Pottenstein (www.pottenstein.de, www.stadt.pottenstein.de) is a really lovely town, in the Franconian Switzerland (Fränkische Schweiz), www.fraenkische-schweiz.com) part of Germany's greatest Speciality/Craft/Specialty Beer area: Franconia (Franken), which is a part of the State of Bavaria (Bayern). Franconian Switzerland happens to have a greater concentration of brewing establishments than Franconia itself, which is often quoted as having the highest concentration of them in the world! The Franconian Switzerland website has a very useful list of its breweries, which can be reached by clicking here.

Pottenstein is in the Landkreis (Administrative District) of the famous Wagner City of Bayreuth (www.bayreuth.de), which is home to a number of breweries, including Maisel (www.maisel.com), which has an excellent Brewery and Cooperage Museum (Maisel's Brauerei- & Büttnerei-Museum), www.maisel.com/museum. Outline information on Pottenstein for the tourist and walker, can be found below. Information on how to get to and from Pottenstein, including to/from Bayreuth, Bamberg and Nuremberg (Nürnberg), is given below.

Great Outlets for Great Beer in Pottenstein

Pottenstein has two operational breweries, both of which have associated taps; there is also a former brewery, that is now a pub/restaurant and brewery museum. I will cover the breweries still brewing first (in crawl order from the bus stop), and then the brewery museum place, and then a handful of other outlets for interesting beer in the town. 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).

Information on Pottenstein breweries, past and present can be obtained from Klaus Ehm's essential website, www.klausehm.de. Klaus's website initially appears to be a site with a great number of scans of beer bottle labels, etc from a number of places, worldwide, Germany being covered in the most detail. However, the site is teeming with information on the chronology and changing names/ownership of breweries, past and present. For example, if you want information on Pottenstein breweries, click on "Historisches Brauereiverzeichnis Deutschland" (Historical Brewery Directory Germany) (www.klausehm.de/Uebersicht.html), and then on "Polling bis Pyrmont" (www.klausehm.de/P4.html).

Brauerei Gasthof Mager, Hauptstrasse 15-17, tel 09243 333,
GPS: 49.770775^o N, 11.408315^o E

The Brauerei Mager (above), and this brewery's tap, which is in front of it (left). (Photos by John White, in November, 2006)

The Brauerei Gasthof Georg Mager is the tap for the Brauerei Mager. Like the town's other brewing establishment, which is covered next, the Mager tap is on Pottenstein's main street, the Hauptstrasse (High Street), but the brewery itself is at the back of it, on Am Stadtgraben. Many who visit Pottenstein never venture much beyond Hauptstraße, as it is so packed with attractions, such as souvenir shops, selling locally found fossils, etc, etc, so they don't realise what a big brewery building is hiding behind Mager's tap. Note Pottenstein Castle, above the brewery on the top right hand side of the photo, above right; you get a better view of the castle on the part of Am Stadtgraben behind the Mager tap, too!

The above photos were taken inside the Brauereigasthof Mager, in November, 2006, by John White. In the glass of beer, in the photo on the right, is the brewery's excellent Dunkel (Dark) (€1.30/1.90 (25/50cl)), a superbly hopped Dark Beer, which is available on draught/tap, along with: Helles (Pale) at €1.30/1.90 (25/50cl); and Pils at €1.30/1.90 (20/40cl). Bottled beers include: Hefe Weizen, Kristall Weizen, Hefe Weizen Dunkel, and Hefe Weizen Light, all at €2. There is also a Festbier at Christmas time. Food includes: Gulaschsuppe m. Brot (Goulash Soup and Bread) at €2.20; Jägerschnitzel m. Pommes frites u. Salat (Hunter's Steak (Pork) with French Fries and Salad) at €8.30; Schnitzel Wiener Art m. Pommes frites u. Salat (Pork Escalope with ...) at €7; Forelle gebacken m. Kartoffelsalat u. Salat (Baked Trout with Potato Salad and Salad) at €2.40/100g; Forelle blau m. Kartoffeln, heißer Butter u. Salat (Boiled Trout with Potatoes and Hot Butter and Salad) at €2.40/100g; 3 Bratwürste m. Sauerkraut, Brot u. Senf (Grilled Sausages with Sauerkraut, Bread and Mustard) at €3.70; and Käsebrot (Bread and Cheese) at €3.50.

The tavern is very nice and traditional inside, as can be seen from the photo, above left. It has been in Mager family ownership since brewing commenced in 1774. It is open each day from 9am to Midnight. Accommodation is available within the place.

An interesting feature of the Mager Brewery's beers is that their lagering (maturation) takes place 800 metres (~half a mile) away from the brewery in a tunnel dug into a hillside, a Felsenkeller (Rock Cellar). The young beer from the brewery is transported in a 4,000 litre Fuhrfass (Transportation Barrel) by Pferdegespann (Horse & Cart), where it is transferred into Wooden Mother Barrels (in hölzernen Mutterfässer), where it stays for six to eight weeks, before being put into bottles or into the wooden barrels that the draught beers are served from in the tavern. The horse and cart feature in the brewery's coat of arms (Brauereiwappen) and the tavern's sign, see the scan from the place's 2006 brochure to the left; the Privatbrauerei of the sign means Private Brewery, i.e. a family-owned brewery.

On route to the second of Pottenstein's brewing establishments, further down the High Street, on the other side (i.e. on the right), there used to be a marvellous place to break the journey: the Gasthof-Metzgerei L. Wolf, at Hauptstrasse 20. This was a classic, dual-purpose place, a Pub and Butcher's, which is now the Edelmann Obst-Gemüse-Blumen shop; what a splendid building in which to buy Fruit-Vegetables-Flowers!

Gasthausbrauerei Hufeisen, Hauptstraße 36-38, tel 09243 260, www.hufeisen-braeu.de, GPS: 49.771203^o N, 11.410572^o E

Gasthausbrauerei Hufeisen (Horse Shoe Brew Pub). (Photos by John White, in November, 2006)

The Gasthausbrauerei Hufeisen, which literally means Hoof Iron Brew Pub, i.e. Horse Shoe Brew Pub, is a Brew Pub in the true sense of the word, in that the Brew House was relocated to the bar, in 1990; on view, there are copper vessels in the classic shape, covered with attractive tiles for insulation, along withn the computer used to monitor the brews; the traditional open fermenters are in another part of the building. Hufeisen is run by Josef Wiegärtner and his family.

The Hufeisen is housed, like the Mager tap, in a most attractive, old timber-framed building (Fachwerkhaus), which was built in 1738, the brewery itself commencing operation in 1803. The inside of Hufeisen is relatively modern. Hufeisen beers available include: Pottensteiner Urdunkel and Hufeisen Kellerweizen, both at €1.50/2 (30/50cl); and Pottenstein's Premium Pils at €2. The beers are bottled in a brewery in Bayreuth. On the menu card, the beers are all described as being Hausgebraut (House Brewed). There is also a Bierbrand (Beer Spirit) (Bierschnaps, Frankenwhiskey), which is described on the menu card as being Hausgebrannt, i.e. it is made from a Hufeisen Beer, distilled on the premises. To drink it on the premises, the Beer Schnapps is €2.10 (2cl), and it can be purchased by the bottle, to take home. I do not normally mention drinks based on mixtures of beer with other things, but I can't resist alerting you to the bottled Dr. Moo, which is a blend of: 50% of the Kellerweizen (a Hefeweizen, i.e. a cloudy Wheat Beer, literally "Yeast Wheat"); 40% Bio-Süssmolke (Organic Milk Whey); and 10% Ginseng-Energy.

Typical Franconian hot and cold food is available.

Hufeisen is open every day except Monday, from 9am until 11pm. Note that one can also have a drink in the "Kellerschänke" (Cellar Bar), the brewery's old Fermentation Cellar (Gärkeller), a cavern/tunnel in the side of the hillside at the back of the main building, below Pottenstein Castle. Normally, when one drinks in a Keller, one drinks in a Beer Garden outside it (which you can also do here), but it is unusual to be able to actually sit down and have a drink inside the Keller itself. From here, the old Bräuhaus (Brew House) can also be visited, which has been converted into a Getränkekeller (Drinks Cellar), this having a good selection of Franconian Beers.

Further down the Hauptstrasse, from Hufeisen, there is a sharp right turn onto a street called Alte Burgweg, which leads up to the castle.

Zum Urbräu, Nürnberger Strasse 10 (corner of B470 national road), www.hotel-bruckmayer.de, GPS: 49.769910^o N, 11.405825^o E

Zum Urbräu (The Original Brew), also called Zum Bruckmeyer's Urbräu, is a bar/brewery museum, housed in the former Wagner Bräu brewery; as you can see, from the above photos, the former brewery's badging remains, and Gambrinus, the legendary King of Beer, adorns one wall. The photos were taken by John White, in November, 2006. The museum part of Zum Urbräu, the Bruckmayer'schen Museumsbrauerei, is essentially the old Wagner brewery, with appropriate additions, that are covered later in this section. Zum Urbräu is owned by the Bruckmayer family, who ran Wagner Bräu before it closed. They have a beer, declared on the menu card to be the Hausbier (House Beer) (€1.90), Pottensteiner Höhlen Trunk (also appears as one word, Höhlentrunk), which is brewed by St. Georgen Bräu, fairly close by, in Buttenheim (www.kellerbier.de, White Beer Travels Web page). Höhlentrunk means Cave Drink, its name being inspired by a famous Pottenstein tourist attraction, Germany's most well known cave, the Teufelshöhle (Devil's Cave), which is covered below. The photo, below left, is of a painted advert for the beer, at the entrance to a cave opposite Zum Urbräu. The photo, and the one to its right, were taken by John White, in November, 2006.

Other beers available in Zum Urbräu include (bottled unless indicated otherwise): Buttenheimer Kellerbier, Buttenheimer Landbier, Kulmbacher Edelherb [Premium Pils] (40cl), all at €1.90; and Maisel Weisse Light and draught Maisel's Weisse, both at €2.10. The Buttenheimer beers are clearly from St. Georgen Bräu. The Kulmbacher beer is brewed in the Kulmbacher Brauerei (www.kulmbacher.de), of EKU 28 and EKU Kulminator fame, in the famous beer town of Kulmbach. There are a number of other Maisel and Kulmbacher outlets in Pottenstein, some having Kulmbacher's Mönchshof range of beers. Note that on a White Beer Travels September, 2006 visit to St. Georgen Bräu, in Buttenheim, kegs of Pottensteiner Höhlen Trunk were observed, but the beer is not declared to be a draught beer on Zum Urbräu's menu card. However, on Wednesdays and Fridays, at 5pm, and at other times, by arrangement, for groups of fifteen people or more, there is a brewery visit (Brauereiführung [of "Das Brauhaus Pottenstein" (The Pottenstein Brew House)]), costing €3; during the visit, a publicity leaflet states that it is possible for participants to fill One Litre Flip-Top Bottles (Einliterflasche mit Tragebügelverschluss) with Bruckmayer'schen Höhlentrunk.

Food in Zum Urbräu includes: Zwa fränkische, grobe Bratwürste auf Sauerkraut mit Brot dazu trink ma unser Hausbier "Höhlentrunk" (Two Large Franconian Grilled Sausages on Sauerkraut, with Bread and a glass of the House Beer) at €3.80; Zwa blaue Zipfel im Wurzelsud mit viel Zwiebl'n und ein Pfiff Weißbier, dazu Brot (Grilled Sausage poached with Vinegar, Juniper Berries and Bay Leaf, with Plenty of Onions and a Small Glass of Wheat Beer) at €3.80; Braumeistersteak (Schweinesteak mit Tomaten und Käse überbacken dazu Kartoffelecken und Kräuterbutter) (Brew Master's Steak (Pork Steak covered in Tomatoes and Cheese, with Potato Wedges and Herb Butter)) at €8.50; and An Teller Kässpätzla mit Röstzwiebeln (a Cheese Pasta Dish with Roasted Onions) at €4.90. The latter is an example from the list of Fleischlos (Meat-less, i.e. Vegetarian) dishes. Note that some of the dishes have names in the menu card in local dialect, for example the "Zwa" instead of "Zwei" for "Two" in the first two dishes listed.

Zum Urbräu is closed on Monday and Tuesday. On other days, it is open from 5pm until 11pm.

Another Bruckmayer establishment in Pottenstein is Bruckmayers Gästehaus (Guest House), opposite the next entry, Frankenland Stuben, at Am Stadtgraben 1. Behind it, and associated with it is Bruckmeyers Biergarten (Beer Garden). On its beer menu, there are the same beers from St. Georgen Bräu, in Buttenheim, including Höhlentrunk, at the same prices. The Guest House provides accommodation, as does Bruckmeyer's Hotel Schwan (Ferienhotel Schwan), Am Kurzentrum 6. All the Bruckmeyer places mentioned are covered by the same website, the one given at the top of this section. The Guest House can be seen in the photo, above right; the entrance to the Beer Garden is on the right hand side of the picture. The Beer Garden is badged St. Georgen Bräu Buttenheim. It is open every day, when the weather is suitable.

Frankenland Stuben (former Wagner Bräu tap), Hauptstrasse 1, tel 09243 700 98 58

When I visited Pottenstein in 1993 and in 1996, this was still the Wagner Bräu tap. As you can see, from the photo, above left, Gasthof-Wagner-Bräu is still prominently displayed on the side of the building (the Am Stadtgraben side), along with Frankenlandstuben, c.f. the two word Frankenland Stuben, on the sign featured in the photo, above right. Both photos were taken by John White, in November, 2006. As you can also see, the sign is badged St. Georgen Bräu, as well as having the Red and White shield of Franken (Franconia). The Bruckmeyer commissioned House Beer for the previous entry is available here, but this place is owned by "Frankenland Gastronomie" (www.frankenland-gastronomie.de, not working in December, 2006).

The draught beers are from St. Georgen Bräu: Helles at €1.20/1.90 (25/50cl); Pilsener at €1.30/2 (25/50cl); and Hefe Weiss-Bier at €2. Bottles include the same brewery's Pottensteiner Höhlentrunk at €1.30/2 (25/50cl); Maisel's Edelhopfen Diät-Pilsner, and four Maisel Wheat Beers, all at €2.20. Food includes: Schnitzel "Wiener Art" mit Kartoffelsalat und Salatteller (Pork Escalope with Potato Salad and Mixed Salad) at €8.20; Hax'n mit Sauerkraut und Klößen (Pork Knuckle with Sauerkraut and Dumplings) at €8.95; and Käsespätzle mit Röstzwiebeln und Salatteller (Cheese Pasta with Roast Onions and Mixed Salad) at €6.50.

Gambrinus, the legendary King of Beer, who appears on the wall of Zum Urbräu, see above, is to be found in 3-D form, in the Gambrinusstube, the Gambrinus Bar, or at least he was on my last visit, in 1996, when it was still the Wagner Bräu tap, but there is a chance he could have been relocated to Zum Urbräu.

There is a coffee/snack bar (Café) part and a bar/restaurant (Gaststätte) part, the Café being open each day from 7.30am to 8pm, with the Gaststätte open from 11am to 10pm.

Gasthof Reiterklause, Fischergasse 7, tel 09243 700 502,
www.gasthof-reiterklause.de

This is a café/bar/restaurant with beers from the Brauerei Leikeim (www.leikeim.info), in Altenkunstadt, on the river Main, near the famous beer town of Kulmbach. Fischergasse is left off the Hauptstrasse beyond the Mager tap. Draught Beers include: Leikeim Pils at €1.60/2.20 (30/50cl); Leikeim Schwarzbier at €1.50/2.20 (30/50cl); and Leikeim Landbier at €2. Bottled Leikeim Premium Weisse is €2. Food includes: Steak Zwiebeln, Western Kartoffeln und Salat (Onion Steak, Western Potatoes and Salad) at €9.80; Paniertes Schnitzel mit Zwiebeln, Rösti und Salat (Fried Pork Escalope with Onions, Rösti Potatoes and Salad) at €8.80; and a number of Vegetarian Dishes, including Omelette "Champignons" (Mushroom Omelette) at €5.80.

Gasthof-Pension Luisengarten, Fischergasse 17, tel 09243 701 565

This is a bar/restaurant/beer garden, with accommodation, that has beers from the Brauerei Kitzmann (www.kitzmann.de), in Erlangen: Helles at €1.90; Jubiläums-Erlanger Dunkel at €2.10; Weissbier at €2.30; and Zwickl at €2.40.

Luisengarten is open daily from 11am to Midnight.

Pottenstein for the Tourist (and Walker and Rock Climber)

Although Franconian Switzerland (Fränkische Schweiz) is nothing like Alpine Switzerland, it has some outstanding scenery. Particularly special is the part of the journey to Pottenstein from Ebermannstadt down the valley of the Rivers Wiesent and Püttlach (Wiesenttal and Püttlachtal). Above the rivers, there are some very interesting rock formations, some with impressive castles perched on them, such as in Gössweinstein, in Tüchersfeld and in Pottenstein itself. Tüchersfeld is home to the Fränkische Schweiz Museum (www.fsmt.de). Burg Gössweinstein is a particularly impressive castle, which dominates the skyline on part of the journey down the Wiesenttal (B470 national road) from Ebermannstadt. It is featured in the Sehenswertes (Sights Worth Seeing) section of the website covering Gössweinstein and Behringersmühle, www.goessweinstein.de.

The stone towers are the result of differential weathering of Limestone (Calcium Carbonate) and Dolomite (Calcium Magnesium Carbonate). The rocks are particularly impressive in Tüchersfeld, and in nearby Pottenstein itself, where, as already stated, there is a marvellous castle (Burg) (www.burgpottenstein.de), on the top of one of the pinnacles, see the photo at the top left of this page, and a famous cave, the Teufels Höhle (Devil's Cave), www.teufelshoehle.de. The cave, the most well-known in Germany, is about a mile (1.6 kilometres) down the road from Pottenstein towards Pegnitz (www.pegnitz.de, White Beer Travels Web page), which follows the Weihersbach, a stream which fills an attractive lake, the Schöngrundsee, not far beyond which is the cave. There are various "Rooms" in the cave, which have been given names, as have the best stalactites and stalagmites, for example, the Kaiser Barbarossa Stalagmite is to be found in the Riesensaal (Giants' Hall). The atmosphere in the cave is said to be good for the the treatment of respiratory disorders, which leads to some people staying in it for hours, although normal visits take about forty minutes.

The Pottenstein Tourist Information Office (Gästezentrum) is an annexe of the Town Hall (Rathaus), at Forchheimer Strasse 1. It is open from May to September, on Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, and on Saturday from 10am until Noon. In October to April, it is open on Monday to Friday between  9am and Noon, and from 2pm until 4pm.

How to get to and from Pottenstein

Pottenstein can be reached by bus from Pegnitz, which is served by trains from Nürnberg (Nuremberg). It can also be reached by bus from Ebermannstadt, to which there are trains from Bamberg, via a change in Forchheim. The spectacular journey to Pottenstein from Ebermannstadt, down the valley of the River Wiesent and Püttlach valleys, on the B470 national road, is described in the previous section; the photo above left, features the river Wiesent, by the Sachsenmühle bus stop on the route. The photo was taken by John White, whilst on the bus, in November, 2006. The one to its right was taken by John White, after getting off the bus, it is the "Gästezentrum" stop in Pottenstein (Gästezentrum is "Guest Centre", i.e. Tourist Information Centre), right outside the Gästezentrum. To get train and bus times for such journeys, I normally use German National Railway (Deutsche Bahn (DB)) website (www.bahn.de, www.bahn.co.uk (English pages)). Despite being railway websites, these generally the best information on a combination of walking, bus train, etc, when you plug in a start and destination. This is certainly the case when starting from Nuremberg, but when starting from Bamberg, a common thing to do, as it is a major target for the serious Beer Hunter, as well as the tourist, it often tends to send one via Nuremberg, rather than the quicker and geographically shorter and far more attractive route via Ebermannstadt and the Wiesent and Püttlach valleys. I have therefore found it best to download a timetable for the bus that travels between Ebermannstadt and Pegnitz, via Pottenstein, the number 389, from the VAG (Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft [Nürnberg]) website, www.vag.de, or from the VGN (Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg) website, www.vgn.de. As can be seen from the sign, above right, there is a bus between Pottenstein and Bayreuth. Note that on the sign, this bus is number 8447, but this has subsequently become a number 397, this running between Gößweinstein and Bayreuth, via Pottenstein.

There is another very interesting option to get much of the way from Ebermannstadt, albeit on Sundays only from May until October (plus some days in December, for Christmas Specials (Nikolausfahrten)): on the Museumbahn (Museum Railway) from Ebermannstadt to Behringersmühle, from where the bus goes the rest of the way to Pottenstein (one can also get the number 393, which runs between Gößweinstein and Pegnitz, via Pottenstein). One could also walk the 7.5 kilometres (five miles) from Behringersmühle to Pottenstein, on a superb, marked footpath, one of a good number of such Wanderweg, in the area. The Museum Train service is run by Dampfbahn Fränkische Schweiz (DFS) (Franconian Switzerland Steam Railway), www.dfs.ebermannstadt.de. A bottled beer, at €1.80, is available in the Buffetwagen, but I don't know who brews it. Should you get stranded in Behringersmühle, the Gasthof Zur Behringersmühle (Gasthof Rüth) (www.gasthof-behringersmuehle.de), Behringersmühle 8, tel 09242 205, has accommodation, and beers from the Brauer-Vereinigung Pegnitz (Pegnitz Brewers' Combine) (www.brauervereinigung.de), in Pegnitz.

At certain times of the year, if for example, you were on your way from Ebermannstadt to Pegnitz, by bus, and broke the journey in Pottenstein, there may not then be a convenient bus to allow you to continue your journey, so you may have to resort to walking or getting a taxi. Two Pottenstein firms that provide a taxi service are: Leonhard Hopf (tel 09243 1898, 0174 359 40 17 (mobile/cell phone); and Hoch & Linhardt (www.hoch-linhardt.de) (tel 09243 242). In November, 2006, a taxi for the fifteen kilometre journey to Pegnitz was €18. I rang the Leonhard Hopf mobile/cell phone number, and I was picked up within minutes. A taxi could also be used to get to out of the way places, such as Oberailsfeld, in the Ahorntal (Ahorn Valley), for Held-Bräu (www.held-braeu.de) and its tap, which is eight kilometres (five miles) from Pottenstein.Click here to go to the website of Ebermannstadt, one of the gateway towns to Franconian Switzerland (Fränkische Schweiz), in the Franconia (Franken) region of Bavaria (Bayern), in Germany

And should you have some spare time in Ebermannstadt (www.ebermannstadt.de), one of the gateway towns to Franconian Switzerland, if you get off at the Kirchenplatz bus stop, three minutes before reaching the one for the railway, turning East off Kirchenplatz, onto Hauptstrasse, you will soon reach the taps of its two brewing establishments: Schwanenbräu www.schwanenbraeu.de), at Marktplatz 2 (tel 09194 71 90); and Sonnenbräu, across from it, at Hauptstrasse 29 (tel 09194 90 93). Note that the Schwanenbräu Brewery may be next to its Bierkeller, at Ramstertalstrasse 1 (tel 09194 209) (carry on along Hauptstrasse, with a name change to Oberes Tor, and the first main cross road reached is Ramstertalstrasse). Schwanenbräu is open from 9am to Midnight (3pm on Sunday). Its Keller opens on Tuesday to Friday from 5pm, and on Saturday, Sunday and on National Holidays from 3pm. Sonnenbräu's beers are brewed in a former Communebrauerei (Communal Brewery) or Kommunbrauhaus (Communal Brew House), which closed in 1962, see Klaus Ehm "Ebeleben bis Ebstorf" (www.klausehm.de/E.html). Sonnenbräu, which has some other outlets in the town, is open from 7am (4pm on Wednesday) to Midnight. Both the Ebermannstadt breweries have their own distilleries producing Bier-Brand (Bier Schnaps, Beer Schnapps).

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