Bavaria, Germany - Andechs Abbey and Beer Garden




This photo was "borrowed" from Wikipedia. 
Andechs Monestary in all it's glory.

After we arrived in Bavaria, our family and friends highly recommended a trip to Andechs Abbey.  They said it is a MUST for any beer lover. With all the wedding festivities, our time was tight, but we were able to slip away and spend a few hours at Andechs. I'm so glad we didn't miss out on the experience...and the beer!

The colorful beer garden at Andechs Abbey.

Perched up on a hill overlooking the picturesque Ammersee (Ammer lake) sits the Benedictine monastery where monks have been praying and making beer since 1455.  If we had the time, we would have loved to tour the entire monastery, but since we only had a few hours, we knew our priorities.  After a quick tour of the ornate Baroque church, we headed directly to the beer garden.  It has a large indoor beer hall and outdoor garden overlooking the lake.  In both areas, patrons sat on long tables enjoying giant mugs of beer and huge plates of food. Fortunately we were with a large group, including an experienced German traveler who knew the ropes.  It was at Andechs where we learned how a true beer garden works.  There are no servers, you pick up what you want at counters. One line forms near the kitchen area where food is served.  Another line forms by the counter in front of huge kegs of beer. The lines may be long, but due to German efficiency, they move very quickly.  Several people from our party went to pick up the beer, and several went for food.  The mugs are designed so you can carry three, four or even five at a time. We ended up with a table full of  food and drink, undoubtedly some of the best that Germany has to offer.



It's easy to carry four beers.

 What did we have:  Since it was a chilly afternoon, and I tend to pick my beer type by the climate, I chose to drink a half-liter of dunkel (dark ale).  Others selected the traditional helles (blond lager) and the weiss (hefeweiss wheat).  Everyone raved. The beer at Andechs is truly tasty, and beautiful in color, too.  As for food, we had a virtual feast.  We purchased plates of bratwurst, pork ribs and large soft pretzels.  In addition there were bowls of traditional potato salad and sauerkraut. I sampled it all and now I understand why Germans are such hearty folks.  Definitely a stick-to-your-ribs meal. I had to take a long hike the next day to make up for this meal.

The boy was happy with his souvenirs. 

What's fun:  The atmosphere at Andech is truly unique.  First of all, the physical location and the long history makes it truly awe inspiring.  Over the years multitudes have visited the monastery to pray, sometimes in hopes of a miracle cure that reportedly has occurred.  But once you step into the beer garden, it's all festivity and fun. Crowds of locals and tourists alike, enjoying their beer and food in the lively beer hall.  Outside, the garden is surrounded with bright orange geraniums. Patrons sit with their dogs sitting quietly beside them, or in one case, snuggled on an old man's lap. Since the seating is family style, old sit with young, couples next to families, everyone immersed in conversation.  It's the German way, and it's fun.  Also, there is a great gift shop, one like I've never been to before.  Half the shop is dedicated to religious artifacts, a variety of crosses, medals and statues of saints.  The other half has beer steins, bottle openers and bottled beer.  It's really unusual, but since there is something there for every visitors, I bet they make a hefty profit.





Monks have been making beer for years.