In my role as a beer tourist, I've been to the following locations in
Europe...

Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp
Germany -- Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf
Czech Republic -- Prague

Any other European venues to consider? Or should I just start working
my way through this list again?

Thanks
Bruce

In article ,
    wrote:

> In my role as a beer tourist, I've been to the following locations in
> Europe...

> Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp


Brugge, Liederkerke, Liege, Namur, - well, get Webbo's latest Belgian Beer
guide and start at page 1 really!


> Germany -- Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf
> Czech Republic -- Prague

> Any other European venues to consider? Or should I just start working
> my way through this list again?

> Thanks
> Bruce


-- 
Christine Ramsbottom

On 2 Jun 2005 07:50:08 -0700, bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


>In my role as a beer tourist, I've been to the following locations in
>Europe...
>
>Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp
>Germany -- Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf
>Czech Republic -- Prague
>
>Any other European venues to consider? Or should I just start working
>my way through this list again?
>
>Thanks
>Bruce


Fistfucker.

>
> > Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp
>
> Brugge, Liederkerke, Liege, Namur, - well, get Webbo's latest Belgian Beer
> guide and start at page 1 really!
>


I get the impression that these smaller Belgian towns will be similar
to Gent.

I've also heard many mentions of Bamberg in Germany. But is this a
specialist "rauchbier" place for enthusiasts only, I wonder?

Bruce

>> In my role as a beer tourist, I've been to the following locations in
>> Europe...
>
>> Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp
>
> Brugge, Liederkerke, Liege, Namur, - well, get Webbo's latest Belgian Beer
> guide and start at page 1 really!


Liederkerke ?????????????

Cheers,
Gunter

Belgium: Brugge, Hasselt (Hasselt is nothing like Gent or any other
typical Belgian town - great selection of local & (inter)national
beers, great food, great shopping & nightlife, ...), Ieper (aka Ypers).
Perhaps even De Haan and Knokke.

Netherlands: Maastricht

Austria: Innsbruck (yes, Austria!)

In article ,
    wrote:


> >
> > > Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp
> >
> > Brugge, Liederkerke, Liege, Namur, - well, get Webbo's latest Belgian
> > Beer guide and start at page 1 really!
> >

> I get the impression that these smaller Belgian towns will be similar
> to Gent.


So? Not every town has a 15th century cathedral with a pub in its crypt!
Some of them have their own breweries. Believe me, in Brussels it's never a
case of "if you've seen one small town, you've seen them all".
 

> I've also heard many mentions of Bamberg in Germany. But is this a
> specialist "rauchbier" place for enthusiasts only, I wonder?


No, it also has other beers. Again there is a Camra guide, produced by John
Conen IIRC.


> Bruce


-- 
Christine Ramsbottom

In article <qCVne.109128$zW2.6439950@phobos.telenet-ops.be>,
   March <gmarch@hotmail.invalid> wrote:

> >> In my role as a beer tourist, I've been to the following locations in
> >> Europe...
> >
> >> Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp
> >
> > Brugge, Liederkerke, Liege, Namur, - well, get Webbo's latest Belgian
> > Beer guide and start at page 1 really!

> Liederkerke ?????????????


Yes, it holds perhaps my favourite bar in Belgium...
 

> Cheers,
> Gunter


-- 
Christine Ramsbottom

In article ,
   eXo  wrote:

> Belgium: Brugge, Hasselt (Hasselt is nothing like Gent or any other
> typical Belgian town - great selection of local & (inter)national
> beers, great food, great shopping & nightlife, ...)


thanks - I was racking my brains when writing my first post trying to come
up with Hasselt. Some wonderful bars there.

-- 
Christine Ramsbottom

Christine schreef:

> In article ,
>    eXo  wrote:
> > Belgium: Brugge, Hasselt (Hasselt is nothing like Gent or any other
> > typical Belgian town - great selection of local & (inter)national
> > beers, great food, great shopping & nightlife, ...)
>
> thanks - I was racking my brains when writing my first post trying to come
> up with Hasselt. Some wonderful bars there.


Indeed. Sadly the eastern, or atleast the NE, part of Belgium is usualy
overlooked. I'm biased of course, I live only a few km outside of
Hasselt.


> 
> -- 
> Christine Ramsbottom

In article ,
Vodalus
 wrote:



> Christine schreef:
> > In article ,
> >    eXo  wrote:
> > > Belgium: Brugge, Hasselt (Hasselt is nothing like Gent or any other
> > > typical Belgian town - great selection of local & (inter)national
> > > beers, great food, great shopping & nightlife, ...)

> > thanks - I was racking my brains when writing my first post trying to
> > come up with Hasselt. Some wonderful bars there.

> Indeed. Sadly the eastern, or atleast the NE, part of Belgium is usualy
> overlooked. I'm biased of course, I live only a few km outside of
> Hasselt.


Probably because most of the invaders (er, visitors) are coming from the
West (across that wet stretch) and run out of steam before they've gone
particularly far inland?
Spoiled for choice within a mile or two of the coast and never recover. :-)

-- 
Steve Pampling

We need some floods.

Amsterdam,definitely-small but beautifully formed! 
Chris Gleave
 wrote in message 
news:1117723808.386682.77680@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...

> In my role as a beer tourist, I've been to the following locations in
> Europe...
>
> Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp
> Germany -- Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf
> Czech Republic -- Prague
>
> Any other European venues to consider? Or should I just start working
> my way through this list again?
>
> Thanks
> Bruce
> 

Christine wrote:

> In article ,
>     wrote:
> 
>[...]
>>I've also heard many mentions of Bamberg in Germany. But is this a
>>specialist "rauchbier" place for enthusiasts only, I wonder?
> 
> No, it also has other beers. Again there is a Camra guide, produced by John
> Conen IIRC.


John Conen's guide is useful and worth buying, but not a CAMRA guide.
He publishes it himself.  Good starter for the English-speaker, but
if you read German, Boris Braun's two guides to Franconia are also
worth getting.
-- 
dgs
"What, and join in your mad squid kettle games?" -- Lew Bryson

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


>>>Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp
>>
>>Brugge, Liederkerke, Liege, Namur, - well, get Webbo's latest Belgian Beer
>>guide and start at page 1 really!
> 
> I get the impression that these smaller Belgian towns will be similar
> to Gent.


Liederkerke is a smaller town, and nothing like Gent.  Why should others
be?  A visit to the Westhoek region, between Ieper/Ypres and the French-
Belgian border, isn't a bad idea at all.  Beer cuisine at the Hommelhof
in Watou, overnight accomodation at the Hotel Palace in Poperinge,
finding one's way to Westvleteren and its In de Vrede beer cafe...

Brugge is also so very much worth a visit, just to take in the town's
atmosphere if nothing else, but you get De Brugse Beertje as a bonus:
one of the country's best beer cafes.


> I've also heard many mentions of Bamberg in Germany. But is this a
> specialist "rauchbier" place for enthusiasts only, I wonder?


Not even close.  Two of the brewery-guesthouses there are known for
Rauchbier.  Only one of those two is known for serving only Rauchbier.
There are nine brewery guesthouses in Bamberg, plus the superb Cafe
Abseits for even more selection.  A train ride south will also get
you to Hirschaid, with its own brewery-guesthouse; Buttenheim, with
two brewery-guesthouses about a 25-minute walk from the train station;
and Erlangen, which has quite a few good pubs of its own, as well as
a modern-style brewpub.  If you have a car or are bicycling, there
are even more places in the immediate vicinity around Bamberg to enjoy
good, rustic, country-style beers; it seems like every small brewery-
guesthouse has its own take on the word "lager."

If you, as a beer enthusiast, haven't been to Bamberg yet, you are
seriously missing out.

Also, if you have time on the weekend of August 5th through 7th this
year, there is an impressive beer festival in Berlin.  If you read
German, http://www.bierfestival-berlin.de/ is the place to look.
I'll be there this year.  With 1700 beers on offer, it's pretty easy
to be choosy - even if you only go for your personal top 5%, that's
85 beers from which to choose!
-- 
dgs
"What, and join in your mad squid kettle games?" -- Lew Bryson

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


> In my role as a beer tourist, I've been to the following locations in
> Europe...
> 
> Belgium -- Brussels, Gent, Antwerp


Mechelen, Brugge, the Westhoek, all over the country really


> Germany -- Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf


Bamberg and its surrounding region!!  And the international beer
festival in Berlin, too.  From Berlin, take a train to Leipzig for
a day trip, and stop in at the Ohne Bedenken guesthouse to sample
the Leipziger Gose.  Berlin also has several brewpubs.

Regensburg, too:  Spitalhof, Kneitinger, and Bischofshof all have
great guest-houses, and if you like Regensburg-style bratwursts,
the oldest bratwurst restaurant in Germany is in Regensburg, right
by the Danube river.  Day-trip from Regensburg to the nearby Kloster
Weltenburg, and sample the Weltenburger Klosterbier at the guesthouse
there, or stop in Kelheim to visit that small city's two wheat-beer
brewery guesthouses, Schneider and Aukofer.  Been to Passau yet?


> Czech Republic -- Prague


Cesky Krumlov, Ceske Budejovice, Brno


> Any other European venues to consider? Or should I just start working
> my way through this list again?


You've given Austria a complete miss.  Salzburg and Vienna, beyond
being great touristic destinations, also have good beers on offer.
Salzburg has its Stiegl brewery, with a brewery museum and on-
premises Bierstube that is accessible only to museum visitors.
The Augustiner beer hall(s) in the Mlln district is an absolute
must-visit; the house lager is served by gravity dispense.  There's
also a great little brewery-guesthouse specialised in wheat beers,
on the other side of the river from the Altstadt.

Vienna has developed a substantial and impressive beer culture,
not just in its pubs ("Beiseln") but in a number of new-breed
brewpubs, including the Siebensternbru and the 1516 Brewing Co.
Would you ever think of going to Vienna to taste an impressive
well-made example of an IPA?  If you're a German-language reader,
Conard Seidl's various books on beer are recommended, and if Austria
is on your future itinerary - and it should be - a current edition of
Conrad Seidls Bier Guide would be well worth your while.  The section
on Vienna alone is worth the price of the book.
-- 
dgs
"What, and join in your mad squid kettle games?" -- Lew Bryson

In article ,
   dgs  wrote:

> Brugge is also so very much worth a visit, just to take in the town's
> atmosphere if nothing else, but you get De Brugse Beertje as a bonus:
> one of the country's best beer cafes.


After 4pm (unless they've changed the opening hours)

But then there are other places to visit before that :-)

-- 
Steve Pampling

Steven Pampling wrote:


> In article ,
>    dgs  wrote:
> 
>>Brugge is also so very much worth a visit, just to take in the town's
>>atmosphere if nothing else, but you get De Brugse Beertje as a bonus:
>>one of the country's best beer cafes.
> 
> 
> After 4pm (unless they've changed the opening hours)
> 
> But then there are other places to visit before that :-)


Sure - like the great little beer bar at the Hotel Erasmus.

All of this is well-covered in the new edition of Tim Webb's
GBG to Belgium.
-- 
dgs
"What, and join in your mad squid kettle games?" -- Lew Bryson

Beer guide and start at page 1 really!

>
>> Liederkerke ?????????????
>
> Yes, it holds perhaps my favourite bar in Belgium...


I suppose you mean "De Heeren Van Liederkerke"? World class bar and 
restaurant indeed. But Liederkerke a drinking town? What else is in 
Liederkerke that is wordt the visit? (BTW: "De Heeren", is actually just 
outside Liederkerke, in Denderleeuw ! )

Gunter

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com a crit :


>I've also heard many mentions of Bamberg in Germany. But is this a
>specialist "rauchbier" place for enthusiasts only, I wonder?
>  
>

No, not just rauchbiers (with an "s", since we're talking pale or amber 
Lager, Mrzen, Doppelbock or even Hefeweizen with smoked malt).
Bamberg is a 70,000-inhabitant city with no less than 9 breweries. Only 
two of them (Heller / Schlenkerla and Merz / Spezial) brew smoked beers. 
The rest offer most types of lager, plus some weizens.
On top of that, you'll find at Mahrs or Spezial, for exemple, a local 
version of Kellerbier / Zwickel (ie unfitered pale lager) called 
"Ungespundetes", a truly wonderful, very fresh-tasting, yet complex and 
subtle kind of beer. Definitely worth a go. Besdides, the city itself 
largely escaped bombing in WWII (unlike its neighbour Schweinfurt), and 
musters quite a few impressive examples of baroque arcitecture.

Cheers !

Laurent


-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

Il ne devrait pas tout le temps sursauter au bord des prcipices... 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

In article <sTRoe.111996$KI7.6628449@phobos.telenet-ops.be>,
   March <gmarch@hotmail.invalid> wrote:


> Beer guide and start at page 1 really!
> >
> >> Liederkerke ?????????????
> >
> > Yes, it holds perhaps my favourite bar in Belgium...

> I suppose you mean "De Heeren Van Liederkerke"? World class bar and 
> restaurant indeed. But Liederkerke a drinking town? What else is in 
> Liederkerke that is wordt the visit? 


I can't remember - I've never got past De Heeren!


> (BTW: "De Heeren", is actually just 
> outside Liederkerke, in Denderleeuw ! )

That's right! Very confusing.


> Gunter


-- 
Christine Ramsbottom

> > I've also heard many mentions of Bamberg in Germany. But is this a
> > specialist "rauchbier" place for enthusiasts only, I wonder?
>

> There are nine brewery guesthouses in Bamberg, plus the superb Cafe
> Abseits for even more selection.



Any web URLS for these guest houses? Can people book rooms via the
internet?

Thanks
Bruce

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com a crit :


>Any web URLS for these guest houses? Can people book rooms via the
>internet?
>  
>

http.//www.bierstadt.de, the links to the breweries are just  under the 
page header.

At least Fssla has an online form : http://www.faessla.de/buchung.phtml

Otherwise, try http.//www.hrs.com, which is a very good online 
reservation portal for Europe, but very strong on Germany.

Cheers !

Laurent


-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

Moi, quand on me laisse tomber un mouton en bronze de trois 
mtres de haut sur le pied droit... Je hurle ! 

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

>
> >Any web URLS for these guest houses? Can people book rooms via the
> >internet?
> >
> >
> http.//www.bierstadt.de, the links to the breweries are just  under the
> page header.
>



Good site! The place looks like a mini-Munich...
I've decided to pay a visit to Bamberg.

What's the best way to get there from UK?

My initial idea was to fly to Munich. But Frankfurt seems closer. Or
even Prague -- would that be a realistic option?!

Unfortunately there aren't many budget UK flights to Munich, Frankfurt.
Another option is budget flight to Cologne then ICE train down south...

Travel tips, please, from UK people who have visited Bamberg. Car hire
is out of the question -- public transport all the way. 

Bruce

On 7 Jun 2005 01:00:54 -0700, bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


>
>>
>> >Any web URLS for these guest houses? Can people book rooms via the
>> >internet?
>> >
>> >
>> http.//www.bierstadt.de, the links to the breweries are just  under the
>> page header.
>>
>
>
>Good site! The place looks like a mini-Munich...
>I've decided to pay a visit to Bamberg.
>
>What's the best way to get there from UK?
>
>My initial idea was to fly to Munich. But Frankfurt seems closer. Or
>even Prague -- would that be a realistic option?!
>
>Unfortunately there aren't many budget UK flights to Munich, Frankfurt.
>Another option is budget flight to Cologne then ICE train down south...
>
>Travel tips, please, from UK people who have visited Bamberg. Car hire
>is out of the question -- public transport all the way. 


The closest airport to Bamberg is Nuernberg. You might be able to get
a budget flight to there from e.g. Koeln/Bonn airport, using one of
the German budget airlines. I can't recall offhand whether the UK ones
serve it (I think Air Berlin might fly there from London - check).

Bamberg is on the secondary rail line which connects Nuernberg with
Wuerzburg; both these cities also have direct rail connections to
Frankfurt airport. It might be worth your while checking online what
British Airways and Lufthansa are charging for Frankfurt flights. They
are sometimes cheaper than the budget airlines.

Bamberg is a great place. Both the Faessla and Spezial breweries have
rooms. If they're full, the Altes Ringlein hotel is a good
alternative.

Whatever you do, don't miss out Mahrs! They'll have anything up to
four beers, all gravity dispensed.

Enjoy!


-- 
 
Regards

Mike

mikedotroebuckatgmxdotnet

> >
> >Travel tips, please, from UK people who have visited Bamberg. Car hire
> >is out of the question -- public transport all the way.
>
> The closest airport to Bamberg is Nuernberg. You might be able to get
> a budget flight to there from e.g. Koeln/Bonn airport, using one of
> the German budget airlines. I can't recall offhand whether the UK ones
> serve it (I think Air Berlin might fly there from London - check).
>
> Bamberg is on the secondary rail line which connects Nuernberg with
> Wuerzburg; both these cities also have direct rail connections to
> Frankfurt airport. It might be worth your while checking online what
> British Airways and Lufthansa are charging for Frankfurt flights. They
> are sometimes cheaper than the budget airlines.
>
>


Thanks, Mike. Your postings and what I have read on the net have
decided me.

I'll check out the Frankfurt flights option. But at the time I wish to
travel, there is a *huge* trade fair on.

The current itinerary is to fly cheapo to Cologne, then get train down
to Wurzburg and stay for the night. I am then only 1hr by train from
Bamberg.

Lodging costs in Bamberg seem pretty cheap.

After a few days in Bamberg, I can then make my way back up to Cologne/
Dusseldorf for a few beers before jetting back!

Question: How many days to spend in Bamberg? I thought maybe 3 days
from a 7 day holiday. Bamberg seems a smallish place.

Bruce

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:

>
> Question: How many days to spend in Bamberg? I thought maybe 3 days
> from a 7 day holiday. Bamberg seems a smallish place.


It _is_ pretty small. Three days will be enough; you can probably
comfortably do all the interesting brewhouses in Bamberg in two days,
but there are a number of interesting beers to be tried in the
surrounding towns/villages, which would take up another day.

-- 
Cheers

Mike

On 7 Jun 2005 06:08:59 -0700, bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


>The current itinerary is to fly cheapo to Cologne, then get train down
>to Wurzburg and stay for the night. I am then only 1hr by train from
>Bamberg.


There is always the train to Cologne. Eurostar now claim to be selling
through tickets from London, you just need to change platforms at
Brussels Midi.
-- 
Arthur Figgis                Surrey, UK

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com a crit :


>I'll check out the Frankfurt flights option. But at the time I wish to
>travel, there is a *huge* trade fair on.
>  
>

A pretty regular occurence there... as well as in Cologne and 
Dsseldorf, by the way !


>The current itinerary is to fly cheapo to Cologne, then get train down
>to Wurzburg and stay for the night. I am then only 1hr by train from
>Bamberg.
>  
>

Seems fine enough, but do look up flights to Munich as well, since the 
train ride from Munich airport to Bamberg is between three hours and 
three and a half, about one hour shorter than from Cologne / Bonn airport.
(timetables : http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de)


>Lodging costs in Bamberg seem pretty cheap.
>  
>

They are indeed.


>After a few days in Bamberg, I can then make my way back up to Cologne/
>Dusseldorf for a few beers before jetting back!
>  
>

What a terrible prospect ! ;o)))


>Question: How many days to spend in Bamberg? I thought maybe 3 days
>from a 7 day holiday. Bamberg seems a smallish place.
>  
>

seconding Mike here, three days is enough to see the city in detail and 
visit most brewery taps. without being in a hurry.

Cheers !

Laurent

-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

Un vent de dmence souffle sur les alpages... Laissons souffler et abritons-nous... 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


>>>Any web URLS for these guest houses? Can people book rooms via the
>>>internet?


As you've already gotten a couple of good hints, let me just add a
couple more:  hotel.de is okay, and will point you to well-priced rooms
near the city centre.  The Ringhotel National, for instance, at 57
euros, is a short walk from the main train station, and also an easy
walk to Fssla, Spezial, and the Maisel-owned Bamberger Weissbierhaus.
It's also not a far walk to Keesman and Mahr's in Wunderburg.  Then
you get to cross the river for Schlenkerla, where you *will* learn to
like the Rauchbier if you don't already.  (I adore it.)

The recommendations for staying at either the Fssla or Spezial are
also good; both have accomodation at reasonable prices, and so does
that Weissbierhaus just down the street.  Hard to go wrong with that,
really.

Another interesting alternative is the Altenburgblick, with rooms at
48 euros.  It's a bit out of the centre, but really not so far, and
it's comfortable and quiet there.  Best of all, it's owned by the
same family who own the Greifenklau brewery and pub, and the pub is
up a steep but quick walking path from the hotel.  The pub also has
a nice beer garden out back.


> Good site! The place looks like a mini-Munich...
> I've decided to pay a visit to Bamberg.


Boy, you're easy.  BTW, if you're going in warm-weather season, you're
in for a treat.  Outdoor beer-drinking is quite popular in Bamberg.  The
garden in front of Mahr's is a particular pleasure, but if the weather
is good, get thee up to the Spezial Keller, with Spezial's beer range
and a wonderful view of the city.

If you want real fun, go during the last week of July.  Then you can
take a day-trip down to Forchheim on the train, and stop in at the
Annafest - a beer festival that for sheer enjoyment and quality of
beer puts Munich's little late-September bacchanal to shame.  This
year, Annafest runs 23rd July to 1st August.


> What's the best way to get there from UK?
> 
> My initial idea was to fly to Munich. But Frankfurt seems closer. Or
> even Prague -- would that be a realistic option?!


How about Stansted-Nrnberg on Air Berlin?  The flight schedules
aren't the best, but you'll get there relatively inexpensively.
Nrnberg's airport is convenient, and has good transport connections;
there's an U-Bahn station there that takes you right to the main
train station in short order, where you can change for the train up
to Bamberg.
-- 
dgs
"What, and join in your mad squid kettle games?" -- Lew Bryson

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


> [...]
> The current itinerary is to fly cheapo to Cologne, then get train down
> to Wurzburg and stay for the night. I am then only 1hr by train from
> Bamberg.


You might also find a cheap STN-NUE flight; if the flight gets in
late, overnight in Nrnberg, then take the short train ride up to
Bamberg.  Easy.


> Lodging costs in Bamberg seem pretty cheap.


It's quite reasonable.  So are beer prices and food at the brewery
guest-houses.


> Question: How many days to spend in Bamberg? 


The rest of your life?


> I thought maybe 3 days
> from a 7 day holiday. Bamberg seems a smallish place.


It is, and your guesstimate is about right.  But there are a *lot*
of destinations nearby, even on the train.  Stop in Hirschaid, where
the local brewery guest-house is just a few minutes' walk from the
train station.  Or Buttenheim, with two breweries.  Or Erlangen, a
good city for a pub crawl.

Just to give you an idea, go to www.franconiabeerguide.com and do a
bit of browsing.
-- 
dgs
"What, and join in your mad squid kettle games?" -- Lew Bryson

>
> How about Stansted-Nürnberg on Air Berlin?  The flight schedules
> aren't the best, but you'll get there relatively inexpensively.
> Nürnberg's airport is convenient, and has good transport connections;
> there's an U-Bahn station there that takes you right to the main
> train station in short order, where you can change for the train up
> to Bamberg.
> --


Thanks for your reply.
I'm based in Yorkshire, so flying from Stansted might not be the best.
Options are Easyjet flights to Cologne from Nottingham, Liverpool or
various airlines from Manchester. Or its an expensive BA/Lufthansha
flight Manchester-Frankfurt.


Bruce