Biergarten Crawl ...er Ride

I would like to propose a biergarten tour of some of the best beers and biergartens within Germany. The problem is that it will begin in Erlangen. This is a small town (100,000 population) between Bamberg and Nürnberg. I know that many of you believe the beer around Munich is the best, but you need to try these up in Franken...they wil make you salivate like Pavlov's dogs, the next time you step into the land of Franken.
What I propose is to take the faitful few on a tour through the lovely rolling hills (not a difficult ride) of the region. Within thirty minutes we will arrive at the first Biergarten, these biergartens are usually offering their homemade beers in stein krugs in a location that is unbeatable. They are in the middle of a forest with trees and rivers running next to them...To summarise, I suggest a tour of four or five different biergartens with a ten to thirty minute ride between each, and if someone prefers to stay at one of them, we can cirlce back around on the ride home and pick up the stragglers. Erlangen is a three hour trip by RE (Bayern Ticket or Schöneswochenende) or two hours by ICE, or one and a half by car. There are plenty of places to rent bicycles if you need them there, or do not want the hassle of traveling with your bike. I would like to organise this one of the first weekends of May. If people want the days between May 12-23, the evening or non-bicycle riders can enjoy the Bergkirchweih, which is the second largest beer festival in Bavaria (to the Oktoberfest). I would like a list of anyone interested, and I am hoping for a group of less than fifteen, but more could be accomodated. Just add a post if you would be interested!

I'd be up for this and so will Gilksy(She doesnt know it yet).

Edit - Although just looked at the dates, she will be in England.

totally interested, I love the area..

..and the Bergkirchweih ROCKED last year! Oktoberfest under the trees in the sunshine, and with far less people (and therefore violence and hassle etc.)... spot on.

let me know the exact date, and I'm there (flexible)... just don't suggest driving there, as we'd have to get back!! May be able to arrange accommodation (either with friend in Nürnberg and his mates in Erlangen, or work rates on B&B)

This sounds like a really lovely idea. I'd definately be interested if I have the day free. Can confirm closer to the time.

brokenm, yes to erlangen (of course) but you know this already ha ha
dunno about the cycling though but I plan to be at the bersch as it is the 250th!
you got accommodation? coz I'm likely to be at entla's at least 1 weekend seeing my old praktikants etc so might see you there rather than with a TTM crowd
sorry for shite typing, have just split yoghurt onto keyboard due to excitement of seeing word BERG
Bersch official site

I'm probably up for this depending on the details.

I was also at that fest last year, it was awesome! Although the day I was there the people per area was the same as Ofest, even greater in parts.

Might be up for this, sounds like fun
May is v. busy time at work for me, though, so it depends when you do it and how my deadlines fall...

Katrina
I saw the new 250 Entla's Keller Beer Krugs this last weekend while I sat under the trees drinking a fresh pulled one!Entla's

After 4 or 5 beers you could get into trouble for being on a bike.
It was discussed here on TT not too long ago.
You can even get points or lose your driving licence for cycling when drunk.
Don't say we didn't warn you...

but my God, we'll have fun trying!

This is out of the city on paved paths where there are noooooo police!! But you can also have Radlers???

ENTLA'S!!!
I've got 1999-2003 krugs (3 at my flat, rest in UK).
Those are great pictures - memory lane!

I'll be up for this!

Did you ever do the tour? They run it on Sunday morning's ~11:00 (not during Berg). It last around two hours and they take you through the hostory of beer in Erlangen, how they store it, a look at the first Krugs, and finally a trip through the keller, which is over 22 km under the Berg, with Artwork, ghosts...and at the end you are given a free half maß of a resfreshment of your choice (beer or the best fresch gepresst Apfelsaft I have ever had!) all for only 3 €

And for the knowledge of the bikers, beer in these Biergartens will cost around 3.50 per Maß, so start saving those coins!

I have indeed and recommend it but the keller is 22 m not 22km deep coz that would otherwise be miles and miles deep and the keller is not approaching the earth's core (although it might feel like it).
See? The beer is that good!
An event split (Berch and biergartens separate) might be in order though (like you thought about maybe brokenm) or doing it midweek (don't forget those BayernTickets/Schönes Wochenende)?

yep, that's part of the charm.. trees, sun, fresh air, less tourists...and cheap as hell!

You don't walk the full 22 km, but the actual paths ingesamt are in that order, here is a picture form the same site, but you may only walk 1-2 kms of it

Fürhung

Agree about Franken beers! Was just in Bamberg 2 weeks ago, wonderful town!! Would love to go to Erlangen (never been there) with you peeps, when?

This is a great idea. I hope I'll be up for it, was allowed on the cycle machine for the first time yesterday (7 weeks since operation on knee) but hopwfully I'll be up to proper cycling by mid May.

Has an exact date been set?

sounds interesting to me too.

How is the date of May 14th or 15th?? I will post this week the biergartens and maybe a rough map.

We have finally organised the bier garten/bike ride tour. It will be on Saturday the 14th of May beginning in Erlangen at 11:00. It will consist of five different Bierkeller stops with eight different bierkellers. The tour will leave the city and pass by lakes, ponds, through woods, by rivers, meadows and will be mostly on bike paths well away form any other streets.
The first Biergarten is one of the best I have ever visited it is in Neuhaus (about a forty five minute leisurely ride away from the starting point), it is called Felsen Keller and it is beutifully set next to a small lake in a wooded area. We will then proceed to Zeckern for a small respite. The next stop is Lauf, here the bier is not the best on the trip, but better than Munich's Unternehmen Piss!! But the location is wonderful. We then will proceed to the Kreuzberg region. This is a a hill which at the top has three different kellers, Friedel's Keller and Rittmayer are two of the favorites. We will then continue to the last "surprise" keller which is on the way to Forcheim which has a train to bring people that can no longer bicycle to Erlangen (ten minute train ride) or for the ones with true stamina we will continue to Erlangen along a river for a thirty minute bicycle ride.
I will be in Erlangen and I am organising this for my friends there. We will be around twenty people, mostly Germans but all great people. We are doing this only as a normal weekedn ride amoungst friends and you are all invited to join, but realise we are not doing this in a professional way, and you are responsible for your own limits to drinking and bicycling. Be aware that in Germany a 1,6% on a bike is considered the same as someone who has 0,8% in a car and the fines can be quite excessive. I will be in Erlangen the evening before and can not help with organising it from Munich to Erlangen, but there is a three hour RE train that with the Schönes wochenende ticket will be quite affordable. At the end of the tour, one of the best Bierfests in Germany will be taking place in the city and it will be filled with a crowd of people. So you may be interested in staying in Erlangen after the tour, rather than traveling back the same day. But otherwise, you will enjoy some of the best beers/beergartens within Germany.

Too bad I'll be out of town that weekend - this sounds like an exhausting yet awesome event! And I always wanted to try some beers from Franken - so far I only know Tucher, which is for sure not the best. Anyway, I'm sure you'll be having fun


I wanna see anybody who can even say the word "bike" with 1.6% - usually anything more than 0.5% is considered to be fatal