More than Oktoberfest for Craft Beer

There’s a lot happening in the world of beer during October. Perhaps the most famous beer vacation destination is Munich’s Oktoberfest, which began in 1810 and continues today, when legions of locals and visitors from around the world consume more than 6 million liters of liquid gold during the 3-week celebration.

Munich isn’t the only destination for a beer-inspired vacation, though. Patricia Schultz, author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die teamed up with Jeff Alworth, author of The Beer Bible (Workman Publishing), to bring you 4 destinations for the quintessential classic beer vacation.

International Beer Vacation Destinations 

Belgium: You can sample a bottle of beer from the monks at Sint Sixtus in the small town of Westvletern (less than two hours west of Brussels, past Ghent). While you can’t visit the actual historic brewery, you can walk around the abbey’s lovely grounds, and enjoy a craft beer in any of the town’s small cafes.

Germany: For the authentic German beer experience, head to northern Bavaria’s region of Franconia and the charming city of Bamberg. This top beer vacation destination is a spectacular old town, complete with half-timbered medieval architecture and history at every turn, and a good number of atmospheric taverns offering beers brewed on the premises.

Czech Republic: With the title of highest consumption of beer per capita, it’s safe to say Czech Republic knows craft beer. Just a two-hour train ride from Prague is the city of Pilsen, home to Pilsner Urquell, the brewery that changed brewing across the world.

The historic brewery offers tours in Czech, English or German and ends with a sampling of their famous wood-aged pilsner.

Historic Brewery in PA

United States: One of America’s oldest—and perhaps greatest—beer vacation destinations is Philadelphia. Pennsylvania was one of the only states to survive Prohibition (1920-1933) with a fewhistoric breweries intact, and today is a craft beer leader.

Patricia Schultz is the author of the #1 New York Timesbestsellers 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and 1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die. A veteran travel journalist with 25 years of experience, she has written for guides such as Frommer’s and Berlitz and periodicals including The Wall Street Journal and Travel Weekly, where she is a contributing editor. She also executive-produced a Travel Channel television show based on 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Her home base is New York City. To purchase a copy of the bestselling book, click here!