Germany – Visiting a Biergarten: Hirschgarten
“While in Germany, one must visit a biergarten.” The phrase should be set in stone because the biergarten is such wonderful piece of German culture. A biergarten or beer garden is an outdoor area with tables, where you can enjoy a beer and some food in the sunshine. As a newbie, I am not going to lie, it was intimidating to visit a biergarten. But once I knew some basics, I fell in love with bringing a picnic, grabbing a beer, and enjoying being outdoors in the afternoon. Here are my tips for visiting a biergarten.
Hirschgarten
During our visit to southern Germany, the most official biergarten we went to was Hirschgarten. Hirschgarten is beer garden on the edge of a park about 10 minutes from Munich city center. It is enormous and can hold up to 8000 people. We were lucky to have warm weather the day we visited, so there were a fair amount of people at Hirschgarten, but only a hundred or so. I cannot even imagine 8000 people. We went here after visiting Dachau concentration camp to raise our spirits. But it would also pair nicely with a visit to Nymphenburg Palace. Surrounded by chestnut trees and green grass of the public park, it was a peaceful way to spend the afternoon. I will be referencing our visit to Hirschgarten, but the tips apply for all biergartens!
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 stars, would do it again in a heartbeat
- Intensity: Sandals a cute outfit… or drindle!
- Duration: 1 hour +
- Cost: Free to enter, pay for beer and food
- Location: 10 minutes outside Munich to visit Hirschgarten
- Restrooms: Large bathroom downstairs
Highlights:
- Enjoying a beer and picnic under the shade of the chestnut trees
- Experiencing German tradition
Finding a Table
Many biergartens have restaurants but they do not necessarily serve all the tables. Head to the tables with a tablecloth if you want to eat at the restaurant. Go to the table without a tablecloth to eat a picnic lunch. Yes, you can bring food into many biergartens! Prepare yourself to choose your own table and serve yourself in the non-tablecloth section. This means carrying your own food and steins to the table – good luck! Also be sure to avoid any tables labeled with “Stammtische”, which means roughly “reserved for regulars.” These seats are a hard-earned privilege and deserve respect.
If a biergarten is busy and you find a couple seats at a communal table, always be sure to ask if the seats are open. Even if you cannot speak German, your table-mates will likely understand if you smile and gesture to the open seats. If they are open you can take your place, but don’t feel obligated to continue talking to your table-mates. Most will probably go back to their own conversation, which is exactly what happened when another mother-daughter combo asked to share our table at Eibsee Lake. If you notice it is getting crowded in the biergarten, make room for more people to fit. Welcoming strangers to share a table is the German way.
Finding a Table at Hirschgarten
At Hirschgarten, it is obvious which tables were part of the restaurant with service – they were right next to the entrance building, with red tablecloths and umbrellas over the tables. This was only a small percentage of the 8,000 seats in Hirschgarten and we had our pick from more than a hundred non-tableclothed tables. We chose a quiet table with only a few other couples around and put down our picnic bags. One great thing about Hirschgarten is that it was so large that it didn’t feel weird to be bringing in a large bag of food.
Getting a Beer
It is helpful to know a little about German beers before getting in line. If you know nothing else, these three categories will help from TripSaavy:
- Helles (light)
- Weizen (wheat)
- Dunkel (dark)
There were two beer stations open at Hirschgarten, the day we went. One of them was specifically for serving the Radler (description in next paragraph) and had only one-liter steins. The steins are on the side of the building. We asked what to do and the cashier woman told us to get a stein, wash it, and bring it to them. The washing instructions were confusing (were these glasses clean?), but did as instructed in a nearby sink. Later I read that the washing is at very few biergartens and is for you to rinse out your stein if you are getting a second round. Yes, the glasses are clean! They filled mine up and I paid in cash – they did not accept credit cards. At the other beer station, there was a large menu for different types of beers with the half-liter option. My mother got a half-liter dunkel.
Since I have no knowledge beer and prefer wine, I discovered the Radler at the biergarten in Konigssee and fell in love. The Radler is a mix of light beer and lemonade or sprite. Sounds odd at first for an American, but it is light, refreshing, and not too sweet. It is normally a light beer, but at the second beer station at Hirschgarten I saw a Dunkel Radler, which would be a dark beer mixed with lemonade or sprite. I had it everywhere we went! I also saw many adult men headed to the Radler-only beer station, so don’t go around calling it a girly drink. It is a drink for everyone.
Packing a Picnic
Bringing our own picnic to a biergarten was amazing. Not only did we save money by shopping at grocery stores, there was a real hominess to bringing our own food. I could also choose more vegetarian or vegan options at the grocery store. We got a loaf of pre-cut bread, some pre-sliced cheese (including the very silly mouse-shaped cheese), a salad, apples, baby carrots, a pretzel, and some chocolates. Be sure that things are either pre-cut or that you have the proper utensils to enjoy the meal. Also ensure your salad has dressing included! The one thing that would have really added to the ambiance of the picnic was bringing our own tablecloth – a real local move.
I felt the most in German spirit when I was sipping on my Radler and snacking on our bread with different cheeses in the open air of the biergarten. We could eat and drink without being in any rush. The shade dappled table and warm breezes made for the perfect afternoon. A woman came and sat at the table next to us and pulled out a book. And that is what I love about the biergartens we visited. They were more about enjoying some sunshine and relaxing, than about drinking. Although I didn’t see any kids at Hirschgarten, I could see the biergarten being a family-friendly environment to bring a lunch or dinner.
Tips for Visiting a Biergarten
- You can bring your own food to biergarten if you sit at a table without a tablecloth
- Avoid the tables labeled “Stammtische”, which are reserved for regulars
- Ask to share a table before sitting
- Make room for others to share your table when it gets busy
- Bring cash
- Know a little about German beers before getting one
- Check the different stations for half-liter options
- Rinse your stein before refilling it at Hirschgarten
- Bring your own utensils and tablecloth when packing a picnic
- Prost (cheers) before drinking
Overall Thoughts: Visiting a Biergarten
Since I am not a big beer drinker, I was a bit intimidated to visit a biergarten. But once you do it, you realize how great they really are! These tips apply just about everywhere, including beer halls. The things I loved the most about visiting a biergarten is the outdoor element and ability to bring our own food! Cannot beat drinking in shade of a chestnut tree with a hand-picked selection of grocery store cheese!
Would add any tips for visiting a biergarten? Have you gone to one before and did you like it? Next time I visit Munich, I would love to go to the biergarten in the English Gardens. Any others you recommend I visit. Let me know in the comments!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
