Nothing symbolizes the ebullient German spirit than a large frothy Maß slammed down on your table at Munich's most famous beerhouse. Germans currently rank as the second highest beer consumers, just behind the Czech republic. Countless soulful drinking songs have been composed as a paean to the spirit of beer, and the beer of spirits.


Oddly silent, these beer halls throng with festive revelers in October, beermaidens in eye-catching dirndls hauling beermugs around the tables, and waiters in letherhosen ushering in merrymaking gentry amidst the colorful brass band oompa music Built in 1589 by Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria, the Hofbrauhaus in Munich is famous for inspiring the good and the not so good. Mozart composed "Idomeneo" here, having lived around the corner. Lenin visited the Hofbrauhaus regularly. And the halls became the activity center for the National Socialist German Worker's party, or the Nazis. Although Hitler never drank and rarely visited the beerhall, he made some thrilling renditions as a young art student



Painting by Adolf Hitler, Hofbrauhaus Munich
The Hofbrauhaus menu of Bavarian tasties The layout of the Hofbrauhaus



In Münich stet das Hofbräuhaus
Eins, Zwei, G'Zupfe!
Beer Maiden in Dirndl "Bier her, Bier her, oder ich fall um, jochhe!
Mir konnst no a Weißbier bringa, Bayern des samma mia - jawoi!"


Video: Oompah music inside the Hofbrauhaus.





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