Europe's 13 Best Beer Destinations

Beer is a drink that Europe's always done well. The alcoholic beverage has been an essential part of food cultures around the world for thousands of years, and in many countries in Europe, the moderate climate and soil conditions provide the perfect environment for growing cereals. It's little wonder that these countries have maintained thriving beer scenes to this day. Across Northern, Western, and Central Europe, countries like Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Sweden have well-established beer industries, with specific cities acting as de facto beer ambassadors for their nations, accommodating millions of thirsty tourists per year in search of the perfect craft brew and the busiest bars.

With so many places to choose from, picking the perfect European beer destination can be quite daunting. That's where we come in. In this article, we determined the best cities across Europe primarily by the quantity and quality of their beer pubs and bars. We also dove deep into cities that offer their own must-try beer style, locations that have notable breweries, and areas that have an established history when it comes to the world's favorite drink. Sit back, crack open a cold one, and travel with us. ‌

Countless tourists flock to Germany every year for its beer culture, and Munich is the city that most people head to once there. The Bavarian capital is perhaps best known for Oktoberfest, an enormous two-week-long festival where visitors enjoy soft pretzels washed down with approximately two million gallons of beer yearly. Visit at any other time of the year, however, and you'll still be able to sample Munich's iconic beers, enjoy its brewery scene, and soak up the nightlife.

Munich's most revered brewery, Spaten-Bräu, was founded in 1397, and a tour of its production facilities is a must when in the city. Its most popular beer, a type of lager called Spaten Münchner Hell, can be found in pubs on every street corner, with other beers like Augustiner Weissbier and Paulaner Pils also commonly found. No visit to Munich would be complete without a trip to its world-famous beer halls, and for a slice of history, the Hofbräuhaus is the place to be. Opened in 1589 under instruction from the royal family, the public was finally allowed access to the Hofbräuhaus in 1828, and since then locals and tourists alike have been rubbing shoulders at its lengthy tables.

Beer probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Spain, but in Barcelona, it's big business. The iconic city is the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia, which has always championed a beer culture in which smaller glasses of beer (designed so the brew can be enjoyed while still cold, despite the fierce Spanish heat) are sipped while dining on what is most certainly the best tapas in the world, and chatting with friends. Unlike the darker ales frequently found in Northern and Western Europe, Spanish beers are usually light, refreshing pilsners, crafted to be gentle on the palette and to pair well with the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine.

In recent years, beer culture in Barcelona has become even more specialized and intricate, with a host of local breweries popping up and supplying its many tavernas. As well as Estrella Damm and Moritz, both locally-brewed lagers, the Garage Beer Co. and BlackLab offer a host of cutting-edge flavors. Beer lovers will also be keen to check out BierCaB, a craft beer bar that stocks a massive selection of brews, with staff who are as enthusiastic about their tap range as their clientele are.

No list of Europe's best beer destinations would be complete without Dublin, and the main reason to go there is little surprise: Guinness. The quintessential Irish dry stout's home is the Guinness Storehouse. Located in St. James's Gate, the brewery has been producing beer for over 250 years, and today you can traverse virtually every floor of the building, starting with a brewery tour in its depths and ending at its sky-high Gravity Bar. Given that Guinness is one of the healthiest beers you can drink, the combination of cardio and a nutritious beverage is hard to pass down, right?

However, although the Guinness Storehouse is a must-see attraction, it's far from the only place to try the beer in Dublin. The city is practically splitting at the seams with pubs and bars, with something for everyone, whether they're looking for a more traditional experience or an up-to-the-minute craft beer joint. Classic Dublin pubs like The Palace Bar and Doheny & Nesbitt showcase the best of the city's architecture, with their Victorian style well-preserved and their coziness intact. For something more modern, try The Big Romance or Fidelity Bar, two craft beer bars that combine premium brews with a constantly changing roster of live music. There's something for everyone in Dublin's winding streets. ‌

Kraków has been developing as a beer destination for a little while now, with a microbrewery scene bubbling up in the early 2010s. This was in part thanks to the rise of the free market in Poland and nationalized breweries selling off old stock to sole traders. What once was a niche industry is now firmly established. These days, you won't struggle to find a good craft beer in Kraków: The ultra-trendy city has dozens of breweries, craft beer bars, and taprooms, and its rich and exciting architecture means that you get quite the view while trying each one.

Omerta, one of the earliest pubs to start stocking craft beers, is a must-visit: With 30 draught taps and premises that keep getting bigger, it's where the action's at. House of Beer has a similar reputation, with literally hundreds of beers available to try (we'd recommend not giving them all a go at once, though). Stroll down the streets of the Kazimierz district, and you'll find new taprooms popping up at the speed of light, each with their own selection. Factor in the average price of beer in Kraków, which is way cheaper than some other places in Europe, and you won't want to go anywhere else.

If you like your beer destinations ultra-cool and crammed with craft beer options, head to Gothenburg. The second-largest city in Sweden has a long history of beer production, emerging as one of the biggest porter producers in Europe in the 19th century. "Gothenburg was brewing 6 million liters a year. They were brewing more porter 200 years ago than all the beer craft brewers make now, put together," says Gothenburg Beer Week's founder and beer writer Fredrik Berggren, via The Daily Beast. That beer legacy has continued, with the highest proportion of breweries to its population in the whole of Scandinavia, and nowadays, porters sit next to lagers, pilsners, and ales, as its craft beer scene continues to grow.

There's no shortage of bars in Gothenburg that ooze scandi-cool, and have eye-popping decor that matches their menus. Poppels Citybryggeri is a fine example, with its beer tanks housed in a neo-industrial setting offset by pops of warm orange tiles. Elsewhere, you'll find small-scale breweries on side streets, and more traditional pubs offering ales and lagers. Many of its bars are located near the river, too, making them the perfect destination on the city's mild summer days.‌

Copenhagen is a quintessentially Nordic city, and its gorgeous architecture and waterside location make it one of the loveliest spots for beer lovers on our list. The Danish capital has always loved beer: In the late 17th century, it had 140 breweries dotted around the city, with its most famous export, Carlsberg, first brewed in 1847. Its popularity ushered in a huge increase in lager production, and for a long time that was the predominant style in Copenhagen, until the craft beer revolution introduced a new world of ales to the modern customer.

Nowadays, it's not difficult to find a good beer wherever you go, and for the city's inhabitants, it's serious business. There are approximately 50 craft beer bars dotted around Copenhagen, and Nørrebro and Vesterbro are the two districts you need to head to if you want to sample the cream of the crop. Naturally, you'll also want to check out where the world-famous Carlsberg is made. At the Home Of Carlsberg, you can do just that: Book yourself a brewery tour and take part in a slice of history. ‌

Figuring out what exactly makes a good beer destination is pretty tricky, but in this article, there were a few determining factors. We focused, first and foremost, on whether the cities discussed had a solid beer culture, contributed to by the number of good craft beer bars and microbreweries. A sizeable number of establishments selling craft beer indicates that the city itself has an appreciation for the beverage and an understanding that both its locals and tourists consider beer highly on their priorities list.

History was also an important factor for us when determining the best beer destinations. Many of the cities on our list have acted as the beating heart of their country's beer industry throughout the ages, and this sense of tradition has bled into new practices and informed the brewers of today. It was also important for us to showcase cities that didn't just stick to one solitary beer style — although each of them has its specialty — and make sure that we were highlighting places that could offer something for everyone, not just folks who love the more niche beers out there.