Beer Garden in Munich - suggestions?
 

Does anyone have a suggestion for a traditional beer garden in downtown Munich? I envision sitting outside with a giant beer, big pretzel and maybe some live music.

is this more of a daytime or evening activity?

The Augustiner Brewery in the pedestrian zone or the Viktaulian Mart would be a couple of places where you might enjoy a mass of bier. I'm not sure either one has music, you might want to go to the Hoffbrau Haus for that. You could have a beer and pretzel there too.

Maps the Munich tourist office puts out have beer gardens pinpointed by a picture of a hop i believe.

The Hirschgarten is not in downtown Munich, but I think it is definitely worth a visit! My husband and I were there in September and it was our favorite spot to relax with a beer & pretzel. There is a park and an area with lots of deer as well.

Here are a few pics to give you an idea:

http://tinyurl.com/2kdu5k


Enjoy!

Hi B,

We also enjoyed our visit to the Hirschgaerten.

Tables under the trees, lots of families, an ooompah band, family size pretzels (HUGE), waitresses carrying 6 Steins at a time, etc, etc.

Hirschgarten
Hirschgarten 1 (near Nymphenburg palace)
Tel. +49 (0)89 17 25 91
daily 9am - 12am
Augustiner, Schloßbrauerei Kaltenberg and Hofbräu Tegernsee
Public Transport: S-Bahn, exit Laim, walk via Wotanstraße or Tram 12 or 17, exit Romanplatz or Steubenplatz

((I))

the funnest beer garden i've been to in Munich is the Chineser Turm (sp?) or Chinese Pagoda in the middle of the sprawling Englischer Garten park - to get to the pagoda however you may, on a nice day, pass by scores of naturalists lying butt-naked on the grass right by the paths - as is common in German parks, but especially so in this one.

This huge pseudo Chinese pogada-like structure is the central focus of a sprawling outdoor beer garden, replete with oompah band, pretzels, German food, etc.

On a nice day packed with locals this is a great place to savor the intoxicating beer garden experience.

>...this is a great place to savor the intoxicating beer garden experience.

and end up going native? :)

((I))

>pass by scores of naturalists lying butt-naked on the grass right by the paths - as is common in German parks, but especially so in this one.

Not that common. A university friend´s parents (from a small town in upper Bavaria) were as shocked when he showed them through Englischer Garten as most US tourists seem to be.
It is one of Munich´s claims to fame, not something you see on every corner in any German city. Although the Baltic Sea beaches top Munich in this regard by far.

On our first visit to Munich, walking thru the English Garden, I mentioned to my wife that I could see some people sunbathing in the nude. She replied that they must just be wearing light colored bathing suits. Just then a guy stood up a few yards from us. "Oh," she said, "that's not part of a bathing suit."

I must admit to some passing negative feelings, not because people were sunbathing in the nude, but because of the rolls of fat and expanses of cellulite on so many--I guess the price of so many good beers and varieties of sausage. I quickly focused on the trail ahead.

ya this is not the place for voyeurism - like the above most of the scores i saw on a warm day were beer-bellied older guys or similar women.

<It is one of Munich´s claims to fame, not something you see on every corner in any German city.>

I didn't mean to imply that - though i have been surprised in Berlin's Wannsee beach near Bebelsberg Park - actually more than in Munich and i thought that many cities must have the same - especially if the most conservative part of Germany, Bavaria would tolerate it. I think it's a healthy sign of a culture.

But no you will not stumble on this many places - just that in Munich it's in a park that many tourists stream thru