Löwenbräukeller

Löwenbräukeller is a beer hall and event centre in Munich’s Maxvorstadt district. The building stands on a broad street lined with plane trees, a few hundred metres from the city’s main railway station. It was opened in the 19th century by the Löwenbräu brewery to serve as both a public beer cellar and a venue for large gatherings. The façade is simple, with arched windows and a modest pediment. Inside, the main hall seats more than a thousand guests at long wooden tables. Smaller rooms open off the main space, each with its own bar and seating.

The hall has been a stage for major concerts since the 1980s. Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss have all played here before thousands of fans. In the 20th century it also served as a substitute location for the annual commemorations of the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. This followed a 1939 bombing attempt on Adolf Hitler by Georg Elser that made the original Bürgerbräukeller unsafe. The brewery’s lion emblem still appears above the entrance.

Visitors find a spacious beer hall with high ceilings and wooden beams. The main room’s walls are decorated with brewery posters and photographs of past events. Side rooms host smaller parties and private functions. Outside, the forecourt is often filled with groups waiting to enter. Inside, waiters carry litre steins between the tables. The air carries the smell of roasted barley and pretzels.