bier maid that will keep an eye on the kids
Yes, same here in Bavaria's neighbour, Upper Austria. The beer gardens are family friendly and not far from us is the very nice Gösser beer garden in Wels. It's in the middle of a residential area in the city centre, and it has a children's playground. And they do great food too. And in the winter the same place becomes a Christmas Market.
@@woltersworld Have you thought about doing a feature on Irish microbreweries and pubs where you can purchase such beer. One such beer is the Kilkenny brewed Sullivan’s beers in Kytelers inn.
1:49 and 1:58 is that younger versions of you.
A beer garden here is an outside seating area of a pub.
Schwarzbier is from Saxony. Our fifth year Exchange student teacher was from Dresden and gave Guinness/Irish stout the thumbs up.
The benches of a beer garden are no different than the bar counter of a pub.
Cash is always easier in a public watering hole.
Those who are underage are allowed into pubs here but must be out by a certain time.
The two main things I experienced in Germany, concerning drinking in public, don't forget money for bathrooms (they are not free) and don't get belligerently drunk in public...major no-no. The first one I found annoying, the second one I truly appreciated. Also, be culturally aware of the fact that local breweries are dominant. Just because you had a certain brand in one hamlet, don't expect the same brand in the next hamlet.
The restrooms in beergardens are free. They just mostly have people there who keep the restrooms clean you might want to tip, but you are not forced to.
yes ok and i have never been so please forgive my ignorance.... but I have never understood how anyone anywhere from any country, much less Germany or Bavaria, can drink multiples of these huge liter steins of beer and not be belligerantly drunk in public?!?!😂 lol again, I have never been so I am totally ignorant. Maybe the Germans just have a natural liver tolerance to multiple liters of beer at a time? Hahaha not me! One liter I’d be sloshed! Messy drunk! Belligerant drunk! haha yep I am a “lightweight”.
I prefer beer gardens in the franconian switzerland. Beautiful landscape and little villages (good for walking around), many local breweries (highest density of breweries), relaxing gardens with much activities for kids, and close location for me. And most of all, subjectively, the best beer in germany (and therefore in world)
One thing that is surprising to most tourists is that in Bavarian beer gardens you are allowed to bring your own food as long as you buy the drinks there. They probably wouldn't like it if you bring a really big meal, but some bread with cheese or sausage or some snacks are totally fine. Really great if you have allergies or other dietary requirements that don't work with the food sold there!
You can bring whatever you like - some families bring really large, elaborate picnics with tableclothes and proper cutlery.
From all the videos I've seen so far the traditional food served in beer gardens is absolutely delicious, so why would I bring my own food? Please enlighten me 🙂
@@ComboMuster I literally mentioned it in my comment? Allergies or other dietary requirements that don't work with the food sold there are a thing. Even as a vegetarian your choices can be quite limited. Also it's much cheaper if you bring your own food from home.
@@elearmorning Oh thank you for enlightening me. If I bring my own food what more than a couple of sandwiches could I pack? I would miss all hearty, tasty traditional German food and thank God I am not a vegetarian 🙂
@@ComboMuster Firstly, it's traditional to do this, and people like to be able to bring whatever they choose. Choice is always good, right?
Second, the range of food is not always very wide, especially if you're veggie or got food allergies, for example.
Third, small biergartens don't always sell food anyway, so you have to bring your own.
Fourth, you guessed...it's cheaper.
It's fun both ways, to be honest - get food there or bring your own.
One of our best memories of Munich was at the beer garden sharing a table with 8 college age Germans. They took us in and we had Tons of laughs!
Awesome!
6:38 interesting stream
that is my kind of Christmas treat. Coins, check, games, check, money for deposit, check. I've been in Munich but dream of going to smaller towns. In Munich I liked the garden in main park downtown. Rented bikes and rode there. Fantastic. Thanks🤠
It's not beer garden specific, but related. As a child in Bavaria I really liked Kinderbrau, a non-alcoholic beer with less hops and more malt than regular beer. As the name suggests, it's made just for kids, and is a great alternative to soda. If you've kids along, I'd get them some. Helps with that whole "feeling all grown up" thing.
Probably better for them
It's probably best for their health than soda too
@@riograndedosulball248 Fewer ingredients
I love Germany. Great place to visit. The beer and food is always so good, and the country is so beautiful in so many parts. Also very friendly and safe.
Schwarzbier is from Saxony. Our fifth year Exchange student teacher was from Dresden and gave Guinness/Irish stout the thumbs up.
@@oscarosullivan4513 And he took a whale out of the sea to make sure " Guiness For Strenght" ain't a hoax
@@sickheadsumaddy5231 Good one
Totally agree that beer gardens are family friendly.
The toast is very common all over the world & with Germans (from different parts of Germany), to look everyone in the group strait in the eye as an act of sincereness wishing everyone in the group "prost"(cheers). I've seen the glass tap before, it may be regional or maybe just person folkway- still great style points made with this. I've also witnessed tapping the glass (or stein) twice on the tabletop, no matter how you play it the important thing is the positive social engagement.🍻
Good to know! Thanks.
6:38 interesting stream
Not only in Germany but all over Europe too.
This reminds me of a little place called Alpine Village in Torrance, California I used to visit for Octoberfest.
Btw Mark, that view is magical 😍
That's why I love that beer garden. You sit and see that view
This is so great about Germany 🇩🇪- Beergardens 😍
Nice post.
As you point out: Beer gardens are not beer halls.
Have fun, support the establishment, respect the culture.
Hirchgarden in Munich. Augustiner beer and spare ribs every Sunday when I was living and working there beginner 90's. Best beer and best memories!
The Stamtisch reserve sign could be for an educational purpose - with beer! Back in the 1980's I remember visiting friends in the beautiful old city of Regensburg north of Munich. There was a modern university on the outskirts and once a week in the student bar a table was reserved and an event was held called a stamtisch where, in this case, people could practice their English.🍻 🙂
Loved the beer garden in Dinslaken, Germany . Met many locals.
I lived in Zweibruken Germany for three while in the USAF (1978 - 81). I still miss it
This was great! Was in Berlin this summer and you are spot on! Love the moderation and social construct of Biergarten and Kneipe! Did NOT know about the Reservierter Tisch! Cool concept. Some of the old cafes in Boston’s North End used to keep a premo table near the door just for elderly locals. Unfortunately most of the old Italians have died off and the tables are in the mix with the tourists.
Video production looks great. Nice work
Thank you!
Another great one, Mark!
thank you!
Don't be afraid to try something new to you. My friend was stationed in Germany and said to order the longest name on the menu and don't ask what is in it, you'll like it
I love it!!!
That is so very true
This is something the AF would do 😂
@@jameseypoo4781 AF?
@@tinaburgess7164 AF = Air Force
Here is something to be aware of as a tourist. If you are wearing a rucksack be careful when moving around the tables. I learnt this in Freiburg at the Kanonenplatz, took out drinks on the next table. They took it very well.
Did you buy them replacement drinks.
@@oscarosullivan4513 offered but they declined. Probably just wanted me to go away.
Don’t miss the brewery beer gardens in Salzburg where you go to different little “stores”. Meat person, radish lady, wash your stein in the water dispenser etc. and know people do bring there own food and like you say tables can be reserved so don’t mess with their systems. And, while some may disagree, you can go back to a restaurant you really like. My brother and I loved the Augustiner in Munich and Salzburg and the food so much better than many. So don’t feel like wrong to go back to same place. And Augustiner the beer from wooden barrels you can’t go wrong!
I am not a huge beergarden visitor but in general my tip on beer in Germany would be: Try the local beer! Normally there is one.
Amen
Don't try Ganter Beer from Freiburg though. I lived in Freiburg for 20 years and never warmed up to Ganter.
@@oldfrittenfett1276 You cannot please everyone. Still, if you don't try it you will never know whether it was good or not.
I stand by my suggestion to try whatever is the local beer! If you don't like it, fine, but then you have had a new experience.
@@christopherx7428 Even the locals prefer other beer. The only reason it still exists is, I think, that in order to get a license to sell beer at a Pub or Restaurant you have to have a contract with a local brewery. This has changed a bit but up until the 70's, Ganter was pretty much the only place to go. But yeah, try everything is good too.
Here in Fulda ( eastern hessia) there is a beer garden/pizzeria/german pub/restaurant called Wiesenmühle. It’s a former mill at the river also called Fulda. Great place, nostalgic atmosphere, wonderful pizza and you can even rent a room to sleep. But the best thing is that they also are a small brewery. Their beer is the best you can get anywhere in the region. It never quite tastes the same, sometimes more fruity, sometimes it’s a bit stronger and bitter but always great. And the seasonal beers often are even better. If you ever get the chance to visit, do so. Of cause there are a lot of other reasons to come than just beer. You can visit the historic barock inner city, the old churches and monasteries or of cause the beautiful nature of the Rhön with its mountains, castles, old forests and moors that many fairytales tell about.
Fulda is both 1h from Frankfurt(Main) and from Kassel. You can also easily reach it from nearly every place in Germany by train.
Have a nice day!
This vid reminds me of the older travel channel where Andrew zimmern was discovering culture though food.
I don’t comment much but you have a awesome channel.
Finally got to enjoy a variety of Beer Gardens this summer. (Prior trip to Munich/Salzburg was in March and it was literally freezing out) ...
My observations:
Reservations - gardens or breweries are nuts with these. In Dresden there was a brewery on the river. Wanted to enjoy a beer with a view, one table had reservations for 5pm. It was well after 6... I asked if we could sit there for a quick beer, was shut down, pointed out the fact they were 90 minutes late and the hostess responded "time does not matter."
Had some great food, always simple - sausages, potato salad (team Vinegar base here), fried chicken. Can honestly the absolute clear worst food we ate at a brewery was good. Not meh. Not bad. Flat out good. And Stiegl in Salzburg and Pilsner Urquel in Prague served up two of the best meals I ate the entire trip. All reasonably priced.
Honestly, the concept, atmosphere, beer, food and total experience of the dozen to 18 I visited lived up to my lofty expectations.
Was Schwarzbier on offer
@@oscarosullivan4513 had Rauchbier at several breweries in Bamberg. Close enough?
@@oldbittercraig3513 Depends there is such a thing as smoked/smoky porters and stouts
@@oldbittercraig3513 Rauschbier is it’s own animal. It’s an old method of literally smoking the malt. I’m pretty sure that you will only find this done in Bamburg and certainly not outside of Franconia anymore.
Bamburg had; it may still, the world record for the most beer brewed per capita of any city in the world.
I used to play semi pro American football there on the Bamburg Bears. I lived in Schweinfurt, worked in Wurzburg, and played football in Bamburg. Was a lot of fun until I dislocated my knee.
I agree that the Beer Gardens are just to relax and enjoy yourself i was in 1 in Munich in the Summer while Inter-Railing was a Saturday night it was very chill / relaxed vibe it was really enjoyable and relaxing
I've never heard of "Uno" - had to Google it just now (I'm from the UK). Great video as usual...
Most do close in the winter but there are a few Bier Gartens that stay open all year.
I really like the do and dont videos. Thanks
Thanks
The best beer garden I've been to in Germany was the Andechs Monastery west of Munich. You can take the S-bahn train to Herrsching and then a bus to the bottom of the hill of the monastery. It's a hike up the hill but well worth it. Not only do they serve great beer but the food there is fantastic. They're renowned for their roast pork knuckles and their dopplebock beer. It is my favorite memory of my trip to Germany.
Andechs rocks!
My husband loved it, especially the food!
❤I fondly recall being in Munich on an extended work assignment in the late summer doing flight test at the Dornier aircraft factory outside of Herrsching, where I was staying. I asked my local coworkers what to do over the weekend and they kept telling me to go to the monestary just up the road. I became tired of saying that I wasn’t particularly interested in the spiritual pursuits and by the 3rd weekend, I finally decided to go see what they were all raving about.
Wow! It was so incredible and something right out of a movie. The monks in the cloister are organized in guilds and each guild specializes in a skill. One raises cows and makes cheese and butter, one raises wheat and makes bread, another raises livestock and prepares meats including hacksen (the roasted knuckles) and another brews beer. All the guilds sell their wares around the perimeter of the grounds and you make a delicious picnic on the grass in the sun and maybe take a nap, too!
The beer was in wooden barrels and these great beasts of men would toss down the empty barrel and toss up a full one onto the rack and pound in a wooden bung to pour. After tapping a new barrel, all the guys in leather aprons would then each pour a quart (mass) and knock it back to make sure the barrel hadn’t spoiled. Then they were filling steins as fast as they could pour. I’ll never forget that Sunday afternoon, it was one of the best experiences of my life, plus I could honestly tell my dad that yes, I did go to church on Sunday 😁
@@TheGreatGastronaut Sounds interesting much of that monastic tradition in Ireland disappeared with the dissolution of the monasteries. Kilkenny’s Franciscans brewed beer for themselves and the general public.
Andechs - unser heiliger Berg😉
Kesselberg - der eilige Berg
und Zugspitz - als höchster Berg
Hi Marc, if you are in Munich, go to the Beergarden at the Hofbräukeller. They have Steckerlfish from 5 pm.
This is an awesome video! Very specific and great for traveling abroad in a beer drinking country. Prost Mark!
Don’t forget Spezi for kids (a mix of orange and cola sodas) and Hefeweizens (mit Limon) for a refreshing wheat beer! Always a relaxing (die Gemütlichkeit) ambiance!
And, remember toasting “Prost!”
And Augen Auf! For good (“things”).
Hey, if you haven't already, you should definitely check out the "Rauschbart" beer garden, it's a beautiful beer garden with a nice view over Horb am Neckar (Baden-Württemberg). I live like 3 km away from it and really can recommend it. Also try the "halbe Hähnchen" (half chicken) there, they're quite delicous.
I miss germany cant wait to go back to the beer Gardens 😊
The Freiburg Beer Garden is awesome! Two of my other favorites are the biergartens at Schneider Weisse brewery in Kelheim. The Weisse Lamb in Kelheim is neat too.
Thanks for the recommendations!
Ever since I lived in Wiesbaden, I’ve wanted to go back for Oktoberfest for my bday 🎉
One day!!
I've been to Europe 9 times. After watching the Freiburg video's, it's on my list next trip to Europe. Maybe start in Pilsen, then Prague, Freiburg, and head North, NW. We've been to the old East Germany and Berlin, so we'll head to Hamburg, Dortmund, and maybe end up in Amsterdam. Thanks for the great video's.
Dont forget Bamberg!
Wonderful video , thanks for sharing , stay connected !!
Of course! Thanks!
I don't know if that's different in southern Germany, but up here in the North of the country not looking into the other persons' eyes when cheering doesn't mean you'll have seven years of bad luck. It means you'll have bad sex. Those years of bad luck will only happen if you break a mirror while looking into it. Trust me.
Ihr norddeutschen seits ja auch “voll.....“😁😁😁😁😁
As a Freiburger, I'm a wee bit disappointed that you didn't mention the best Bratwurst in the whole of Germany: the famous 'Lange Rote mit Zwieble'.
It's sold at every Wurstbude on the Münsterplatz.
Wolter, it's spectacular! Don't miss it when you visit our beautiful little city the next time...cheers, mate! 😂😘🍻
Bamberg have Wilde rose keller and Special keller that have a nice view over the city. I and some beer geeks are heading over in November and will probably not be outdoors at any of those.
Wilde Rose also has a Gasthaus downtown, and their new beer is absolutely amazing. Also, try Sternla, they have a heated beer keller where you can sit outside in November.
Spezial Keller might be open. They have a little building up there with some tables inside. If not, try the brewery located downtown in Königstraße. In November, you can also try the "bock"beers of the breweries. It is the season. But be careful with the bocks, they are really strong. Have fun in Bamberg!
@@oberfrange Hi,
Me and our travel organizer are actually staying at the Spezial hotell, the others are at Fässla. We have planed an arrival dinner at Spezial. As most of us have been there several times, and our tour guide knows the area well we will have an intence 5 days in Bamberg and some of the close villages. I particularly look forward to visiting Heckel brewery in Waschenfeld. That was one of the best visits in the last tour of Franken.
I haven't been to Oktoberfest , but we did drive by where Oktoberfest is held in Munich. We had lots of beer on our tours of Lowenbrau and Brewdog breweries, not to mention the beers we had that were included with our meals.
Cool
I had pretzels when sampling wine in Germany (the legal drinking age in Germany is 16)
Right On
I appreciate that kid with Oblak goalkeeper jersey from Slovenia 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Mark, what a hunk when you were jünger!!!!
Thanks 😊
@@woltersworld We have all been there!! I had long hair in a ponytail down to my a## in 1986. Now when I`m 55, I`m more beautiful and humble then rich 😂
But I still do have long hair in a ponytail
@@Latexhandske as do i my friend :) big hug my friend! Hopefully we will bump into each other at beergarden somewhere in this crazy world
Doing my head in now mate.
on of my favorite is in Salzburg the agustiner
I’m an American living in Germany. My favorite is Weldebrau in Plankstadt near Heidelberg. Sadly, Biergarten season is almost over, but next weekend I’m at Oktoberfest 😁
I am about the only Native Canadian that likes/knows about the stangen type glasses Or the slap in the face of beer if you drink from a boot wrong Also know when to get up and go for a walk And enjoy the rest of the day I love the pork with potatoes and onion I forget the name of the lodge we ate at But in English it was The Hunter's gathering? ..Fantastic foods
The beer garden thing is different in Austria, here you normally cant bring your food.
It's no so different. There are also a lot of beer gardens where you can't bring your own food either in Germany, because the beer garden is part of a restaurant.
Excellent information, thanks!
thank you!
Awesome video
Thanks Tobi!
Welcome back.
Best beer garden in South East United States is Georgia Beer Co. in Valdosta, GA
Thanks for the video with great insight and understanding! Seems like some people did not listen closely, judging from the comments ;-)
Wow, this is awesome! I am in Munic. I came to experience the Oktoberfest and had no idea about the bear gardens. Great info 😊
Glad to help
so schaut's aus! 😂👍🏾😎
Thank you for the information
A few things that come to mind.
Some places you actually have to pick your maß yourself from a cabinet, give it a rinse in a tub, and then take it to the counter to get filled. If this is still happening post-Covid, it will be self-evident.
Half liter beers are much more practical.
Some beer gardens have the little beer and food huts/kiosks AND a full-blown restaurant in them. If you sit at a table with a table cloth, it will have table service and bringing your own food is not allowed. Tables with no table cloth are auto-service and you have to go up and get your own stuff.
If the beer garden is near capacity and you need to ask to share a table with its occupants, a pleasant knock on the table is the typical way to ask permission. It will almost always be given.
NEVER sit in a stammtisch, EVER...or you may have someone sit in your lap.
Getting something to eat is good advise.
Beer gardens can get a little raucous in the evenings. But during the day, think family picnic and quietly chatting with friends.
Funny how you have no idea how all those things work…
Maybe you learn a bit of the language and a bit more of the culture and forget the non-sense you wrote
@@exploreshare7925 I'm just going by my experiences from living in Germany for 8 years and visiting dozens of times since I left. But hey, you stay negative!😋
The video the world needs!!!!
glad i can help out and make the world a better place :) prost!
Let me preface my Don’t, I was in the Army in Mannheim (Eichbaum Brewerie…AWESOME Beer) at the same time my brother was in Bad Kreuznach and my best friend was in Frankfort, I went to beer gardens in those as well as Heidelberg, Nuremberg and Mainz. Every time and every place you can pick out the American’s, predominantly Men…they will always stand. My don’t: Don’t stand…sit and enjoy yourself. Standing puts you in the way of people who want to relax, or dance, or the staff who might be cleaning, or retrieving glassware….SIT!
I was in Germany when I was 17 with my good friends and our local youth club, staying with host families in Wurzburg. We travelled around Germany too, but we absolutely LOVED the beer gardens and I’m ashamed to admit that everything you advised NOT to do, we DID! The beer was so good, and v strong and by the time we came home (after three weeks), we all had massive beer bellies lol. We even had a few of those infamous litre glasses in our suitcases too (oops). It was an amazing trip, meeting amazing people. My advice for beer gardens? Wear elastic waisted bottoms to allow for ‘growth’ 😂
😍
I still have my big 1lt stein beer glass from a visit in the 1980's. I though not bad for a DM 5 deposit and brought it back to the UK in the top box of my motorcycle!
A brewery tour in NZ was epic. We thought they would only let us loose on the keg afterwards for a little while, so we went at it like a bull at a gate. 3 hours later the Monteith's kept on flowing. Dudes throwing up, girls backing into urinals, it was brilliant.
Germans seem to be a bit more formal..
There’s a biergarten in a city called jersey city in New Jersey that I go to called zeppelin hall which runs exactly like the one your at mark
Cool!
There’s a huge Czech beer garden in Astoria, Queens, NYC, that goes way back (by US historical standards).
Also never talk trash about the local beer..
It’s always the best even if it might be terrible..
Cool
Milwaukee does have a lot of beer gardens
Another big Don’t for Biergartens and drinking beer in Germany in general is not finishing your beer. In the US for example it’s not a big deal to leave an unfinished beer, but in Germany it’s definitely not appreciated and the waiter might get angry and ask you why 😬😬
Not finishing your beer? That would never cross my mind... that must be why I didn't mention it 😀
Haha yeah, happened almost every time our American friends visited us in Nürnberg. We even heard of people pouring out unfinished beers on the Biergarten gravel 😬😬. They’re lucky the Franconian Gods didn’t strike them down
Does the Muenchen bier garten in the market still have rotating breweries?
As a German-American, one of the hardest concepts to explain to some of my Southern friends is the concept of "family bars" which is quite similar to the biergarten. Once they understand that the family bar accepts accompanied minors, then you have to explain what the differences between those and "non family bars." By the way, in my family, beer flowed heavily. However, if someone ever got visibly drunk, they were "persona non grata" and were NOT invited back. That is something that I had to explain to my friends.
Lol I’d be proud to not be invited back. Yolo
Is it ok to go alone and read?
Sure, as long as you buy some beer, you can sit and read or play chess or whatever you want
Yes, I frequently did that when serving in the US Army.
Yep
Absolutely OK 👍
Also interesting fact. Bavarian Duesch and Hoff Duesh are extremely different dialects. Most Bavarians understand both these days, but some older people do not. It's the difference between Mandrin and Cantonese.
Sorry, but this is not accurate at all. There are local dialects all over Germany, and in Bavaria alone there are a couple of quite different dialects (Upper Bavarian, Franconian, Svabian, Palatine, Lower Bavarian etc.). Hochdeutsch (I suppose that is what you meant?) is actually rather the written form as all spoken German is influenced by the speaker's background. BTW Hochdeutsch comes from "Oberdeutsch" which is the Bavaria language family. There are not two different forms of German. That is like saying there is English and there is the London dialect.
@@anitapenkert389 The Upper Bavarian regional dialect is still widely in use and considered very popular, so maybe that's what led Joe to believe that Bavarian and Hochdeutsch are two mainstream languages in Germany. Which they, of course, aren't.
Never buy the one-liter Steins unless you are a really fast drunker. I am actually a fast drinker but I still prefer the smaller beers as I like my beer cold.
It's very much the done thing to share tables, but you'll be thought rude if you don't ask if the seats are unoccupied "Ist hier noch frei bitte?".
Well said
Nice video. ✌👍
Cherrs!
What is the background music
do I have to take off my yarmulke if I go to one in Germany?
Hi Wolter! I don’t have much time in Europe but i do want to visit a German Christmas Market. Do you recommend Freiburg over Frankfurt? I will be around Colmar and Basel
i have not played uno since probably about 12 y.o. and I am in my thirties. I have totally forgotten how to play. I do remember it being a simple fun game though. Welp, anyways, alas, I won’t be traveling to Germany any time soon, even though I would like to, because of... uhhhh... poorness on my part. Hahaha but maybe someday!
Great video! What kind of drinks do they offer for kids?
Sodas
I didn't think Germany had a drinking age
@@bryanmatyas8620 doesn't mean a 4 year old is going to drink beer
@@bryanmatyas8620 They do. 16 for low alcohol drinks like beer, 18 for the hard stuff. I think it's 14 if you're with your parents?
There are about 1200 official breweries in Germany. The Germans make every single type of beer possible, but you better hope your local brewery is to your taste because the local stuff always gets pushed hard and other beers can be hard to get.
There is a Duff Gardens
Now I'm craving weinershinel and a pretzel 🥨 to go with my beer 🍻 while taking in the gardens around me!
You mean "Wiener Schnitzel", don't you?
@@christianhansen8689 yes I do mean that
How to recognise real Bavarian at beer garden or on Oktoberfest? We are only ones not wearing lederhosen 😛
. . . but I thought you were Swedish.
In Freiburg, lower Saxony, or Freiburg im Breisgau?
Definitely the Breisgau one
Rule one for Colorado beer gardens? Bring as many young children as you can
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Speaking of "cheers" do you all cheers, then tap glass on table before taking a drink? Is there everywhere or just certain areas of the world that do that? Growing up in my Volga German town in KS we didn't do that, I move to a city 4 hrs away and everyone taps their glass first before drinking. What is the appropriate "cheers"?
Certain places do it some don't. Jocelyn and I cheers, tap, drink
@@woltersworld thank you for relying. So there isn't a wrong or right way, but can you explain why the tap on the table? Is there a meaning behind it? Bad luck if you don't, something like that?
@@addiejacobs It's to remember "absent friends" ie those who have passed away (at least in Franconia, where it's a faux pas if you don't do it).
@@rodjones117 thank you for the info. Perhaps nownill start doing it
@@rodjones117 it's to remember all the chirrosis victims
Don't be a drunk jack-ass, #1 rule! I love rolling through German parks in the summer watching young people enjoying each other's company and all seemingly with large bottles of excellent German beer in each hand. In the states, with a similar demographic and situation? Mayhem! Prosit.
Food question. Is bratwurst similar to kielbasa?
Similar. But different spices inside
@@woltersworld thanks. Can't do spicy, basic American breakfast sausage is too spicy for me. Limited test purchasing budget.
I'm curious as to what the boys were drinking. I don't drink alcohol at all. Doesn't sit well with my stomach, unfortunately.
you can get the usual stuff at Biergartens, Coca cola, fanta. sprite or juice - pur or as a Schorle(juice with sparkling water 50:50)or you can try alcohol free beer
@@sonkeschluter3654 thank you!
Do ask about why chestnut trees are so ubiquitous at beer gardens. It's a history lesson based on science.
Don't be afraid to wear the kilt.
DO: When joining a table it is customary in Germany to ask "Ist hier Frei?" or is this seat taken? Germans do this even if it is obvious the table has space and they expect your answer to be yes.