Beer's Homeland Hosts the Football Euro Championship This Summer: Top German Pubs to Visit

“Football’s coming home” is a famous chant, and in the summer of 2024, the sport will be heading to the home of beer – Germany. The 2024 European Championships kick off in June with the top nations on the continent striving to be crowned the kings of Europe.

Football analysis and predictions have England and France among the front-runners this season to win the European Championships. Host nation Germany, despite some poor form, could still get themselves in the mix, with the passionate home support driving on Die Mannschaft.

The nation has hosted plenty of brilliant sports events before, and it’s less than two decades since the 2006 World Cup was hosted there. Regardless of the outcome of the tournament, there will once again be a big party in Germany this summer. 

European Championship Venues and Places to Celebrate 

Hordes of travelling fans will be heading to Germany this summer to catch the action and down a pint or two. To get as close to the action as possible, you’ll need to know the ten host cities and venues for the tournament:

● Olympiastadion in Berlin

● RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne

● Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund

● Merkur Spiel-arena in Dusseldorf

● Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt

● Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen

● Volksparkstadion in Hamburg

● Red Bull Arena in Leipzig

● Allianz Arena in Munich

● MHPArena in Stuttgart

Those are the key destinations to head to for the matches of the European Championships. Pubs and beer halls will be gearing up for some big business in those cities, which are going to be flooded with tourists.

But which are the best pubs to hit to join in the festivities? Here are nine of the best watering holes in Germany:

Hofbräu Berlin

This is a famous destination for drinkers in Berlin and one that is likely to appeal to visitors during Euro 2024. The Hofbräu is a themed pub where the staff are decked in traditional clothes. It’s more like a giant beer hall, the type that you easily associate with Oktorbest, boasting long tables with benches and giant pitchers of beer. Pretzels and bratwurst are common additions to orders.

Dicke Wirtin Berlin

During any visit to Berlin, Dicke Wirtin is worth dipping into. It’s a completely different world to Hofbräu and as traditional of a German pub (including a restaurant) as you can find. Walls are packed with photographs, prints and knick-knacks in an eclectic way. It’s a cozy spot oozing character and the name means “Fat Landlady” if you were wondering.

Peters Brauhaus Cologne

Things are naturally going to be busy and crowded during Euro 2024, so beer halls may offer a more comfortable experience. In Cologne’s Old Town, you get your hands on some excellent Kölsch at many hotspots and Peters Brauhaus is one of those. 

There’s a grand exterior, but the inside is very welcoming. Peters produce their own beer and the venue has a traditional Brauhaus feel about it, making it extremely popular among locals. 

Wenkers Brauhas Dortmund

Dortmund is something of a party town and one of the hotspots there is Wenkers, which is the oldest brewery in the area. While it has a very modern feel today, you are still stepping back in time when you walk through the doors in this easily accessible central part of the city. There’s a patio and a big plaza space for just chilling out and enjoying a drink.

Augustiner-Keller Munich

An experience not to miss and if you ask any local in Munich what pub to try out, they will probably point in the direction of Augustiner-Keller. This is an institution in the city, and it hosts an enormous 5,000 patrons between the gardens and the interior. 

Head down to the magnificent vaulted cellar where beer is poured straight from wooden barrels. The spacious yet enclosed area does mean that the noise levels get ramped up.

Chinesischer Turm Munich

This is a drinking experience not to miss as you can revel among a crowd of 7,000 in this staggering beer garden. This perhaps may be the ultimate beer garden as it’s essentially a dedicated area within a park. 

Head to the Englisher Garten right in the center of Munich and enjoy this four-square-kilometer area of open-air festivities and beer drinking in one of the city’s most spectacular settings.

Taphouse Frankfurt

This is a good spot to try out some different beers while taking in Euro 2024. They have a huge range of craft beers and domestic and international brews. So you may have a chance to find your favorite tipple in this gastropub environment, but plenty of other options to tempt you to try something new. There is a beer garden to enjoy in the summer and their main cuisine is Indian food.

Ackermanns Stuttgart

If you end up in Stuttgart during the European Championships, check out Acerkmanns, which is a popular spot for sports fans. You can chill outside on the patio in this impressive corner building where there’s always a superb atmosphere and it is great for big groups of travelers.

Brauerei Schumacher Düsseldorf

This is a place where you can go and get something special, the locally brewed Altbier, for which not many brewers remain. But Brauerei Schumacher in Düsseldorf has a spectacular one and it’s served cold in this traditional, cozy and popular pub. It’s not as central as others, but a little fresh air to get there will be well worth it. 

Where Will You Visit?

Germany is the home of beer and there are some wonderful atmospheres to be had in many of their pubs. There’s also a huge range of styles that you can visit. You get everything from the raucous beer halls to up-and-coming stylish wine bars, cocktails bars, clubs and those good old traditional pubs when you just want a hearty brew, some good food and to talk about the beautiful game.