About this place
Tucked into the little square called the Platzl, the Hofbräuhaus began in 1589 as the private brewery of the Bavarian dukes, created so the court would no longer have to import its beer from the north. For more than two centuries it served the royal household alone, until King Ludwig I opened its doors to the ordinary people of Munich in 1828. The vast ground floor hall, the Schwemme, was built in 1897 with soaring vaulted ceilings painted in cheerful Bavarian colors, communal oak benches, and a central bandstand where brass bands play daily. Locals still store their personal one litre mugs in locked cabinets here, waiters in Lederhosen and Dirndl swing armfuls of foaming steins between the tables, and the smell of roast pork and pretzels fills the air. It is at once a working tavern, a monument, and the single most famous beer hall on earth.
Key facts
- 1589 year — Founded as the private brewery of the Bavarian dukes
- 1828 year — King Ludwig I opened the beer hall to the public
- 3000 guests — The building can seat roughly this many drinkers at once
📍 Platzl, 80331, München