We came home with a one-of-a-kind experience from Germany that I’ve told over and over, only to realize I never shared it here on my blog. Go figure. What was it? It was a wild and crazy night at Augustiner Keller, the largest beer garden in Munich and a must-visit when in Munich.
It happened last summer in Munich, Germany. On our first night in Munich we ask the front desk at our hotel where we should go for dinner. We were staying at Citadines Arnulfpark Munich, an apartment-type hotel. They basically told us to just cross the street and walk a couple of blocks to a local beer garden. Sure enough we found ourselves at Augustiner Keller a massive beer garden.
What’s a Beer Garden?
Now you may be wondering what a beer garden is. I know I was unsure exactly what one was. Well, after visiting a few in Germany I’ve determined that these are large outdoor areas that are fenced in. In one area there is food and beer. You grab a tray, jump in line, and pick out what you want to eat. You then take your food and find a table to sit at. All the tables are picnic tables for community seating. In another section, there is usually a playground for kids.
Augustiner Keller
So, there we are at Augustiner Keller eating first-rate German food and beers that we didn’t have to pay that much for. After we ate the kids all hit the playground. While my husband and I are sitting there looking around we happen to notice that they have large TVs set up throughout the area. We wonder if they will be showing the World Cup here tomorrow night when Germany plays Argentina. So, we find someone to ask and sure enough, they are going to show the game. We think how cool would that be, but unfortunately, all the tables are spoken for. Now this place seats five thousand people, so that’s crazy!
Germany wins the World Cup!
After debating where we should go to watch the World Cup we decided to go back to Augustiner Keller and see if we could somehow get it. When we arrived the gates were closed and only those with reservations were getting in. We decided to hang around and see if anyone would be a no-show so we could get their table. It took about 10 minutes, but sure enough, we got seated at a table! Now we didn’t get one of the regular tables where we could just walk through the food and beer line.
There is an actual restaurant inside the beer garden and we were seated in that section. We were given a menu and had a waiter. The food was still affordable. We ordered some food and then proceeded to watch Germany win the World Cup 2014 alongside 5,000 Germans. They went nuts when Germany won! It was such a cool once-in-a-lifetime experience that we just happened into.
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