It’s been exactly one hundred years since the Hofbräuhaus welcomed its most notorious patron, Adolph Hitler. Today, however, the venerable Munich beer hall is the haunt of hen parties from Britain and tourists of all stripes eager to take in one of the city’s top attractions.
The dictator (who famously spawned the Nazi party there in 1920) has been just one in a long list of notable personalities – from Mozart to Vladimir Lenin, Louis Armstrong, JFK, and, as recently as last year, Charles and Camilla – to stop in for a “mass” (litre mug) of beer since inception in 1589.
Such is the renown of HB that when King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden invaded Bavaria during the Thirty Years’ War in 1632, he threatened to sack and burn the entire city of Munich unless its citizens surrendered a few hostages and 600,000 barrels of Hofbräuhaus beer.
Except for its famous hall, the “schwemme,” the Hofbräuhaus did burn during World War II, but was rebuilt and re-opened in 1958, soon becoming the closest thing Munich has to year-round Oktoberfest.
Indeed, with a capacity of 1,300 in the main floor schwemme and 650 in the second-floor festaal (Hitler’s haunt) – the venue is like a permanent small beer tent at the fall festival, especially when the house is rocking to the lederhosen-clad Bavarian oompah beerhall band on centre stage, and patrons break into the traditional whirling schuhplattler dance, dodged by amazing waitresses hoisting and hauling up to 10 masses of beer at a time.
For some (relative) respite, there’s also the 400-seat beer garden with a fountain and shaded by ancient oak trees.
Importantly, the HB retains a significant local clientele, who stand out from the visiting hordes in local traditional fashion, and who are afforded their own tables, self-fill beer tap, and “steinvault” cubbies to lock up and store personal beer steins. On my first visit, I watched a regular burst into tears after dropping his beautiful ornate, antique mug.
I presume the tears were for his prized possession, but may well have been over the spilt beer: the brewery’s traditional dunkl, or dark beer, or perhaps the lighter “original,” or fizzy weissbier (wheat beer), for which the Haufbrau had once held the exclusive right to brew via ducal privilege. (Wine and non-alcoholic beer are also served).
Food is homemade and distinctly Bavarian, including a variety of sausages from the HB butchery.
With all its excesses, Hofbräuhaus may not be considered the best beer hall in Munich, but it is the most popular, and a requisite slice of Bavarian culture and hospitality for visitors.
As such, one doesn’t have to love beer to go there. But on the other hand, why fight it? As the venue’s own song (composed in 1935) says: “Oans, zwoa, g’suffa” – one, two, three, drink up!
Hofbräuhaus am Platz, is located in the centre of Munich (underground lines U3/U6 and S-Bahn stop: Marienplatz) and is open daily from 9 a.m. to midnight. Live Bavarian music is played every day from noon to 4 p.m. and 6 to 11:30 p.m. A free exhibition on the hall’s 400-year history is also open from 9 to 5.
“Pub Crawl” is an ongoing series in which we reveal some of our favourite public houses, both at home and abroad – and, in the spirit of the establishment, invite you to share with us yours. Send suggestions to baginski@travelindustrytoday.com.