7 Best Bars in Franconia and the German Danube, Germany

This atmospheric brewery and distillery is the place to come for a one-of-a-kind local tipple. You can see the copper kettles where the brewery's superb Rotbier (red beer) is made, as well as sampling the locally produced single-malt whisky, organic gin, and malt liqueur.

Not only the city's best beer garden (tucked away in a courtyard behind the ACHAT Hotel), Weltenburg am Dom also serves the city's best beer: a selection of brews, varying from pale gold to jet black, from the nearby Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg—the world's oldest monastery brewery. Even if the weather's bad, you can still enjoy them in the cozy, wood-beamed interior. Feeling peckish? Opt for the exceptional Bockbier Schnitzel; tenderized pork with a mustard pretzel breading, slathered in beer sauce and covered in crispy onions.

As you cross the Stone Bridge from the center of Regensburg, you'll spot this inviting beer garden on the northern shore of the river. There's nowhere better for people-watching while sinking a house-brewed beer (choose between the light, dark, and wheat beers, or get a taster of all three). The food isn't bad, either, and there are regular live music events.

This popular inn at the heart of Nuremberg is the go-to place for big sporting (particularly soccer) events, thanks to its large beer garden with big screen. The house-brewed beer is good and the food's very tasty, too.

Not everything in Bamberg is smokey beer; Franconia also produces some of Germany's finest wines. This small traditional wine bar below the cathedral has an extensive wine list. They don't serve food, but if you bring your own German Brotzeit, an evening meal of bread, cheese, cold cuts, and pickles, they will provide you with dishes and cutlery.