Beer culture varies meaningfully across Europe. Here's the honest sort.
Tier 1 — destination beer cities
- Bruges + Brussels: Belgian Trappist + abbey + lambic traditions. Cantillon brewery in Brussels, De Halve Maan in Bruges.
- Munich: Augustiner, Hofbräuhaus, Paulaner. The Bavarian beer-garden tradition.
- Prague + Pilsen: The pilsner heartland. Pilsner Urquell brewery tour.
- London: Modern UK craft scene. Bermondsey Beer Mile.
- Berlin: Strong craft scene + traditional kindl.
Tier 2 — strong beer cities
- Cologne: Kölsch — local style, served in tiny glasses.
- Düsseldorf: Altbier — top-fermented amber.
- Bamberg, Germany: Smoked beer (rauchbier) — Schlenkerla brewery.
- Edinburgh, Glasgow: Strong Scottish craft + traditional ale.
- Antwerp, Ghent: Belgian lambic + saison + abbey.
Tier 3 — surprising
- Reykjavík: Modern Icelandic craft + the famous beer ban (1989) story.
- Oslo, Stockholm: Expensive but world-class craft scene.
- Copenhagen: Mikkeller global influence.
- Amsterdam: Brouwerij 't IJ + dense craft scene.
Strategy
Pick a city for one tradition. Bavarian beer + Czech pilsner is two-region; Belgian + UK craft is two-tradition. Each style is distinctive enough that 2-3 nights focused on one tradition beats sampling broadly.