My German Trip

I'm starting a new thread for my trip report. I'm a bit behind but I hope I can catch up.

Day One

We arrived in Frankfurt about 7 AM with plans to meet @boddhitree at Braustil at noon. We retrieved our luggage, bought our rail pass and went to figure out where Bautista wss. After doing that we had some time time to kill so we just walked around the area.

We met Tony and Lucky at noon and Tony gave us one of his homebrews (which we haven't had a chance to drink yet) and we had a few beers.

Sorry, I haven't yet figured out how to rotate a photo on my tablet. I first had a Helles while my wife tried an Oak Smoke, a smoked wheat. The Helles was clean and well brewed. The Oak Smoke had a nice smoky character to go with the Hefeweizen yeast. All of us followed that up with an FPA (Frankfurt Pale Ale) an IPA. It was decent but the dry hop character wasn't quite right. I'm thinking it's just not the right hops being used.

Tony had a class to teach and Lucky wanted to go so we said our goodbyes and we headed back to the Haut Bahn of to head to Miltenberg. At the Aschaffey berg station my wife and I managed to get separated and I arrived an hour before she did and she ended up with all the luggage!

We checked into Zum Riesen and headed down for beers and dinner.



I had their Pils, Schwarzveirtler and Kräusen. I liked the Kräusen better than the Pils and I thought the Schwarzveirtler wasn't as smoky as the last time we were there. But it had been a long day and my palate could be off. It was finally time for bed!

 

It's right now. I should have posted that Day One is Wednesday, June 3.

June 3-9 Bamberg
June 10 Aufsesser
June 11 Furth im Wald/Domažliče
June 12-14 Regensburg
June 15-16 Salzburg

I'll post more as time allows.

 

Thursday, June 4

We got up and had Frühstück in what must have been the attic of Zum Riesen. Nicely done though.

We had a little while before we had to leave for the train. Since it was Corpus Christi day (apparently a Bavarian holiday) the stoops of all the shops were done up with ferns flora and crosses.

We took the D Bahn through Lauda and Würzburg before arriving in Bamberg. We hadn't been that way before and it was a nice approach. Bamberg at first looks like just another town until you realize the big church is St. Michael's.

We checked into the hotel and planned on eating at the local Metzgerei but it was closed due to the holiday. So we headed over to Cafe Abseits. In honor of Fred Waltman @FrankenBier we both had Schnitzel sandwiches. I also had a Huppendorfer Vollbier. I had one of these the last time I was here and it was the worst Bier of my trip. But Fred raves about it so I had to give it another shot. Much better this time. My wife had a Herrin Pils.

From there we headed to the Wilde Rose Bierkeller. Quite a walk up that hill! It wasn't too busy for a holiday.I had heard there was a nice view from there but I didn't see it. I tried their Bock and their Kellerbier. My wife had the Hefeweizen. Solid, but nothing special.

We walked down the hill a bit a went to Spezial Keller. It was packed but we managed to find a couple of seats. Of course, we ordered the Lagerbier, our favorite Bamberger Bier. After three or four each, we decided to head over to Schenkerla for dinner since I wanted to try a Bamberger Zwiebel. But since it was a holiday, no Bamberger Zwiebel! We ate there anyway. I had the Märzen and my wife the Kräusen. She said she preferred the Märzen.



That was enough for us for that day.

 

We loved it there. When we left we said we'd have to come back before we left but it doesn't look like that will happen as today is our last day in Bamberg. We're heading Geisfeld this afternoon.

Next time!

 

We are staying at the Munchner Hof on Tänglergasse. Want to meet up for a beer or 3?

 

Saturday June 6

The plan for today was to go to a Kirchweih, which is a local fair. I found one in Hernnsdorf with no details other than the dates. We decided to ride our bikes out there, about 18 miles round trip. Google Maps offered a couple of routes so I picked the shortest. BIG mistake, my gawd was it hilly!

And it was around 90° F. We made it, but were in desperate need of a beer. We found the Brauerei Barnikel, and there was a little bit of a crowd there until some piece of farm equipment showed up and everyone left.
We ordered two beers. There was a keg sitting there, yet the server disappeared into the bowels of the building and came back with two bottles of Lager Hell. Under the circumstances they tasted great and were quickly consumed. When we talked to the waitress when we ordered our next beer, we learned the Kirchweih really starts about 4 and the big day is Sunday with Bavarian music. Oh well, we tried. We tried the Kirchweihfestbier next with our meals and finally two more Hell but this time vom Fass.







Rather than kill ourselves, we found a longer but flatter route back to Bamberg. Since we were riding a route we hadn't planned I told my wife that if we saw a brewery, I was stopping. It would be rude, not to! Nancy was behind me and I thought she said that a brewery was coming up. I rode and never saw one. About 3-4 miles later, she asked me why I didn't stop when she said she saw a brewery. I just misunderstood her. We decided to ride back. It turned out not to be a brewery, but a Biergarten. It was literally in the middle of nowhere, but was serving Löwenbräu Buttenheim Kellerbier by gravity!


We had a couple and it was one of the best beers so far. It made the whole trip worthwhile. Finally we made it back to Bamberg but our 18 mile ride turned into 30. That was the longest ride we've ever done.
After getting cleaned up we headed over to Keesmann for dinner. They close at 2 on Saturdays! So we walked across the street to Mahrs. I had a couple of "U"s and Nancy a Weiss Bier and a Fest Weiss Bier. Two of the guys we were sitting with were speaking English so we said something to him. We started talking and the guy next to me joined in. A very enjoyable time.

The guy told us that the Fässla Keller was about 500 metres down the street. I didn't realize the place even existed. So we decided to head there for dinner. I ordered a Pils and my wife a Lagerbier. The Pils was very good. Unfortunately, the kitchen was closed and our only options were cold dishes. We made do. The guy from Mahrs and his wife (who doesn't speak English) showed up and the wife was talking to us like old friends, but we didn't understand most of it. Who says Germans aren't friendly?

 

Sounds like where we left Bamberg.

The Biergarten was about 3 miles past Bug. IIRC the nearest town was called Nuefeld.

When I get on a laptop at home I'll verif both of these.

 

No wi-fi all day.

We'd like to get together with you.

Those brauereien were pretty much our plan for Saturday, except by bike. If you'll recall, you gave me suggestions for two bike rides last fall.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/heading-to-germany-again.207999/

But we are happy to skip the bikes if you'd like to get together. We still have a ride planned for Sunday and that probably is enough bike riding.

We don't have a car while in Regensburg. Let me know when and where you'd like to meet.

 

Sunday June 7

Today we took the train down to Nürnberg to go the Frankerisches Bierfest. I wanted to attend a German Bierfest but I had little idea of what to expect. We walked from the Hauptbahnhof up to the Nürnberg Castle.

The Bierfest is held in what appears to have been the moat of the old castle. It's the most impressive setting for a beer festival that I've ever seen.



We drank beers from Rittmayer, Nikl Bräu, Held Bräu, Guttmann, Mager, Schanzenbräu, Krug - Bräu and Hofmann.





The best beers we had were the Nikl Bräu Helles and the Hofmann Hofmannstropen. My wife said the Guttmann Hefeweizen was the best she's had.

The grilled mackeral was good too!


Upon returning to Bamberg it was time for dinner. I still wanted a Bamberger Zwiebel so we headed over to Schenkerla. Turns out, no Zwiebel on Sundays either. So we headed over to Spezial and the kitchen was closed. We could get bratwurst and kraft with some Lagerbier so we did and called it a day.

 

Monday, June 8

The plan for the day was supposed to be Buttenheim in the morning, Boothaus-im-Hain for lunch and a bike ride to Geisfeld to go to the Griess Keller and Krug Brau. But the weather had other plans.

We ended up going to Schenkerla for lunch and I finally got a Bamberger Zwiebel! It was good but the filling was similar to the Klopse I had on Thursday.

Even though we knew only St. Georgenbräu would be open, we decided to head there anyhow. We didn't get a particularly warm reception but we stayed for a few beers and I bought a Krug.






We went to Keesmann for dinner as the Herrin Pils is one of my wife's favorite beers.