Bamberg: a self-guided brewery tour

The German city of Bamberg is most famous for its nine breweries, all of which are worth a detour for a pint. You can take official brewery tours when you're exploring the city, but really they don't amount to much more than a couple of beer tastings. We'll take you for a quick look around some of Bamberg's major breweries and leave it up to you as to where you want to spend your 'beer day'.

Brauerei Fässla works both as a brewery and a hotel. So if you fancy spending a few nights in a building where the bed is just a short stagger from the bar, this is the place to be. They offer a pilsener, two types of wheat beer, a lager and an extra-strong beer called 'Bambergator'. You know you want to drink this one, if only because of its name!


Fassla Brewery in Bamberg.

Schlenkerla is probably the most visited Bamberg brewery, famous for its smoked beer prepared by drying the malt on an open fire. It features three types of smoked beer, each stronger than the last. Their strongest beer is so heavy and filling that you won’t need chips as a side dish. The brewery also makes a schnapps (liquor) using the same smoking process. If you're a fan of Jägermeister, you'll like Schlenkerla's homemade equivalent.