The Best Beer Halls & Taverns

Auerbachs Keller, Leipzig: The most famous tavern in eastern Germany, this is where Goethe staged the debate between Faust and Mephistopheles. The tavern dates from 1530 and has a series of murals evoking the Faust legend.

Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, Munich: The Hofbräuhaus is the world's most famous beer hall and can accommodate some 4,500 beer drinkers on any given night. Music from live bands and huge mugs of beer served at wooden tables combine to produce the best of Bavarian nighttime fun.

Zum Roten Ochsen, Heidelberg: Over the years, "The Red Ox" has drawn beer drinkers from Mark Twain to Bismarck. Students have been getting plastered here since 1703, and the tradition continues to this day.

Ratskeller, Bremen: This is one of the most celebrated and best Ratskellers in Germany. A tradition for decades, it serves top-notch German and international food and some of the best suds along the Rhineland, as well as one of the longest lists of vintage wines from the country's vineyards.

Ratskeller, Göttingen: The beer in the town of Göttingen flows freely in many taverns, but the Ratskeller is the most reliable (and it has good food, too). This 600-year-old spot lies in the cellar of the historic town hall and has served customers such as Otto von Bismarck and the Brothers Grimm.

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