Amberg, yes Amberg (www.amberg.de), in the Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) region of the German State of Bayern (Bavaria); the Oberpfalz borders the more famous, beer-wise, Franken (Franconia) region of Bavaria, home to the justifiably world-renowned beer and tourist city of Bamberg, with its ten or more breweries; the seventy-seven page White Beer Travels guide to Bamberg, and its accompanying Beer Hunt maps, are available from the Downloads page. Amberg, like Bamberg, has a number of outstanding tourist attractions, these being covered below.

An invaluable source of information when preparing for my first trip to Amberg was the don't-enter-Germany-without Good Beer Guide Germany (ISBN 1 85249 219 8) (www.german-breweries.com, White Beer Travels Web page), by Steve Thomas. It is published by the UK's premier beer consumers' organisation, CAMRA, the CAMpaign for Real Ale, www.camra.org.uk. The following was also a great help: Oberpfälzer Bierführer. Alle Brauereien - alle Biere, by Harald Schieder and Ralph Forster (1999, MZ Buchverlag (www.mz-buchverlag.de) ISBN 3-9131904-56-3). The same authors also have a book covering the Bavarian Region of Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria): Bierführer Niederbayern. Alle Brauereien - alle Biere (2000, ISBN 3-9131904-74-1). Note that the Oberpfalz one, as well as covering Oberpfalz breweries, also features some in the Altmühltal (Altmühl Valley) in Niederbayern, such as the famous Wheat Beer producer, Schneider (www.schneider-weisse.de), in Kelheim, which is where the Altmühl joins the Danube. The Oberpfalz one also covers the Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg (Weltenburg Monastic Brewery) (www.weltenburger.de), in Kelheim-Weltenburg, which was founded in 1050, making it the oldest Monastic Brewery in the world; it has outlets in Amberg, see below and below. The Benedictine Kloster Weltenburg (www.kloster-weltenburg.de), is spectacularly situated in a bend in the Danube.

Kelheim (including Weltenburg) and Amberg, and a good number of other excellent Speciality/Specialty/Craft Beer places, are connected by an excellent, 311 kilometre (194 mile) cycle track (which can be walked on), the Fünf-Flüsse-Radweg (Five Rivers Cycle Track). Its marvellous route features the rivers Pegnitz, Vils, Naab, Donau (Danube) and Altmühl; click here to see a map of the route. Other places on the cycle track include Nuremberg, Regensburg, and the famous Hop Town of Hersbruck, see below. Amberg is also on the Bier- und Burgen Strasse (Beer and Castles Route), see the Ostbayern (East Bavaria) section of www.bierundburgenstrasse.de.

Brewing Establishments in Amberg & Their Outlets

Amberg has no "B" at the front, but there are still six breweries in the town. Six is a good number of breweries for a town with a population of 44,596 (2003), but at one time, Amberg had many more breweries. Klaus Ehm's essential website, www.klausehm.de, has a great number of scans of beer bottle labels from a number of places, worldwide; Germany is covered in the most detail. However, the site is an essential source of information on the chronology and changing names/ownership of breweries, past and present, for example, if you want information on Amberg breweries, click on "Historisches Brauereiverzeichnis Deutschland" (Historical Brewery Directory Germany) (www.klausehm.de/Uebersicht.html), and then on "Amberg bis Appenweier" (www.klausehm.de/A6.html).

Below are individual listings for all the brewing establishments in Amberg, which are still operational, the first three, the Brauerei Bruckmüller, Schloderer Bräu and the Brauerei Winkler, being within the Town Wall (Stadtmauer). Zum Kummert Bräu is outside the wall, but has a number of outlets within it, as do Winkler and Bruckmüller, in addition to their taps, an example being a very nice Bruckmüller outlet, the bar/restaurant, Russwurmhaus, Eichenforstgässchen 14, which is on the river Vils, as can be seen in the photo to the left, which was taken by John White, in November, 2006.

Unless indicated otherwise, prices quoted are from November, 2006, and for beer, they are for 50cl measures, which is just under an Imperial Pint (57cl), and just under a US one (47cl). A map pinpointing the main places featured in this Web page on Amberg's Speciality Beer scene can be obtained by clicking here; it is best printed at ~A4/Letter size.

Brauerei Bruckmüller, Vilsstraße 2-6, www.bruckmueller.de

The photos above were taken by John White, in November, 2006. The one on the left shows the entrance to the Bruckmüller Brewery; the Brew House can be seen through the window on the left hand side of the photo. To the right of this window is the sign, a close up of which can be seen in the photo, above right. As well as its own beers, Bruckmüller brews the beers for this "brewery" which no longer brews, having closed in 1989: the Hans Falk Weizenbierbrauerei (Wheat Beer Brewery). Some "Falcon" beers, see the logo, are available in the Bruckmüller tap, the Bräuwirtshaus, and are available in a number of other places in the town, some examples being given in this Web page.

The above photos of the outside of the Bruckmüller tap, the Bräuwirtshaus, and one of its rooms were taken by John White, in November, 2006. The entrance to the brewery, featured in the photos at the top of this section are down from the tap entrance, on the left hand side of the photo. The tap has a most pleasant, traditional multi-roomed interior; there is also an enclosed Beer Garden. The photo on the right was taken in the main bar. As you can see, there is dark wooden panelling and the classic tavern wooden tables, in a lighter colour.

Draught beers available in the Bruckmüller tap, the Bräuwirtshaus, include: Original Bruckmüller Hell (Vollbier) at €1.10/1.30/2.20 (20 (Stanger'l)/25/50cl); Bruckmüller Pils 03 at €2.40/2.50 (30/40cl); Bruckmüller Kellerbier at €2.50; and Bruckmüller Hefeweizen/Weissbier Hell at €2.30/2.50 (30/50cl). Bottled Bruckmüller beers include: Pils 03 at €2.40 (30cl grüne Kultflasche (Cult Bottle)); Bruckmüller Kellerbier at €14.50 (3 litre); Bruckmüller Leichte(s) Weisse/Weizen, Bruckmüller Knappentrunk Spezialbier and Bruckmüller Märzen, all at €2.50. There are also Seasonal Beers, such as: draught Bruckmüller Superator (a Doppelbock, available from October until April) at €3.20; and Bruckmüller Festbier (Festival Beer). There is also bottled Falk Kristallweizen and Falk Dunkles Weizen, both at €2.50.

Food in Bruckmüller's Bräuwirtshaus includes: Truthahngeschneletes an Riesling mit hausgemachtem Butterspätzle (Strips of Cock Turkey, cooked in Riesling Wine, with Home-Made Butter Pasta) at €8.50; Schweineleber gebacken Wiener Art mit hausg. Kartoffelsalat (Breaded Pork Liver with Home-Made Potato Salad) at €5.90; Thai Nudeln mit Putenstreifen u. junge Gemüse (Thai Noodles with Turkey Strips and Young Vegetables) at €6.90; and Französisches Pfeffersteak mit Pommes Frites und Grilltomate (French Aberdeen Angus Pepper Steak with French Fries and Grilled Tomatoes) at €13.90. Other food includes Soups and Snacks.

The brewery and its tap are around the corner from the much-signed Stadttheater (Town Theatre), at Schrannenplatz 8. The theatre's bar has a number of Kummert Bräu beers, see below, both on draught/tap and in bottle.

The Bruckmüller tap is closed on Mondays. On other days, it is open from 9am until 11pm.

Schloderer Bräu, Rathausstrasse 4, www.schlodererbraeu.de

The above two photos were taken by John White, in November, 2006. The one on the left is of Amberg's splendid Rathaus (Town Hall), in Marktplatz (Market Place), and thus, right in the heart of the Old Town. On the right hand side of this photo is Rathausstrasse (Town Hall Street), on which Schloderer Bräu, and its bar/restaurant, the Bräustüberl, stand. They are off a Courtyard (Hof), the Schloderer Hof, the entrance of which can be seen in the photo on the right, and bottom right, in the photo on the left.

The Schloderer Bräu tap is marvellous inside, with both breweriana and old brewery equipment (such as a Mash Tun filter plate stuck on the side of the servery) and the operational Brew house on view, i.e. it is a Brew Pub. There are a number of largish tables, which one shares with other customers. Each of the tables has a name hanging above it; on my November, 2006 visit, I avoided the one named Klugscheissertisch (Klugscheisser Table, Smart Aleck Table).

Schloderer Beers available include: draught/tap Schloderer Hell and Schloderer Dunkel at €1.90/2.40 (30/50cl); and Schloderer Weizen at €2/2.50 (30/50cl), the 30cl measure being described as Schloderer Baby-Weizen on the menu. There are also seasonal beers, such as Draught Schloderer Adventsbock, at €2.70, the first tapping of which (Anstich) is on the first Saturday of December. The excellent Dunkel is listed on the menu as "Dunkel Rauchsart Natürtrub" (Dark, Smoke Beer (Rauchbier), with a Natural Trub, i.e. unfiltered); the smoke is evident, although it is clear that the mash is some way from 100% Smoked Malt. There are also some Kummert beers available: Kummert Pils at €2.40 (30cl); and four Wheat Beers - Weizen, Kristall, Leicht and Dunkel - all at €2.70.

Food on the permanent menu includes: Schloderer Biergulaschsuppe (Beer Goulash Soup) at €3.30; Currywurst mit Pommes (Curry Sausage and French Fries) at €4.20; Schnitzel "Wiener Art" mit Pommes (vom Schwein/Kalb/der Pute) und Salat (Pork/Veal/Turkey Escalope with French Fries and Salad) at €7/8.80/7.50. There is also a changing Tageskarte (Dishes of the Day), a Wochenkarte (Dishes of the Week), a Sonntagkarte (Sunday Menu) and a Frühstückskarte (Breakfast Menu).

The Schloderer Bräu tap is open seven days a week, from 7.30am (10am on Sundays) to 1am. Note that this place is the only outlet for Schloderer beers in Amberg.

Brauerei Winkler, Schanzgäßchen 6 (corner of Hinter der Mauer), www.brauerei-winkler.de, & its tap, Winkler BräuWirt, Untere Nabburger Strasse 34, www.winkler-braeuwirt.de

The above photos of the Brauerei Winkler, and its tap, Winkler BräuWirt, were taken by John White, in November, 2006. The tap is not alongside the brewery, as per those previously mentioned, but at Untere Nabburger Strasse 34, this being parallel, and SW of Obere Nabburger Strasse; the brewery's alley, Schanzgässchen. is between Obere Nabburger Strasse and a street called Hinter der Mauer (Behind the [Town's) Wall), see below, i.e. it is just inside the North Eastern edge of the town's wall, the railway station (Bahnhof) being close by on the other side of the wall.

The brewery is also near the impressive and much photographed Nabburger Tor (Nabburg Gate), see the photo below left. This Gate, in fact, appears on the brewery's logo, which is on the glass containing draught/tap Winkler Amberger Urhell (€1.70/2.20 (30/50cl)), and on a Winkler Beer Mat (Coaster), in the photo, to the right, which was taken by John White, in Winkler BräuWirt, in November, 2006. Other draught Winkler beers available in the Winkler tap include: Winkler "BräuWirt Zwickelbier" (described on the menu as the House Speciality) at €1.70/2.20 (30/50cl); Winkler Amberger Premium Pils at €1.90 (30cl); and the seasonal Winkler "Josefi" Doppelbock at €2.30/2.80 (30/50cl). The latter beer is only available, according to the menu, in the "fifth season", i.e. the forty days (not counting Sundays) from Ash Wednesday (the day after Shrove (Pancake) Tuesday) until Easter Saturday; it represents the forty days that Jesus Christ is said to have spent in the wilderness, with little or nothing to eat: fasting.

Bottled Winkler beers available include: Winkler Alt Amberger Hefe-Weizen at €2.30; Winkler Amberger Leichtes Weizen at €2.30; Winkler Premium Lager 1617 at €2; and the seasonal Alt Amberger Doppelbock at €2.80. There is also a non-Winkler bottled beer, Falk Weizen Dunkel (€2.30), brewed by Bruckmüller, see above.

On the bottom of the menu pages covering the drinks available is one of the normal German expressions for "Cheers!": "Zum Wohl! (the other well-known one is "Prost!"). However, the pages covering food do not have the usual "Guten Appetit" (literally "Good Appetite", i.e. "Enjoy your meal"), but a Bavarian dialect version of it:"An guad'n!". Food available includes: Bierkutscher Gulasch (Drayman's Goulash), which includes Beef (Rind) cooked in Zwickel-Bier-Soß (Zwickelbier Sauce), which comes with Brezenknödel (Pretzel Dumpling) & Salat (Salad) at €7.90; and Geschnetzlets von Rind und Schwein mit Champignonskopfen in a Weizenbier-Soß dazu gibt's Schupfnudeln (Finely Chopped Beef and Pork with Mushroom Heads in a Wheat Beer Sauce, with Noodles) at €10.80. There are also Snacks (Brotzeit), Soups and Vegetarian Dishes, based on Pasta, such as Nudeln (Noodles) and Käsespätzle (a form of Pasta with Cheese on top) (€4.90).

Winkler BräuWirt is superbly run by Wolfgang and Gaby Beringer. It is most pleasant outside and in, and the staff are friendly. A really nice touch on paying the bill, on our November, 2006 visit, was that Wolfgang thanked us profusely for choosing to visit the place. This, and its excellent beers, mean that a return visit is inevitable.

Winkler BräuWirt is open every day except Tuesday, from 10am until Midnight.

Nearby, at Untere Nabburger Strasse 8, is the Brauereigaststätte Schießl, the tap for the former Brauerei Schiessl; its Schiessl beers - Standard Hell and Silber Pils - are brewed by Winkler, and are available in a number of outlets in the town; the Schiessl Lamp in John White's November, 2006 photo, to the left, is one of a number that is outside the Altstadt Hotel, which is covered later. The Brauereigaststätte Schieß has a lovely, old traditional interior. It is closed from 3pm on Saturdays, all day Sunday, and on National Holidays. Close by, on the other side of the street, at Untere Nabburger Strasse 9, was the Winkler Brauhaus (Brew House), the earlier location of the Winkler Brewery.

Zum Kummert Bräu, Raigeringer Straße 11, www.zumkummertbraeu.de, GPS: 49.442910^o N, 11.872333^o E

The above photos were taken by John White, in November, 2006. The one on the left shows the tap for the Kummert Bräu brewery. The photo on the right is the brewery's Drinks Warehouse, which is next door to the tap; it is covered later in this section.

The draught beers available in the Zum Kummert Bräu tap, include: Kummert Hausbier (House Beer) at €2.40; Kummert Hell and Kummert Dunkel, both at €1.80/2.20 (30/50cl); and Kummert 27er Urtyp, Kummert Pils and Kummert Kurpfalz Hefe-Weizen, all at €2/2.40 (30/50cl). Bottles available include: Kummert Kristall Weizen, Kummert Altbayrisch Weizen Dunkel, Kummert König Friedrich Weisse, Kummert Vilstaler Leichtes Weisse, and Kummert Amberger Leicht, all at €2.40; and the seasonal Kummert Festbier. The draught Hausbier is only available in this tavern, but the other beers are available in Kummert outlets in Amberg and beyond. The photo of the glass of Kummert Dunkel (Dark) and a Kummert Krug with cutlery inside it, in Zum Kummert Bräu, was taken by John White, in November, 2006.

Food available includes: Kürbiscremesüppchen (Cream of Pumpkin Soup) at €2.50; "Wilderteller" (Game Plate), which is Gebratene Medaillons von Reh, Hirsch und Wildschwein in Holundersauce mit Speck-Pilzen dazu hausgemachte Spätzle und Salatteller (Medallions of Roe Deer, Venison and Wild Boar in Elderberry Sauce, with Bacon Mushrooms, Home-Made Pasta and Mixed Salad) at €12.90; and Braumeisterbraten vom Rind in brauner Hausbierzwiebelsoß mit Semmelknödeln und Salatteller (Brewmaster's Roast Beef in a Brown House Beer Onion Sauce, with Bread Dumplings and Mixed Salad) at €9.20. As well as the food listed on the menu, that is available throughout the year, there are also themes at various times of the year, such as Süsswasserfisch (Fresh Water Fish) in one month, and Lammwochen (Lamb Week) and Wildwochen (Game Week) in other months. The pub/restaurant has a most pleasant, traditional interior, with much wooden panelling.

The Zum Kummert Bräu tap has a number of rooms, for eating and drinking, one of which is called Sudhaus (Brew House), this being on full view, behind glass in the centre of the room. The tap is closed on Thursdays. On other days it is open from 10am to 1am, with hot food available until 10pm. There is a Beer Garden behind the pub/restaurant. Note that the brewery has a second Beer Garden, in another part of the town, the Kummert-Keller (Beer Garden), at Kastler Strasse 13. It is closed on Wednesdays, and on the second Tuesday of each month.

In addition to its own beers, Kummert brews the Brauhaus Amberg range of beers. The Brauhaus Amberg, which was at Fuggerstrasse 30, closed in 1990.

Next door to the Kummert Bräu tap, at Raigeringer Strasse 13, is the Kummert Brewery's "Getränkefachmarkt Sudhaus Quelle" (Brew House Source Drinks Warehouse); there is an impressive, old Brew House vessel by the entrance, see the photo at the top of this section on the right. As well as Kummert and Brauhaus Amberg beers, it has a good selection of other beers.

To reach Kummert Bräu, from the town centre, leave by the Nabburger Tor and join Regensburger Strasse. Soon, on the left, you will note a Drinks Outlet, Toom Getränkemarkt (it has over 150 different beers), at Regensburger Strasse 11, which is on the corner of the required Raigeringer Strasse. After a couple of hundred metres/yards, Kummert Bräu is on the left, on the far corner of Obermeierstrasse. If you are planning to visit all of Amberg's breweries, on foot, the following two remaining ones are both on the same side of the town as Kummert Bräu.

Hausbrauerei "Am Sudhang", Am Südhang 7, tel 09621 254 13,
www.sudhang.de/sudhang-braeu,
GPS: 49.449227^o N, 11.881823^o E

The House Brewery "Am Sudhang" is the only Amberg brewery without a tap (Brauereigaststätte). It really is a House Brewery (Hausbrauerei) (often used to denote a Brew Pub), since Arno Diener set it up in his home, in 1985. The photo to the left, of yours truly, John White, was taken by Arno Diener, in the brewery, which is in the cellar below his house, in November, 2006. In my hand, I have a glass of seriously good Sudhang Mariahilfberg-Dunkel (5.1%). The brewery's logo can be seen on the glass and on the poster behind me, and on the label reproductions below.

If you take the hill up to the House Brewery "Am Sudhang" from the town centre, you can purchase one of Arno's Sudhang brews, but it is worth ringing ahead, to check that someone is at home.

Note that the street name, Am Südhang, has a "ü" in it, and thus means "South Slope", whereas the brewery name has a "u" in it instead. The set of two dots on the top of the "ü" is an Umlaut (Sound Changer), these requiring that characters having them should be pronounced as if an "e" followed them. The photo to the left, of the Am Südhang street sign, was taken by John White, in November, 2006.

Sudhang is a play on words (Wortspiel), since a Brew House is a Sudhaus, the Sud part of it meaning water, liquid or brew, so, in this context, Sudhang clearly means "Brew Slope"; Arno's Brew House is on the side of a hill, the Mariahilfberg! On the top of the hill, there is one of the city's main tourist attractions, the Wallfahrtskirche Maria Hilf (Pilgrimage Church); alongside it is a former Franciscan Monastery (Franziskanerkloster). The Monastery was built in 1452, and records show that by 1490, it had a brewery, the Franziskaner Brauhaus. The church and the monastery can be seen from the centre of Amberg.

All the Sudhang beers are organic, this being stated on the labels, i.e. the" ökologisch" on the above scans. The malt used in the brews is sourced from Neumarkter Lammsbräu (www.lammsbraeu.de), a brewery and maltings (Mälzerei), in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz. The Sudhang beers are also unfiltered (the ungefiltert or the Flaschengärung (Bottle Fermentation) of the labels), and all are bottom fermented, apart from the Sudhang König-Ruprecht-Dunkel (5%), the label of which declares it to be obergärig (top fermented). The beers not already mentioned are: Sudhang Vollbier (5%); Sudhang Märzen (5.5%); and Sudhang Zoigl (5.5%). The ones that I have sampled have proved to be exceptionally good beers; they really do make for a wonderful drinking experience. A White Beer Travels Web page covering the Oberpfalz speciality, Zoigl Beer, can be reached by clicking here.

The above two photos were taken by John White, in the "Am Sudhang" House Brewery, in November, 2006. In the photo on the left, the brewer, Arno Diener, is standing alongside a vessel, which is declared on the label on the right, stuck on it, to be the Maisch- und Sudpfanne. i.e. a combined Mash Tun and Hop Boiler (Copper). The label on the left is giving information on the malt used in the brews. Above this vessel, partially exposed to the atmosphere is the Lauterböttich (Lauter Tun). The photo on the right features a crate of two litre glass flip-top containers of Sudhang Beers; it is the one that has been brought up from the cellar by the hoist that can be seen in the photo, at the top right of this Web page.

Am Sudhang beers can be purchased in these containers, at the brewery, and in one litre flip-top bottles at local produce events and beer festivals, such as the Amberg-Sulzbacher Bierfest, see below. There is no pub outlet or beer shop selling Sudhang beers in Amberg, but, in Theuern, sixteen kilometres (ten miles) South of Amberg, in the Vilstal (Vils Valley), the brewery's beers are available in a former railway building, the Radlerbahnhof (Radlbahnhof) (Cyclists' Railway Station). This is open from Easter to September. It can be reached on a cycle track from Amberg, the Fünf-Flüsse-Radweg (Five Rivers Cycle Track), see above.

To reach Am Sudhang brewery from the town centre, leave by the Nabburger Tor and join Regensburger Strasse. Take the first left off this, Emailfabrikstrasse. Take a left on to Lindenallee, and then the first right onto the required Am Südhang, number seven, then being reached on the right. If coming via Kummert Bräu, continue up Raigeringer Strasse (see the previous entry for Kummert Bräu), taking care to stay on it, when carrying on straight would put you on Krumbacher Strasse), and after the Tee with Berliner Strasse, which one turns left at, take the quickly reached left onto Bergauffahrt (which leads to the top of the Mariahilfberg), and take the second left onto the required Am Südhang, number seven, then being reached on the left.

Brauerei Sterk, Hofmark 2, Raigering,
www.brauerei-sterk.de (Brewery),
www.brauereigasthof-sterk.de (Tap),
GPS: 49.458328^o N, 11.896065^o E

The above two photos of the outside and the inside of the Brauereigasthof Sterk, the tap for the Brauerei Sterk, were taken by John White, in November, 2006. In the photo on the left, the brewery is on the left, directly behind the tap.

The village of Raigering is just 3.5 kilometres (~two miles) from the centre of Amberg; although one crosses pleasant, open countryside to reach it, it is an official Stadtteil (part of the town) of Amberg, and thus the Brauerei Sterk can be regarded as Amberg's sixth brewery. The marvellous brewery tap, the Brauereigasthof Sterk, has a modern, bright interior, with wooden panelling, see the photo, above right. It is run by Thomas Guckes, who took over in November, 2006. Thomas is very enthusiastic and welcoming, so it has clearly been passed into excellent hands. Beers include: draught/tap Raigeringer Edelhell at €1.20/2.10 (25/50cl); Raigeringer Pils at €1.30/2.10 (25/40cl); Raigeringer Weisse, Leichte Weisse and Schwarze Weisse, all at €2.20; Raigeringer Zoigl and EXX, both at €1.80 (33cl); the seasonal Raigeringer Festbier (5.4%); and Maisels Kristallweizen at €2.20.

Food includes: Kartoffel-Lauch-Creme Suppe (Potato and Leek Cream Soup) mit Croutons (with ...) at €2.50, and with Räucherlachs (Smoked Salmon) at €3.20; Schnitzel "Wiener Art" (Fried Pork Escalope) , with hausgemachtem Kartoffelnsalat (Home-Made Potato Salad) or Pommes Frites, and Beilagensalat (Side Salad) at €6.90; Hähnchenbrust "Schweizer Art" mit Tomate und Käse überbacken, Kräuterrahmsauce, Mandelbroccoli, und Kroketten (Swiss Style Chicken Breast with Tomatoes and Melted Cheese, Creamy Herb Sauce, Romanesco Broccoli and Potato Croquettes) at €9.30; Zanderfilet gebraten auf Estragonsauce, dazu Salzkartoffeln und Beilagensalat (Baked Zander Fish in Tarragon Sauce, with Boiled Potatoes and a Side Salad) at €10.40; and Hausgemachte Käsespätzle mit Rostzwiebeln und Beilagensalat (Home-Made Cheese Pasta with Roast Onions and a Side Salad) at €5.60.

The Brauerei Sterk's Beer Garden is on the corner of Hofmark, and Immenstetter Strasse, this being separated from the pub/restaurant/brewery and the Raigeringer Getränkefachmarkt (Drinks Warehouse) by Talweg, a very narrow lane, which you could easily mistake for the place's driveway.

There are no pubs selling the brewery's beers in Amberg, but they are available on stalls at events in Amberg such as the Amberg-Sulzbacher Bierfest (Beer Festival), see below, and the Altstadtfest (Old Town Festival), www.amberger-altstadtfest.de. The 2007 dates for the Altstadtfestival are Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th of June. The Raigeringer Festbier is available at this time.

From Amberg Bahnhof (Railway Station), there are number 6312 buses to Raigering on Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings, but if you want to walk, from Kummert Bräu, then continue up Raigeringer Strasse (see the entry for Kummert Bräu above), taking care to stay on it, when carrying on straight would put you on Krumbacher Strasse), and turn left at the Tee with Berliner Strasse, and carry on straight, as the road name changes to Äussere Raigeringer Strasse, Kleinraigering, and Hallstätterstrasse, until one reaches traffic lights at the junction with a bigger road, Immenstetter Strasse. The Sterk Brewery and its pub/restaurant and beer garden, can be seen on the corner of this road, on the right. Just before the lights, is the bus stop for the 6312 bus.

The Brauereigasthof Sterk is not open on Tuesdays. On other days, it opens from 4pm (10.30am on Sundays and on National Holidays) to Midnight (11pm on Sundays and on National Holidays). By arrangement, it will open for groups at other times.

Other Outlets for Beer in Amberg

Of course, in a seriously good beer town such as Amberg, there are other establishments, with interesting beers from outside the town. The following are some examples.

Die Topfgucker, Oberes Apothekergäßchen 5, www.dietopfgucker.de

The above photos were taken by John White, in November, 2006. Die Topfgucker is a bar/restaurant, with a very interesting beer list. It is on a corner opposite the Schulkirche. As can be seen in the photo, above right, Die Topfgucker's sign is badged Freudenberger Bier. These beers are brewed by the Brauerei Alwin Märkl, in Freudenberg, near Amberg, which dates from 1466; Die Topfgucker's brochure states that this makes this brewery one of the oldest Privatbrauerein (Private Breweries, i.e. Family or Independent Breweries). Intriguingly, the brochure had both bottled and draught/tap beers listed, but the actual menu card in the place, on the November, 2006 visit, had the wording "Aus hygienischen Gründen schenken wir nur noch Flaschenbier aus!" (For hygiene reasons, we now only serve bottled beers).

The following Alwin Märkl beers are available: Freudenberger Pils at €2.10/2.40/2.60 (33/40/50cl); Freudenberger Hell at €1.40/2.40 (25/50cl); Freudenberger Dunkel at €2.10 (33cl), Freudenberger Hefeweizen at €2.60; Freudenberger Weizen Leicht (2.7%) at €2.60; Freudenberger Leichtbier (2.7%) at €2.60; Freudenberger Festbier at €2.80 (seasonal); and Freudenberger Märkator at €2.60 (seasonal). Other beers available include: Bruckmüller's Kellerbier, Falk Weizen Dunkel and Falk Kristallweizen, all at €2.60; Maisel Diät Pils at €2.40; and an Organic Beer (Öko-Bier, Bio-Bier) from Neumarkter Lammsbräu (www.lammsbraeu.de), Lammsbräu Dinkel, at €2.60 (Dinkel is Spelt, this being a cloudy beer, made from Spelt rather than Wheat).

Food includes Flammkuchen. These are a famous speciality of beer-orientated restaurants, in a part of France where many use German as their first language, the Alsace (Elsass in German); the Alsatians call them Flammekueches. They are very thin onion/cheese, Pizza-like tarts, which can have various additional toppings. In the Topfgucker, there are eleven different Flammkuchen, including a vegetarian one, in the range €5.50 to €8.20. Other dishes include: Filetschnitzel "Wiener Art" mit Pommes Frites und Salat (Pork Escalope with French Fries and Salad) at €8.90; and Panierte Rotbarbe im Parmesanmantel mit Ratatouille und Dinkelnudeln (Fried Barbel (Red Mullet) coated with Parmesan Cheese, with Ratatouille and Spelt Noodles) at €14.90. At Sunday lunchtime, there is a Bratenbuffet (Roast Meat Buffet) at €7.

The Topfgucker is most pleasant inside, with tiled flooring, and a fair amount of comfortable, continuous seating. Between April and October, one can eat and drink in the Weinlaube (Vine Arbour or Bower), an area shaded by Vines, at the rear.

The Topfgucker is on a corner opposite the Schulkirche (School Church), close to the town's main square, the Marktplatz, off the northern side of the pedestrianised Georgenstrasse, which leads westwards from the square; at the end of Georgenstrasse, is Malteserplatz, across which, the next entry, the Malteser Brauschänke is impossible to miss.

Die Topfgucker is open every day except Tuesday, from 6pm, and additionally from 11.30am to 2.30pm on Sundays and National Holidays. If there is a performance at the nearby Stadttheater (Town Theatre), on Tuesday it opens.

Malteser Brauschänke, Malteserplatz 2, www.malteserschaenke.de

The above photos of the Malteser Brauschänke, and its sign, were taken by John White, in November, 2006, as were the two below this paragraph. This bar/restaurant is housed in the impressive Malteser-Komplex, on the site of the Malteserbrauerei, which closed in 1993. The Malteser in its name is not the famous spherical chocolate with a less-fattening centre of the same name (derived from Malt Teasers), but the adjectival form of Malta, i.e. Maltese. The photo, below left, features lettering in stone at the entrance to the Maltese Complex, giving information on what is inside, the last item being the Maltese Brewery. The second item is the Provinzialbibliothek (Provincial Library) (Staatliche Bibliothek, State Library) (www.bib-bvb.de/sam), which features in the photo, below right. It has both a modern and an old exterior and interior, all of which are most impressive, in keeping with the whole of the Complex.

On draught/tap, this stunning Maltese Square bar/restaurant has two beers from the Brauerei Bischofshof, in Regensburg (www.bischofshof.de): Bischofshof Urhell; and Bischofshof Hefe-Weissbier Hell, both at €2.30; as you can see from the photo, above right, at the top of this section, the place is badged Bischofshof. Bottled beers include the Malteser Wheat Beers (at €2.50) that are marketed by Bischofshof, but are brewed by the Stuttgarter Hofbräu (www.stuttgarter-hofbraeu.de), in Stuttgart, the Capital of the State of Baden-Württemberg. There are two further bottled beers (both at €2.50), which are brewed at the Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg (www.weltenburger.de), in Kelheim-Weltenburg, in Niederbayern (Lower Bavaria): Weltenburger Kloster Barock Dunkel; and the seasonal beer, Weltenburger Kloster Asam Bock. Somewhat confusingly, Weltenburger beers without Kloster (Monastery) in their name, are brewed by Bischofshof.

Food includes: Schnitzel "Wiener Art" mit Pommes oder Kartoffelsalat (Pork Escalope with French Fries or Potato Salad) at €6.80; Rotbarschfilet gebacken mit Kartoffelsalat (Baked Rose Fish Fillet with Potato Salad) at €6.80; and Salatteller "Malteser" mit Putenstreifen und gebratenen Pfifferlingen (Salad Platter with Strips of Turkey and Baked Chanterelle Mushrooms) at €6.80.

The Malteser Brauschänke, which is also signed "Gaststätte Malteser" in large lettering on the side of the building, is open daily from 9.30am until Midnight. The Malteser-Pub in the same building, is open each day from 7pm, closing at 1am (3am on Thursday to Saturday).

Bergwirtschaft Amberg, Auf dem Mariahilfberg 2, www.bergwirtschaftamberg.de

This is another outlet for Bischofshof and Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg beers. It is superbly situated on the main hill above the town centre. It is very close to the already mentioned Wallfahrtskirche Maria Hilf (Pilgrimage Church). They, and thus this bar/restaurant, are reached by walking up Mariahilfbergweg (take Stufenweg, the left fork off this, signed to the church), which is reached from the NE corner of the Town Wall, near the Nabburger Tor (Nabburg Gate).

The Bergwirtschaft Amberg is open every day from 9am until 10pm, except on Mondays, unless they happen to be National Holidays, when it then opens.

In the heart of the town centre, there is another Bischofshof/Klosterbrauerei Weltenburg outlet, the Goldenes Lamm, at Rathausstrasse 6, i.e. next door to the Schloderer Bräu Brew Pub, see above.

Café Zentral, Marktplatz 6, www.cafezentral.de

Being in the town's main square, Marktplatz (Market Place), the Central Café. could not be more central. It is a coffee/tea place/bar/restaurant, with some interesting beers, including: examples from Winkler and Neumarkter Lammsbräu; Jever Pilsener, from the Friesisches Bräuhaus zu Jever (www.jever.de), in Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony); Augustiner-Bräu Edelstoff from Augustiner-Bräu Wagner (www.augustinerbraeu.de), in the Bavarian Capital of Munich (München), and seasonal beers, such as Winkler Alt Amberger Doppelbock, Augustiner-Bräu Oktoberfestbier, and Herzog-Christian-August-Weißbierbock, from Sperber-Bräu (www.sperberbraeu.de), in Sulzbach-Rosenberg, near Amberg. The photo of the Café Zentral, to the left, was taken by John White, in November, 2006. The Café Zentral is open every day of the week from 9am (2pm on Sunday and National Holidays) until Midnight (1am on Thursday to Saturday).

Wild-Vaitl, Viehmarktgasse 8, www.wild-vaitl.sportkneipe.de

This "Cattle Market Alley" pub is a Sports Bar (big TV screens for football, etc) and an Internet Café. It has some nationally available beers, plus a couple of rarities from the Schlossbrauerei Holnstein, in nearby Neukirchen-Holnstein (www.schlossbrauerei-holnstein.de): "Holnsteiner Bier" (possibly Holnsteiner Baroness Urhell) on draught/tap at €2.20; and Holnsteiner Ahnentrunk, a Dunkel, at €2.30. Food is limited to snacks such as: Breze (Pretzel) at €0.80; Wurstsemmel (Sausage Roll) and Käsesemmel (Cheese Roll), both at €2.60; Baguettes in the range €2.40 to €3.90; 1 Paar saure Bratwürstl (Two Grilled Sausages), at €2.60; and 1 Paar Weisswürste (Two White Sausages) at €2.60. The latter two hot snacks are only available on Saturdays. The photo to the left was taken by John White, in November, 2006.

Wild-Vaitl is at the point where Viehmarktgasse forms a Tee with Seminargasse. Going down the latter, the "World's Smallest Hotel", Eh'häusl (www.ehehaeusl.de), at Seminargasse 8 (tel 09621 222 11), is soon reached on the right; it has one double room, and an exquisite breakfast is promised.

Wild-Vaitl is open each day from 10am (2pm on Sunday and National Holidays) to 3am.

Taverna Zorbas (Gasthaus zum Wingershof), Wingershofer Straße 30, GPS: 49.439142^o N, 11.858425^o E

This was found from a lead in a book covering breweries in the Oberpfalz, detailed above. In this book, the Brauerei Wingershof, at the address quoted for this Greek Taverna, is listed under Lohnbrauereien (Contract Breweries), i.e. "breweries" that do not brew themselves, but which have their Lohnbiere brewed for them by others. A number of these contract breweries were once breweries that have subsequently closed; Klaus Ehm has the "Brauerei Wingershof Anton Falk" closing in 1989.

The above photo of the "Taverna Zorbas zum Wingershof", as it is also referred to, was taken by John White, in November, 2006. On the flat-roofed section on the right, is the name of the restaurant, but on the gable end of the main building is the following, not-too-clear lettering: Gasthaus zum Wingershof. This is name of the former brewery's tap; the brewery, see the photo at the top left of this Web page, can be seen in the photo of the tap, behind it.

Beers available in the Taverna are: Wingershofer Hell at €2.20; Wingershofer Pils at €2.20; and two Wheat Beers from the Weissbierbrauerei Plank, in Schwandorf-Wiefelsdorf, Jura Weizen Hell and Jura Weizen Dunkel, both at €2.50. The Wingershofer beers are brewed near Amberg by the Schloßbrauerei Naabeck (Naabeck Castle Brewery) (www.naabecker.de), in Schwandorf-Naabeck), on the River Naab. Note that the Schloßbrauerei Naabeck owns the Plank White Beer Brewery, indeed the Jura beers just mentioned are detailed on Schlossbrauerei Naabeck's website. Housed in the former brewery is a drinks warehouse, the Getränkefachmarkt am Wingershof. The plaque advertising the Wingershofer Pils sold there can be seen in the photo to the left, which was taken by John White, in November, 2006. Below the Pils plaque, is one giving the warehouse's opening hours, i.e. it is open on Monday to Friday from 7.30am to Noon, and from 1.30pm until 6pm, and on Saturday from 8.30am to 12.30pm.

To get to the Taverna Zorbas (Gasthaus zum Wingershof), leave the town by the Wingershofer Tor (Wingershof Gate), to join the required Wingershofer Strasse. This is a road that goes along the side of the River Vils. After a pedestrian bridge over the river on the left, the Taverna is soon reached on the right.

Amberg-Sulzbacher Bierfest (Beer Festival)

The first Amberg - Sulzbacher Bierfest took place, in a marvellous venue, the Hof (Courtyard) of the Landratsamt (local area administrative building), in a former castle, the Kurfürstliches Schloss, in Amberg, on Saturday, the 6th and Sunday, the 7th of May, 2006 (11am to 10pm each day). Hopefully, it will become an annual event: watch this space! Fourteen local breweries take part, these being the six in Amberg, covered above, plus all the breweries in the surrounding Landkreis (Administrative District) of Amberg-Sulzbach: Schlossbrauerei Dorfner (www.dorfner-schlossbrauerei.de), in Hirschau; Brauerei Alwin Märkl, in Freudenberg (details of an Amberg outlet are given above); Brauerei Heldrich Edelsfeld, in Edelsfeld; Schlossbrauerei Holnstein (www.schlossbrauerei-holnstein.de), in Neukirchen-Holnstein (details of an Amberg outlet are given above); Brauerei Pürner Etzelwang, in Etzelwang; Winkler-Bräu-Schlicht (www.winklerbier.de), in Vilseck-Schlicht; Sperber-Bräu (www.sperberbraeu.de), in Sulzbach-Rosenberg (details of an Amberg outlet are given above); and Brauerei Fuchsbeck (www.fuchsbeck.de), in Sulzbach-Rosenberg.

Sulzbach-Rosenberg (www.sulzbach-rosenberg.de), which is a stop on the train journey from Nuremberg to Amberg, is another walled town, that is worth a visit, especially at the time of its Annabergfest (Annaberg Festival) (www.annabergfest.de), for which the town's two breweries produce a Festbier. The Annabergfest, like the Annafest (www.anna-fest.de) in Forchheim, takes place at the end of July each year.

The famous Hop Town of Hersbruck, in Franconia

Amberg can be reached by direct train from Nuremberg (Nürnberg), the journey typically taking fifty minutes. The trains stop at the famous Franconian hop town of Hersbruck (www.hersbruck.de), which is home to the Bürgerbräu Hersbruck Deinlein brewery, at Lohweg 38; it has no tap. The thirty-one page White Beer Travels guide to Nuremberg, and its accompanying Beer Hunt map, are available from the Downloads page.

The following potential places come up googling, but none of their websites explicitly state that they have Bürgerbräu beers: Grüner Baum, Kühnhofen 3, www.gruener-baum-hersbruck.de, (in the village of Kühnhofen, just to the North of the town, but promising, as it is an accommodation option for the Hersbrucker Biertage (Hersbruck Beer Days)); Kratzers Biergarten, Unterer Markt, www.kratzers-biergarten.de; and Zentral-E, Unterer Markt 9, www.zentral-e.de.

Amberg for the Tourist

Nabburger Tor (Nabburg Gate), Amberg	Stadtbrille (Town's Spectacles), Amberg

The above photos of two of Amberg's tourist attractions were taken by John White, in November, 2006.

Amberg, the Capital of the Oberpfalz until 1810, is a particularly attractive, walled town, much visited by general tourists, although it is perhaps overshadowed by the truly wonderful city of Regensburg (www.regensburg.de, White Beer Travels Web page), the Oberpfalz's Capital and principal tourist destination, which has five breweries. Regensburg's Altstadt (Old Town) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, see whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31 for the full, world-wide list. Regensburg has a population of 129,175 (2005).

Amberg is on the river Vils, which connects it to Regensburg, via the rivers Naab and Danube (Donau). Amberg's main tourist attractions include: the Stadtmauer (Town Wall) and its Tore (Gates), such as the Nabburger Tor (Nabburg Gate) (photo above left); the Kurfürstliches Schloss/Neues Schloss (Ducal Castle (Electoral Palace/New Castle)); the Stadtbrille (Town's Spectacles), see the photo, above right, a bridge over the river, connecting the Castle with the Zeughaus (Armoury/Arsenal), with two arches that have a reflection in the water, that, in conjunction with the arches, looks like a pair of spectacles (it is close to the southernmost tip of the Town Wall, near Wingershofer Tor (Wingershof Gate)); the Altstadt (Old Town) within the wall; the Rathaus (Town Hall), see the photo above; Stadttheater (Town Theatre); Basilika/Kirche St. Martin (St Martin's Basilica/Church) and the Wallfahrtskirche Maria Hilf (Pilgrimage Church), on a hill above the town, the Mariahilfberg (both churches are covered by www.amberg-st-martin.de); the former Franciscan Monastery (Franziskanerkloster) (www.franziskaner-amberg.de), alongside the Pilgrimage Church; Kirche St. Georg (St George's Church (www.amberg-st-georg.de); the Paulanerkirche (www.paulanerkirche-amberg.de); and a number of museums and galleries, such as the Stadtmuseum (Town Museum), the Archäologisches Museum, and the Luftmuseum (www.luftmuseum.de), at Eichenforstgässchen 12 ,(this highly rated museum covers Art, Architecture, Design and Technology).

In addition to the famously small, very atmospheric, Eh'häusl Hotel, see above and John White's November, 2006 photo of it to the left, a good accommodation option is the Altstadt Hotel (www.buergerstuben-amberg.de), which is near the railway station, just inside the Town Wall, at Batteriegasse 2 (tel 09621 788 230). It has a nice bar and restaurant, Die Bürgerstuben, which has Schiessl beers, brewed in the town by the Winkler brewery. The bar/restaurant is open every day except Saturday. On Monday to Friday, it is open from 6am to 11pm, and on Sundays and National Holidays, it is open from 10am to 3pm.

The Amberg Tourist Information office is behind the Rathaus (Town Hall), at Hall Platz 2. From April to October, it is open on Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm, and on Saturday from 10am to 2pm; from November to March, it is open on Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm.

And if you want to undertake a foreign Beer Hunt from Amberg, there are regular, direct trains to Prague (Praha) and Pilsen (Plzeň), in The Czech Republic (Česká republika), as can be seen from the photo of the indicator board, to the left, which was taken on Amberg Railway Station, in November, 2006, by John White, whilst waiting for a train to Nuremberg, in the opposite direction. The Prague trains typically start in Nuremberg.

Back to Top