Beer Travels Day 3

“From the storybook town of Aying to hiking Freising and ending at the world’s oldest brewery, Day 3 was pure Bavarian magic — schnitzel, riverside walks, and our first Festbier of the trip.”

Day 3 – Aying & Freising 🍻

Another hearty Bavarian breakfast fueled us for a day beyond Munich. We hopped on the S-Bahn and in about 45 minutes arrived in Aying, a wonderfully quaint town where the Ayinger Brewery dominates the landscape. The village feels like a postcard — cobblestone streets, painted façades, and the brewery’s presence at its heart.

We walked the town and visited the Brewery and it was a larger operation than expected. Hard to believe their beer gets shipped all over America (and elsewhere) from this quant little town in the Bavarian countryside. In fact, Ayinger is known as "Munich's Country Brewery". We stopped at the gift shop then walked back to the hotel for lunch when they opened at 11AM. We also visited a local church.

The Brauereigasthof Hotel Aying was even more beautiful than expected, with a traditional beer garden that felt timeless. We sat down for an epic Bavarian lunch: schnitzel and roast pork with rich gravy made from Ayinger’s Celebrator Doppelbock. The food, beer, and setting were perfect together. We tried the Ayinger Helles and the Barischer Pilsner. Both were true to style and excellent. Not to be missed location!

From there, we traveled to Freising, one of Bavaria’s oldest towns. We hiked along the Moosach River up to the hilltop Freising Cathedral (Dom St. Maria und St. Korbinian), a stunning Baroque church with roots stretching back to the 8th century.

On the way down, we stopped at Hofbräuhaus Freising, where we tried their Kellerbier and Helles. Both were excellent — crisp, fresh, and deeply satisfying after the hike. The medieval town was fascinating and worth a stop.

Our train ride back was less idyllic — no air conditioning on a sweltering hot afternoon. Greg saved the day by muscling open a window that even a big German guy couldn’t budge. At one point, a conductor yelled at a passenger who tried to pry open a door after it had closed. Despite the chaos, we had a good laugh and even struck up a conversation with a friendly guy from India, who suggested we check out Eisbee (noted for a future trip!).

The evening ended at Weihenstephaner, the world’s oldest brewery, with roots dating back to 1040. Sitting on its hilltop biergarten overlooking Freising was magical. Here we enjoyed our first Festbier of the trip, a smooth, malty lighter festbier brewed for autumn. (Turns out it was the only Festbier we had until we got to the airport on the way home). We followed it with their Edel Pils, which had a distinct acidic, woody funk, and a Kellerbier that poured cloudy with an unexpectedly sour edge. Not every beer hit the mark, but the experience of drinking at such a historic brewery was unforgettable.

Another Bavarian day of history, beer, and local color — from the village charm of Aying to the ancient brewing traditions of Weihenstephan.

📍 Map of Day 3 Stops - map here

Ayinger Brewery & Hotel

Freising Cathedral

Hofbräuhaus Freising

Weihenstephan Brewery

🍺 Beer Highlights – Day 3

• Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock (gravy in the roast pork) – rich, malty depth that even flavored the food

• Ayinger Pilsner and Helles - Both super high quality and true to style, outstanding

• Hofbräu Freising Kellerbier – smooth, balanced, perfect post-hike beer

• Hofbräu Freising Helles – crisp and refreshing, classic Bavarian lager

• Weihenstephan Festbier – malty and smooth, first festbier of the trip, outstanding

• Weihenstephan Edel Pils – woody, funky, a little unusual

• Weihenstephan Kellerbier – cloudy, rustic, with a surprising sour note

🍺 Best Beer Of Day 3 - Weihenstephaner Festbier

• Not just popular at the Volksfest – our Weihenstephaner Festbier. A full rich bodied, hoppy, seasonal lager. Especially brewed for the Festbier season. This beer truly represents the Bavarian way of celebrating. Deep gold color, great mouthfeel and lots of flavor. Prost!

• Festbier is delicious with simple dishes, roasted chicken and flavorful Alpine cheese.

• Deep gold in color, this beer is luminous in the glass. From the very first sip, the full-bodied flavor is immediately perceptible – a balanced harmony of hop and malt aromas.

• The dense foam and the rich maltiness of this beer are especially impressive in a Maßkrug (liter mug).