Franconian Beer Message Board
OT: Austria |
| Posted by Jason on 2013-07-30 05:55:58 |
| Hi Barry/all, I have just returned from a long weekend in Berchtesgaden and Salzburg after a very heavy stag do at Annafest, and cannot recommend the region highly enough. Berchtesgaden is just an hour by train from Salzburg and I'm sure you all know is famous for it's associations with Hitler and his various mountain retreats, most famous of all being the Kehlsteinhaus, dubbed the Eagle's Nest by the Americans. Whislt this should not be underestimated, it should also not dominate what is a stunning national park of mountains and lakes, the jewel in the crown being the wonderful Konigsee, probably the most beautiful lake I have visited. A visit to the top of various mountains (the best being the Kehlsteinhaus) is a must for panoramic views and most have restaurants atop which are very reasonablly priced all things considered, especially compared to similar mountain hostelries in Switzerland which are exorbitant. Berchtesgaden itself is a pretty town with 1 brewery, Hofbrauhaus Berchtesgaden, once part of the Thurn and Taxis group but now sadly owned by Inbev via Spaten. However, the beer is fine if not mind blowing (think Hofbrau Munich). A better option is a short train to the pretty town of Bad Reichenhall with an excellent brewery, Burgerbrau. I would recommend a night in this town, the brewery has rooms. Salzburg is somewhere I have been before numerous times and is unquestionably one of the most beautiful small cities in Europe. It's old town is small but full of historic buildings and churches, nestling below the historic castle on the river Zalzach. This past weekend I hired a car and ventured outside of Salzburg to the Salzkammergut region for the first time and was blown away. Think Sound of Music scenery; mountains, picture perfect lakes and lovely old towns. The pick of the bunch is Hallstatt and St. Wolfgang. The latter is at one end of the Wolfgangersee lake. This past weekend the weather was perfect, 35 degrees and not a cloud, the lakes were packed with locals enjoying swimming and boating. Above the lake is the famous Schafberg with it's wonderful 100+ years old cog railway with a gradient of 1 in 4 or 25%, the steepest in the world I believe. Again, the views from the top (1,700m) are sublime and the cost, €47 for boat cruise plus train journey (return) is a snip. There is a hotel on the top for a special occasion (or not), prices again reasonable for the views across the Alps and various lakes below. Sunset and sunrise must be incredible. Beer wise, Salzburg has one of the best kept secrets in European beer terms, the Augustiner Klosterbrau Muln which still exists in the Muln monastery. I would say it is the best beer garden/beer hall in the world and the beer is up there with any I have had. The brew 1 year round beer, the fabulous Marzen at just 4.6%, served gravity from huge wooden barrels. It is so tasty and well made, soft and oh so moreish. I've never drunk so much of 1 beer in 3 days, and barely a hangover. In wet weather/winter the 3 huge beers create an atmosphere unmatched in my opinion. Food stalls from independant producers line the entrance hall selling a range of delicious local food. It is sheer world class in every department. Even the self service aspect is wonderful, but I won't give it away, it's a unique surprise. There are other breweries, the small but good S'Guate and the lesser good Der Weisse, plus the massive Stiegl. Plus Gusswerk which Gerhard mentioned, but it's not accessible unless you have a car. It says a lot for Augustiner that this past weekend I didn't visit any of them except Gusswerk. Hope this helps anyone interested, happy to give more details if the above isn't quite enticing you enough. Vienna is also worth a visit and has some good modern breweries. Jason |
| Followups: |
 Vienna brewpubs by mike004 on 2013-07-30 07:09:04 |
| Vienna brewpubs by Jason on 2013-07-30 08:35:54 |
| Vienna brewpubs by Barry on 2013-07-30 09:43:22 |
| OT: Austria by Nick B. on 2013-07-30 23:32:36 |
| OT: Austria by jason on 2013-07-31 01:58:55 |
| OT: Austria by DonS on 2013-07-31 07:18:38 |
| OT: Austria by Nick B. on 2013-07-31 08:33:11 |
| OT: Austria by Nick B. on 2013-07-31 08:36:33 |
| Vienna brewpubs by Jason on 2013-07-31 14:32:43 |
| OT: Austria by Gerhard Schoolmann on 2013-07-31 23:09:48 |