While Munich is the capital of Bavaria – there is plenty of wonderful beer in the rest of southern Germany. If you do get to travel there, be sure to seek out the Andechs Monastery (Kloster) and Brewery – which is located on the Holy Mountain above the eastern shore of Lake Ammersee in the middle of Upper Bavaria’s Five-Lakes Region. About 30 minutes south of Munich you can get a great view of how the real beer garden and religious community traditions of the region work together.
Andechs's Kloster on the Holy Mountain
You can enjoy the beautiful church – take in the Mass if you like, stop at the gift shop on your way to the beer hall and buy a beer glass (or cross). There enjoy liters (or half liters if you are already full) of Bock, Helles, Dopplebock and Weiss – while looking over the beautiful Bavarian countryside. But don’t expect a salad, potatoes or veggie with your meal – unless you bring them with you. Instead you’ll find meat – a lot of large hunks of roasted meat – to be the center of your traditional Bavarian meal. If you aren’t meat-centric (or didn’t bring your own sides) don’t worry, there’s a full restaurant at the bottom of the hill with veggies spaetzle and the rest
The beer was fresh, delicious and plentiful and thankfully not very expensive. Tough to beat watching the rain blow in off the distant alps with a liter of Dopplebock and friends (and of course some meat!)
Plenty of great beer at the Kloster
