Muenchen!

[newguy]

I depart for Germany in a week (my 40th birthday present to myself) for the beer trip of a lifetime. Two nights in Munich for Oktoberfest and some bullshit palace (damn wife wasting my precious beer trinken time), one night in Dusseldorf (Alt!), one night in Cologne (Kolsch!), two nights in Brussels (Belgian beer and more bullshit history/culture - wife again), then one last night in Amsterdam before flying back home.

Thank goodness the human liver is rather resilient. :icon_drunk:

 

[brendo]

I depart for Germany in a week (my 40th birthday present to myself) for the beer trip of a lifetime. Two nights in Munich for Oktoberfest and some bullshit palace (damn wife wasting my precious beer trinken time), one night in Dusseldorf (Alt!), one night in Cologne (Kolsch!), two nights in Brussels (Belgian beer and more bullshit history/culture - wife again), then one last night in Amsterdam before flying back home.

Thank goodness the human liver is rather resilient. :icon_drunk:

Sounds like a hell of a trip... and happy birthday too :kooi:

 

[bconnery]

I depart for Germany in a week (my 40th birthday present to myself) for the beer trip of a lifetime. Two nights in Munich for Oktoberfest and some bullshit palace (damn wife wasting my precious beer trinken time), one night in Dusseldorf (Alt!), one night in Cologne (Kolsch!), two nights in Brussels (Belgian beer and more bullshit history/culture - wife again), then one last night in Amsterdam before flying back home.

Thank goodness the human liver is rather resilient. :icon_drunk:

Awesome trip.
I'm sure there'll be beer near the palace...

Don't be two quick to discount the history/culture in Brussels. Half of it is beer anyway
When I was there we saw a sign for a festival of Belgian Culture to be held in the main square.
It was all food, beer and people walking together on these stilt things on the ground. It was bloody brilliant. Best of all the breweries hooked up kegs to the Mannekin Pis statue so he peed beer instead

If you are still planning beer in Amsterdam there's a cool brewery in a windmill call t'Ij. It is only open reduced hours, or at least was when I went there some 8 years ago, and isnt' right in the main drag but its worth a visit.

 

[cdbrown]

When at oktoberfest I'd recommend staying away from Hofbrau and Lowenbrau tents and enjoying the other tents. The locals are very friendly and generally avoid the drunken aussie/kiwi/safas that hit the big tents.

 

[beerbrewer76543]

You could check out the Cantillion Brewery in Brussels, very interesting place and beers!

 

[pk.sax]

Congrats mate. Steer the wife to the 'english gardens' in Munich and enjoy a few cold ones there. Nowhere better to down some some unexpected surprises may come alon too

The palace (think ur talkin abt neu schweinstein) is a bit over rated fwiw but the place around is awesome. A bit of a long train +bus ride to there and then tours of the castle close sorta early :S try and convince the wife to do something more worthwhile. There is a ton of shops in Munich and if I rem right, a whole street full of fashion houses. Anything to buy u an extra day in the city. Hehehe. Prost!

 

[Josh]

Fantastic trip there.

The best rule I learned at Oktoberfest was to tip well. We paid E10 per litre and were drinking at 1205 on opening day. Everyone around us was still dry when we were ordering our second beer.

 

[Florian]

The palace (think ur talkin abt neu schweinstein) is a bit over rated fwiw but the place around is awesome.

You've just converted the swan to a pig! (Schwan=swan, Schwein=pig) That castle is called Schloss Neuschwanstein. :icon_cheers:

 

[pk.sax]

Ahahahaa. See, I don't wanna remember it. lol. Swan becomes pig or vice versa, I wonder if some good beer perhaps they have.
Ps: I'm taking a guess ur actually German, a friend shares ur name and I hardl know any non-german florians. Happ to be corrected, but the day is better spent elsewhere

 

[jbirbeck]

You've just converted the swan to a pig! (Schwan=swan, Schwein=pig) That castle is called Schloss Neuschwanstein. :icon_cheers:

I liked heading out the Neuschwanstein...but I drove and we came back for dinner at Lowenbrau keller where I knocked off a few mass and some schweinshaxe...

http://www.loewenbraeukeller.com/english/biergarten.html

I've been to Munich a few times and after getting rained out of the Biergartens in the gardens we ended up at Lowenbraukeller - that was summer. Best night of a 12 month trip. Good food good beer, good atmoshpere and we were the only tourists. we returned the next winter and went in for lunch. First time I was there was with Contiki at the Hofbrau haus - good night but I wouldn't go back. Would love to go back to Munich again though, and another few drinks at the Lowenbraukeller.

recommendation - if you must enjoy buildings and things, do it sitting in a cafe/restaurant gazing at the beautiful buildings drinking quality food. but be warned the beers in Brussels can be a bit pricey if your not careful. After spending 8 euro on a litre in Germany i got hit in Bruges for 18 Euro for the same...a bottle of Orval was cheap though in another little cafe (away from the tourists again)

 

[AussieJosh]

Most places in europe you can drink while walking around on the streets! So there is no reason you cant be drinking and be half cut while your wife takes you to places you dont really want to be!

Enjoy your trip and your birthday!

 

[Florian]

Ahahahaa. See, I don't wanna remember it. lol. Swan becomes pig or vice versa, I wonder if some good beer perhaps they have.
Ps: I'm taking a guess ur actually German, a friend shares ur name and I hardl know any non-german florians. Happ to be corrected, but the day is better spent elsewhere

:icon_offtopic:
Yep, you're right, although that name also exists in Italy, France, Poland and many others, obviously pronounced differently in each country.
I have never actually been to Neuschwanstein or the Oktoberfest, in fact I have only been in Muechen once when I was four years old.

A bit more on topic: When going to Germany, I'd always recommend to go to Berlin, too, it's pretty hard to beat that city. although it's not really known for it's beers, apart from Berliner Weisse, which I couldn't drink litres and litres of.

Anyway Newguy, whatever you do, i'm sure you will have lots of fun, and the more you stay away from the tourist tracks (like in any country) the more fun you will actually have, promised!

 

[goomboogo]

Newguy, congratulations on the 40th. It sounds like the ideal present you've given yourself. Better than socks and underwear. I'm sure you and your liver are going to enjoy yourselves. Who knows, you may even like the bullshit palace/culture/history. It'd be great to see some photos of the trip after you return.

 

[newguy]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to the whole trip, even the odd cultural excursion at the behest of my wife. Thanks also for the tips from those that have been there before - I do appreciate them all.

And I will be taking and posting plenty of pictures upon my return.

Oh, and practicalfool, yes, I read somewhere that parts of the Englischer Garten have the occasional nudist parading around. Although I'm not sure how many nudists I can expect given the weather at this time of the year... :lol:

 

[Jazman]

Youl love muenchen wish i had more time there last year i was in the augustiner fischer vironi tent was good and if you had the time the beerfest in Stuttgart is just as good and is on the same time your are in Muenchen Just remember a beer drinking song they play all the time its a toast song Ein Prosit Ein Prosit Gemuetlickteit is the words you need to know


Prost

 

[pk.sax]

Haha. They also sing something that equates to 'My red rubber gummy boat'. Not that I know how to sing it. Have loads of fun.

 

[Eater]

Just got back frm a Biertour event over there, was a great time
www.biertour.com

Travelled to Munich to sample as many beer gardens as we could, along with tiny tiny corner pubs unable to accomodate the girth of a few of my travelling companions
Travelled over to Belgium (Brussels) for the beer festival there, awesome awesome beers and great people. Find a place called Leons for buckets of tasty mussels and great chips. Thier house beer is also damn fine
Then up to Bamberg to taste the famous Rauchbier of fine smokey aroma and flavour.
Finished the trip off with a visit to Tegernsee, stunning view and great local beer
Did all this to the amazement of the locals that thought we were lost British tourists that got there to early for Oktoberfest

Great time
Great Beers

 

[waggastew]

Tegerneer Hell is a top brew made in an amazing location. Was the house brew when I lived in Munich for a few months.

Trip sounds awesome. My feet are felling itchy!

 

[bum]

Then up to Bamberg to taste the famous Rauchbier of fine smokey aroma and flavour.

I hate you.

Have fun, Newguy - just don't go to Bamberg.

 

[Eater]

But if you do go up to taste damn fine smokey beer of awesome flavour i can recommend this place

http://www.faessla.de/englisch.phtml

to stay in, as it was cheap, is a brewery, makes damn fine beers, and across the road is the Spezial brewhaus that does its own awesome Rauchbier along with deep fried pork knuckle