Bayreuth Beer & its Countryside Breweries is a compact guide to not only the best beers available in town but also to the many small breweries easily reached from it. Bayreuth may not be as renowned as the more noted Franconian beer destinations like Bamberg but its ease of access makes it a great base for exploring nonetheless. While lacking the postcard half-timbered charms of Forhheim and grandeur of Nürnberg, it’s obvious it was a fairly well to do town in its heyday and remains well-preserved. Home to the renowned Richard Wagner Festival, plan in advance if coming during its run. If in town for it, why not enjoy the beer culture while there.
images of Bayreuth
Bayreuth doesn’t boast the brewing history of more noted beer destinations and sadly quite a few breweries have closed down in recent times. That said, it has a couple of big players and one gem of a small independent one. The red brick wonders of Maisel and Bayreutherbierbrauerei may be beyond intertwined legally but they operate separately, and remain sites to be seen. Details for the breweries in links.
red brick breweries of Bayreuth
What are the best Bayreuth breweries?
Becher-Bräu (the can’t miss gem)
Pseudo breweries (have beers formerly self-brewed by other breweries):
Manns Bräu
Conny’s Buschenschänke
What are the best beer pubs & bars in Bayreuth?
What are the best Bierkellers & Beer gardens in Bayreuth?
What are the best Bayreuth Countryside breweries?
If that’s not enough for you, there is plenty to explore in the beautiful countryside surrounding town. Though some are reachable by train, a few might mean taking a bus. The biggest dilemma will be picking out which breweries to head out to. While there are some definite must-do’s, picking your destinations might be influenced on the days of the week you are traveling and how much adventure you want to include in your public transportation experience. You’re going to have to pick your breweries wisely. This guide will help you do just that.
the pleasures awaiting you outside of town
Details:
All of this information is available in much more detail on Beerwanderers so to keep this guide compact and easier to use while there, I will use links in case you need more information than a list. Contact info/opening hours/links to brewery websites/food/tasting notes are conveniently on these linked pages. I re-checked the opening hours in November 2025 but it’s best to reconfirm these times on the breweries’ websites or social media pages. When in doubt and if going to a village which is hard to reach, it’s always best to call.
trains, buses & automobiles
Public transportation:
Before listing my suggestions for Bayreuth area countryside breweries, I would like to suggest your having a look at my how to get around pages below. The German transportation Apps (DB & VGN) are invaluable for not only your planning but also purchasing tickets. They are not data or battery hogs and are about as non-obtrusive as you will find.
Brewery groupings:
The list of breweries will be split into three groups, determined solely by me as to the ease to reach them. (Please note, this post is about reaching the destinations without a car and with minimal walking. If you are driving or a beer hiker or biker, you can disregard this grouping and look at it as one big list.) Within each group, I will list them by town/village as occasionally there is more than one venue in a given village. Also, the name of the village will be important in finding your transportation route. I’m not providing bus routes or numbers as they change. With Bayreuth as a start point and the destination provided, you can easily sort it out with the VGN App.
This is done alphabetically rather than by my personal favorites. If it’s listed here, you can assume I like it. I am also only mentioning places that I have been to as I can’t recommend something I haven’t personally experienced. I will put an asterisk next to ones I feel have more merit. The links will go to my reviews of the places which includes beers I’ve had along with food. Though my focus is beer, food plays a big part in my beery travels.
some cozy places
1) Easy Peasy:
Places which you have no excuse for not checking out providing you have time. Travel time is minimal with generally no connections involved. Perhaps most importantly, they have friendly opening hours which work with public transportation.
Bamberg (more a beer destination in itself but also an easy day trip from Bayreuth) *
Burgundstadt(one brewery left & a few pubs)
Kulmbach (two breweries)
Marktredwitz (one brewery)
Neudrossenfeld (one brewery)
Pegnitz (here mostly as a transit hub for many of area breweries south of Bayreuth)
Trebgast (one brewery) *
2) A little more elbow grease:
Places where you need to make multiple connections or opening hours aren’t so friendly or both. You can get there but it takes some forethought, especially if you want to get back the same day. You might have to do some walking, especially if you don’t plan well.
Kronach (two breweries, one Biergarten/restaurant)
Pottenstein (two breweries, one Biergarten) *
Warmsteinach (one brewery tap)
3) Not easy, the best things rarely are:
Places which require a lot of planning due to very limited public transportation. Some require an overnight stay due to that or limited opening hours. Generally speaking, it’s well worth staying in these areas and you won’t regret it when drinking at any one of them, knowing you are sleeping nearby. Some might otherwise require some walking to get back to your starting point.
Hohenberg an der Eger (one brewery) *
Schmölz (Küps) (one brewery, one Biergarten) *
Lindenhardt (one brewery with accommodation)
Leups (one amazing brewery) *
Marktgraitz (one brewery) *
Weiglathal (one pub with a contract beer)
I hope The Pocket Guide to Bayreuth Beer and its Countryside Breweries helps make your trip to Franconia a great one. If it’s helped you find some new places, please consider buying me a beer 🍺!
Everything you need to know & more places to explore: The Pocket Guide to Franconian Beer.
Going to Bamberg for the first time? Don’t leave home without The Pocket Guide to Bamberg Beer & Breweries.
Are you interested in the countryside breweries around Bamberg? Please enjoy The Pocket Guide to Bamberg’s Best Countryside Breweries.
For a complete listing of all of the breweries I’ve visited in Franconian, with links to each brewery: Search for a brewery by name or enjoy my interactive map of Franconian breweries:
Heading to Bamberg in the warmer months, don’t leave home without A Guide to Bamberg’s Best Beergardens.
Going to the Bierkeller is a true Franconian cultural institution. Which are the best? Check out the Franconian Bierkeller Guide.
If going to Bamberg during Bock season, check out the Bockbieranstich Calendar.
Want to know more about beer styles in Franconia? Enjoy ABeerC.
In Franconia, the food is as good as the beer: The ABCs of Franconian Food.
Prefer a guided beer experience in Bamberg.
What a great and comprehensive resource, Rich. You have provided the information in a format where, as you point out, “the biggest dilemma will be picking out which breweries to head out to.” I’ll take that kind of problem any day!
Thanks, Don. Hope you get to use one of the Pockets Guides live in 2026.