A Beer Tourist’s Guide To…Unusual Winter Getaways
Experiencing a new city in Europe during December is always a quaint idea, given they tend to take on a unique character that in no way aligns with their usual feel. While most people gravitate towards famed Christmas markets in your Berlins and your Budapests, beer nerds can rejoice since many winter-wonderful yet under-visited European cities are beer odysseys. Here are five delicious destinations to find a perfect winter pint.
Brno, Czech Republic
Situated conveniently on the train line between Prague and other common interrail destinations of Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest, Brno unfairly receives short shrift. This is Moravia in pure time capsule form, with charming 19th century buildings, the remnants of Communism (including a well-integrated Vietnamese population giving the local cuisine somewhat of an uplift) and pubs, pubs, pubs. The city is small and walkable, the people are warm if culturally curt, and the lager is possibly the best in all of Europe. Stop off on your inter-city jaunt or head here outright – you’ll be glad you did.
You can’t go wrong with your pub choice, but you can go extra right, so for more on Brno check out our full guide here.
Gent, Belgium
We recently received a copy of the book Hidden Beers of Belgium and it reignited a passion to explore the lesser-known parts of one of Europe’s most easily accessible countries. Gent is the clear winner for a city to base oneself – here is the list of things it excels in: beer, chocolate, epic panoramic views, canals, beer, chips, romance, gigantic cathedrals, gin, being cheaper than Bruges, mussels, cycling, beer again. If you like a minimum of two of those, off you go. Get lost in the misty atmosphere of possibilities along small cobbled lanes and glimmering canals, then treat yourself to a warming Belgian Dubbel basically anywhere in the city.
It is very easy to get from Gent to many of the spots featured in Hidden Beers of Belgium, so if you do choose to head over to Flanders, ensure you get a copy to really maximise your beer discoveries.
Barcelona, Spain
Hear us out on this one. Barcelona will melt your pint glass in the summer months, and is a touristy nightmare at most times of year anyway. Aside from the beach, you can enjoy most of its spoils just the same in December or January. It’s not blisteringly hot – win. There are less people so accommodation is cheaper – win. The food and architecture are still exquisite – double win. It’s not too cold to sit outside most of the time, and the beer scene there is at its peak right now.
There are a lot of tourist traps, so to avoid paying 12 Euros for a pint of Mahou, check out our full Barcelona guide here.
Riga, Latvia
For all the major city winter charm that you can possibly digest, but without the intensity of most of Central Europe’s big metropoles, head to Riga. Will it be absolutely freezing? Yes! Yes it will. Covered in snow too, so you’ll get the white Christmas you’ve always dreamed of. Hop the short distances between the warmth of the pubs and breweries dotted all throughout the city and enjoy Baltic Porter as it was intended, and maybe the cold will feel a little less harsh as your night goes on. But wear thermals anyway, please.
To maximise indoor drinking time and minimise traipsing time in the snow, check out our full Riga guide here.
Bologna, Italy
Inland Italy doesn’t need hot weather to aid its appeal. Bologna is literally there because of food and drink, thus it constitutes the perfect Italian getaway where you don’t feel bad “not making the most of the sunshine”. The beer scene is thriving right now as the nation of culinary delights turns its hand towards malts as well as grapes. Wander aimlessly among burgundy coloured, arcade-laden lanes, hear church bells echoing around the cobbled main squares, and then choose your next meal (of beer. Or food. Or both). Top venues include Bierreria Popolare, a modern-feeling, always busy beer hall with a huge choice of Italian beer on tap; LOrtica, a more rustic, canteen-like pub with a solid selection; Astral Beers Pub, a tiny little bar with five taps and a big fridge selection; and of course Italy’s craft OG Baladin, which has a stall inside the always-buzzing Mercato di Mezzo food hall.
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