Hirschgarten Beer Garden / Park / Restaurant

Neuhausen-Nymphenburg, Munich –

Less than a mile south of the famed Nymphenburg Palace, tree-lined Hirschgarten is a testament to duality: a simple but beautiful park arm-in-arm with one of the largest beer gardens in the entire world.

Harkening back to its former incarnation as a hunting ground for noblemen, deer still roam a feeding area near the original hunting lodge, itself converted centuries ago to an eponymous restaurant with outdoor drinking space for eight thousand happy stein hoisters.

Customary to a facility this size, visitors will find all types tucked under Königlicher Hirschgarten’s many chestnut trees – from packs of college kids toasting loudly to ratty backpackers to moneyed older couples quietly reading in the shade – but just about everyone has a glistening liter of Augustiner or Kaltenberger on the table.

Crowd size can surge at random intervals throughout the day, and summer months are unceasingly busy, but even when the outdoor projection screens tune in a big game, finding a seat is rarely an issue. Beer munchies can be quelled quickly with traditional Bavarian grub, especially during the restaurant’s nightly all-you-can-eat buffet.

When the weather cooperates, weary tourists in need of a post-meal nap take to the ample expanse of grass, while those in need of a little more action to burn off their hops hit Hirschgarten’s nearby skate park, grinding out their calories with hard flips and pop shoves.