The most beautiful beer gardens

The beer garden at the Stadtwaldhaus in Krefeld's city forest is particularly idyllic. According to an online survey by Falstaff magazine, it is the most beautiful beer garden in the whole of Germany - even beating Bavarian beer gardens. This comes as no surprise: in addition to its idyllic location on a pond with pedal boat hire, it scores highly in terms of leisure quality with several playgrounds, beautiful walking paths, a golf course, hockey pitch, racecourse and tennis courts. The Stadtwaldhaus with its popular beer garden offers outdoor seating for around 3,000 day trippers.

Hard work, honest wages - that's the motto of the Bergmann Brewery in Dortmund. In the summer, the beer hall on the site of a former blast furnace works extends its premises outside and you can savour the freshly brewed beer in the open air - with a view of a piece of Ruhr area history. The pipes, halls and blast furnaces of the former blast furnace works are well preserved and are used in different ways. Immersive digital exhibitions showing changing art can be seen in a former gas blower hall. As part of guided tours, the Skywalk Phoenix West offers impressive views over the former ironworks, where iron ore was processed into pig iron until 1998.

The cult pub Tigges is located in the centre of Düsseldorf's Bilk district. With a view of an impressive mural, the beer tastes particularly delicious here in the green beer garden. Whereby "the beer" is not correct, "the beers" is more accurate. The traditional pub, which has been inviting guests to enjoy a cosy get-together here for over 100 years, has 13 different types of beer on tap. Got a taste for it? Then you can continue on a stroll through Düsseldorf's trendy neighbourhood with hip cafés and restaurants, breweries and a detour to Little Tokyo.

The picturesque location on the River Werse makes the Pleister Mühle a popular destination for excursions. The country inn on the outskirts of Münster is a lovely place for a break, a round of minigolf or a short canoe trip. The beer garden is right next to a canoe hire centre and several cycle paths, including the Peace Route and the R1 European Cycle Route.

The beer may taste even better with a view of a truly unique piece: from April to the end of October, fresh beer is tapped in the beer garden next to Germany's only grindable ship mill. Up until the 19th century, mills like this were located on the Weser in Minden and ground grain into flour. Admission is free, by the way, but a fee is charged for guided tours booked in advance.

The beer garden of Brauhaus Johann Schäfer is located directly on the Rhine in Cologne's Rheinauhafen harbour. Here you can enjoy the delicious Südstadt Pils as well as burgers, currywurst and more, including vegan options. In addition to the view of the Rhine, a neighbouring beach volleyball court and a skate park as well as the Südbrücke bridge connecting to the opposite bank of the river are plus points and combination options for a trip there.

Elmores Biergarten in Windeck-Schladern combines industrial culture and beautiful views. Located directly on the River Sieg, it offers home-made food, freshly tapped beer, a view of the water and history from April to October. Its name is reminiscent of the English metal goods factory Elmores, which once produced copper pipes here using water power. The brick buildings on the site also date back to the 19th century. The beer garden is an ideal stop-off point for cycling and hiking tours through the Windecker Ländchen region: The Natursteig Sieg (Sieg Nature Trail), Meander Trail and Sieg Cycle Trail pass by.

Beer drinking with a railway connection - that's possible in and around Café Hutmacher at the listed Mirk railway station in Wuppertal. Located directly on the Nordbahntrasse, a former railway line that has been converted into a cycling and hiking trail, there is plenty of space here for a relaxing break with a delicious drink and a varied programme. Concerts, theatre plays, readings and exhibitions are always on the calendar. The children's playground outside and children's play corner inside make the location a worthwhile destination for family outings. If you're travelling on foot, the beer garden can be a great part of an urban walking tour through Wuppertal.

You can daydream here with a cold drink, coffee and cake or other treats... Rhine romance with panoramic views of the Siebengebirge, the region around Bonn, Königswinter, marvellous. Imagine staying at the neighbouring Grandhotel Petersberg on your next visit, just as Queen Elisabeth II once did. To get your feet firmly back on the ground, we recommend a hike through the surrounding area, for example along the Beethoven hiking trail, which passes right by here.