5 Things I Discovered in Bavaria

Bavaria is a dynamic, cosmopolitan state. Those who don’t adapt fall behind.
— Horst Seehofer

Our decision to head to Munich before our research trip to Italy came about for a few reasons. Mike indulges my love of Italy and often accompanies me when I have to go to do research. Since he wants to see other places, I thought maybe we should check out somewhere in Germany or Austria since they are close. I settled on Munich because it was an easy flight, and the price was quite literally great.

Not long after I had bought the tickets, our former exchange student from Bavaria and I reconnected on Facebook. Michael had lived with us during the 1993-94 school year, and we had not seen him since he left. We had kept in somewhat irregular contact for 10 years, but in our moves to Nashville and Las Vegas and such, we lost touch with him and his parents.

The best benefit of Facebook is that it allows you to locate and/or keep in touch with people. Since Michael found me, his mom and I have texted and talked via WhatsApp. Michael and they invited us to visit them in Regensburg (where he lives) and Bad Abbach (where they live) so they could show us their part of the world. Michael was always very proud of Bavaria, and he was excited to show us his home. We discovered a lot of things while we were there.

Prost!

Bavaria is host to the largest and oldest beer festival in the world—Oktoberfest. We actually missed it by a few days as it took place in September. That said, you can find beer on menus all year long. The beer gardens we saw were full of people even though the weather was on the cooler side. And, almost everyone had a beer…with one notable exception at our table…. If my Coke Zero had been in a beer mug next to the dark Bavarian beer, no one would have known it wasn’t beer. I swear!

I did have a few sips, though. During a late afternoon drive through the countryside, we stopped at Schneider Weisse Brewery’s Tavern in Essing. Michael ordered a flight for us to share, and four different beers appeared. Included (photo above in order) were their Original (a light wheat beer), Aventinus Eisbock (a really dark beer that no one really liked), Weissbier (made without yeast), Aventinus (a darker beer) .

Bratwurst is King

I do like sausage, although I have never been a fan of Weißwürste, a white Bavarian sausage. I didn’t see them on the menus when we were at lunch or dinner, but Michael explained that Bavarians do not eat Weißwürste past noon. Apparently the custom came about because the butchers would make the Weißwürste fresh every morning, and since they had no preservatives, you had to eat them before they spoiled. And, even though refrigeration keeps the Weißwürste fresh, many Bavarians still adhere to the custom.

Our first day in Munich, I ordered a Bratwurst Rot (red bratwurst), but I think the guy gave me Weißwürste. The taste was not like any bratwurst I’ve had before, and I could taste a little bit of coriander and nutmeg in it. The texture was also very smooth, something more akin to the Weißwürste than rot.

Regensburg

I love Regensburg. Located a little over an hour east of Munich (by train), Regensburg is a well-preserved medieval town. Actually, it is the biggest medieval city north of the Alps and was, at one time, a Roman river fort. UNESCO recognized Regenburg’s historic center as a World Heritage Site in 2006.

Regensburg’s location on the Danube made it a good point for traders from all points north and south. Salt mined in Reichenhall came to Regensburg’s Salzstadel (salt depot) where workers distributed to ships going to ports north and south.

The stone bridge that crosses the Danube is one of the oldest still-standing stone bridges in the world. Built in the 12th century, it replaced wooden bridges that the Danube washed away.

Essing

If I had a picture in my mind of what Bavaria looked like before we got there, it would be Essing. A small town in the Kelheim district of Bavaria, Essing lives literally between the Altmuhl River and granite mountains. Though small, it has a number of guest houses and restaurants, but Essing is mostly a starting off place for hiking the area. As Bavarians are very much into outdoor living, Essing’s trails are an important feature.

I said I could spend some time here, but Mike and Michael quickly debunked that idea as the town is tiny without many services. Mike said I would be batty by the second day. He’s probably right.

Weltenburg Abbey (and Brewery)

Located on a small peninsula on the Danube, the Weltenburg Abbey is the oldest abbey in Bavaria. Although it’s been around since the middle 7th century, Weltenburg aligned itself with the Benedictines in the 8th century. In 1050, the monks started brewing beer, and Weltenburg claims to be the oldest monastic brewery in the world.

If you’re wondering, as I most certainly was, why monks would brew beer, the answer is simple. In the Middle Ages, drinking beer was safer than drinking water. The monks figured they could brew their own beer more safely than others. In addition, they could sell it to travelers in need of a drink and give it to poor who suffered from thirst. Interestingly, the amount of alcohol varied by who was drinking the beer. Travelers’ beer had the highest concentration of alcohol while the poor got the most watered-down beer.

The church at Weltenburg is dedicated to St. George. Built by the Asam brothers, it is a great example of Bavarian Baroque. What is Bavarian Baroque, you ask? The style uses high-end materials such as marble, brass, and stone. There are also many sculptures, frescoes, and embellishments, many of which are covered with gold leaf or paint.

There are seven monks (ages 35-58) still in residence at Weltenburg, and they each have particular duties. No matter what they are working on, when they hear the bell calling them to prayers five times during the day, they stop their work and head for chapel to pray.

The abbey has a guest house, restaurant, and gift shop. In warm weather, they operate a beer garden.