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Tour Outline

The Great European Beer Tour takes in some of the best Europe beer places Europe has to offer mixed with some great scenery and cultural places!

We have a number of versions of the Great European Beer Tour we do, outlined here is the Great European Beer Tour and Oktoberfest 2011, an amazing tour.

This really is the tour of all tours! 3 countries in 11 days, we even take in Munich’s famous Oktoberfest at the end with our reserved tent reservation at Hacker-Pschorr.

We take you through the amazing ‘Zoigl Land and into the Czech Republic and the home of Pilsner beer then onto Salzburg, the Alps and finally Munich.

So read on, a truly awesome tour!

The Great European Beer Tour (GEBT)

Tour Itinerary From €2150.00 pp/10-days

Day 1-Smoked Breakfast, Kulmbach and Zoigl Land

After we pick you up from Frankfurt airport, we head straight down the Autobahn and our first stop of the tour in the village of Schlüsselfeld where we can have some breakfast and our first tour beer ( a smoked beer) at the Sternbräu (Scheubel) brewery. We should have the chance to meet the brewer as well, nice guy! We then head on and visit the Kulmbacher Brewery Museum where we can have a look around as well as some beer and of course lunch.

Today is Zoigl day, we have around 15 pubs located nearby! We then have a Zoigl Crawl where we look for which Zoigl houses still have this unfiltered beer on, normally served directly from the lagering tanks in the cellar! This is an amazing opportunity to savour the beers from another of the world’s most unique brewing region. Enjoy the evening, we will eat at one of the Zoigl houses, great food!

Overnight - Zum Weisen Schwanne, Windischeschenbach (Germany)

Day 2-Into Czech, The Original Pils and Prague

We start the day with a pleasant 30 minute drive through the mountains and onto the German/Czech Border at Rosvadov/Waldhaus where we can get a quick photo.

We are now in Česká Republika (Czech Republic) and the Šumava region (Bohemian Forest) of the country. We get to Pzeňský Prazdroj Pivovar at around 11am after about another hours drive through the Czech Republic where we find ourselves in the industrial city of Plzeň (Pilsen) and of course at the famous Pzeňský Prazdroj or in German Pilsener Urquell (original) brewery. We can have a spot of lunch and some unfiltered Pilsner at the Na Parkánu pub/brewery museum, the brewery tap of the brewery.

We will have time to walk around the entrance to this famous brewery, soak up the atmosphere before we start our tour at 1245! We are where Pilsner beer started and the world’s first clear golden beer was produced, the rest is history!

After the tour we then join the Czech motorway network and then head to Prague. After checking into our hotel, we are central to Charles Bridge and all the Prague sights. The rest of the evening is free to explore Prague or we can stay together and have a beer and some food together.

Overnight – BW Hotel Kampa**** (or equivalent), Prague (Czech Republic)

Day 3-Prague

After a lazy breakfast, the rest of day is yours to explore Prague. Bier-Mania! will be doing a guided walk, however if you wish to look around on your own then feel free, we meet up later for some food and beer in any case. Have a good day.

Overnight – BW Hotel Kampa****, Prague (CZ)

Day 4-Zvikov Castle, Country Breweries & Budĕjovický Budvar Pivovar

After breakfast we leave Prague and head out to the Zvíkov Brewery Guesthouse, we should have the chance to see Zvikov Castle before we have some food and beer at this incredible place, great atmosphere, micro-brewery, good food and of course. After crossing the Vltava river, we arrive in the small hamlet of Dražiè and the brewery of Lipan Pivovar.

Next stop is the world famous Budweiser brewery- Budĕjovický Budvar Pivovar, we are now in the real one! The brewery has an excellent visitors centre complete with 3-D film! This is followed by a brewery tour by arrangement. After an early check-in into our gorgeous hotel, the Maly Pivovar, located just off the main square we then have the rest of the afternoon to see some of Budweis. The hotel is actually owned by the Budweis brewery.

Later we meet at the Budvar Beer House, an excellent place to have our evening meal next to our hotel and a few pints of the local Budweiser Budvar beer. Delicious!

Overnight - Maly Pivovar****, Budweis (CZ)

Day 5-Cesky Krumlov, The Sumava & Bavarian Forest

We should arrive in the gorgeous Ceské Krumlov, another UNESCO World Heritage site on the River Vltava late morning before lunchtime-a great place with it’s own castle, medieval old town. Let’s start with the Eggenberg brewery and some great unfiltered beer and a spot of lunch, the brewery is pretty typical of a Czech brewery, great place and great beer.

After lunch, we will then have the opportunity of some free time looking around the castle and the old town, this really is a must-see town. There are even a couple of bears at the castle, yes really! We then drive along the border with Czech and to our hotel for the night, the Brauerei-Gasthof Eck in the small village of Böbrach. We should arrive in Eck at around 4pm and after check-in and after maybe a quick welcoming beer we can then have a look at the Böbrach Schapps Museum which is attached to the back of the brewery guest house. Cheers!

We then have the evening to have some excellent Bavarian food, some beer brewed on the premises and maybe even a sauna. Sleep well!

Overnight – Eck Braueriegasthof, Böbrach (Germany)

Day 6-Dampfbier and Salzburg

After breakfast and maybe a look around the brewery with Mike, we have a 30 minute drive through the hills of the Bayerischer Wald or Bavarian Forest region of Bavaria and to the village of Zwiesel where we visit the Zwiesel Dampfbier (steam beer) brewery. This brewery is situated in the heart of the Bayerischer Wald on the borderlands with the Czech Republic and is unique in that it produces a beer it calls steam beer. The brewery produces a great range of beers! Naturally we will have to try them!

We then drive onto Austria where we are looking at an early check-in to our centrally located hotel. The rest of the day is free to look around, naturally we meet up later for some dinner and some beer, maybe at the Augustiner Bräusterberl.

Overnight – Hotel Elefant****(or equivalent), Salzburg (Austria)

Day 7-Eagles Nest, Mittenwald

Today we drive back into Germany, first stop is the Eagles Nest, we park up and get a bus up the mountain, have a look around Hitler’s retreat, maybe have a beer and some lunch.

We then drive across the Bavarian mountains and stop at Tegernsee after which we have a scenic drive onto Mittenwald and our hotel for the night located in the centre of the beautiful village. After some free time to wander around the village, we then all meet up for some traditional Bavarian food in the gorgeous beer garden at Gasthof Stern, the food here really is excellent, washed down with some fresh, cool Mittenwald beer, brewed in the village-paradise! Maybe see the sun go down over the Karwendal mountain....

Overnight—Hotel Alpenrose, Mittenwald

Day 8-Fairytale Castles, Monasteries & München

We start the day with a drive into Austria and along Lake Plansee on the 'back road' back into Austria, a beautifully scenic drive with mountains either side of the road!

We should arrive at Neuschwanstein Castle for lunch time where we can have a look around, take some photos and have some lunch and of course a beer at the Bräustuberl.

Suitably refreshed we then drive onto Andech’s monastery for some world class beer and of course a look around. Maybe we should become monks by now.

Overnight—Hotel Concorde****, Munich

Day 9-Munich Walkabout, Oktoberfest Opening & Hofbräuhaus

Today we will have a guided ‘walkabout’, we'll show you some of the places you may miss if you were on your own, we also build a thirst for our lunchtime beer! Or maybe you want to wander on your own.

We will then have an early lunch at around midday in the Hofbräuhaus in the centre of Munich, a must-do visit when in Munich, the atmosphere is electric! After lunch you can either stay with us or go and have a look around Munich on your own or even the Oktoberfest grounds, choice is yours.

Today is also the Oktoberfest opening ceremony, listen for the artillery shots at midday.

Overnight—Hotel Concorde****, Munich

Day 10-Oktoberfest 2010, The Big Day!

Hopefully you haven't been out too late the night before as today is the big one! We will all go down to the Wies'n together and get to our reserved beer tent at Hacker Festzelt (confirmed) for 12 o'clock or 1 o'clock. We have reservations at our tables for around 4 hours, after that you're free to wander around the tents, have a power nap outside on the grass bank or have a look around Munich again. Maybe you just want to call it a day!

You should go to bed with those songs reverberating around your head...'Country Roads.....'

See you in the morning!

Overnight—Hotel Concorde****, Munich

Day 11-Oktoberfest Bye bye!

Unfortunately for you, this is your last day in Munich unless you have decided to stay longer! The tour ends at breakfast over coffee and tales of the tour’s exploits!

See you all again next year for another Great European Beer Tour! Maybe!

Have a good journey home. Prost!

Contact andy@bier-mania.com

Phone +49-(0)2157 810558 (Germany)

Mobile +49-(0)177 7095599