Schützengarten

[zombiejellyfish]

So my gf and I are going to visit a friend of mine in Switerland in about a month, and she found that Switzerland's oldest brewery is right near our hotel!

http://www.schuetzengarten.ch/

Sweet lord, I can't wait! I'll be sure to post some pics of the brewery.

Also, any europeans or european travelers have any local beer recommendations?

 

[DeathBrewer]

nice! have a great trip!

 

[chillHayze]

Munich is a bit of a drive, but probably worth it if you have the time.

I've never been to Switzerland but I wouldn't imagine a lot of cultural difference from Germany. They certainly like their beer. It's the coolest thing to see a group of 10 grandmas meeting at lunch all chugging hefeweizens.

Make sure and let us know how it goes!

 

[EdWort]

While you are there, be sure to head to the Canton of Wallis. It's German speaking and there are great towns, like Brig, Ernen, Binn, Fisch, etc with great food and great beer. I love the Walliser Bier. The countryside is absolutfreeeking beautiful.

 

[Klainmeister]

If you can get up into Germany, which isn't that far, you have a ton of beers to try. In Baden-Württemberg (where stuttgart is) they have a lot of Koelsch and Pilsners that are top-notch. If you can get into Bavaria then you're looking at Helles and Weizens.

Konig Pilsner is excellent
Franzikaner Hefeweizen is the best
St. Augustiner's Helles is a must
Kaltenberg Ludwig Dunkel is also worth a shot

In all reality though, anything in southern germany and switzerland is going to be awesome.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

Very cool. I'm jealous as hell. Have a great time and take lots of pics to share.

 

[-Dan-]

I used to live in St. Gallen for 4 years (2000-2004) and let me tell you ... it's beautiful! Make sure your buddy takes you to Appenzell which is only a few miles away. Also don't forget to visit the Alpes ... they are in your backyars. There is a pretty famous mountain call Saentis to visit, kinda touristy but nice if you are from abroad. Let me know if you need more suggestions!
Btw... Germany is less than 1 hour away

 

[zombiejellyfish]

Awesome! We definitely have Appelzell on the todo list, as the phrases "dairy village" and "cheesemaking" are absolutely heavenly in my opinion.

Basically we're gonna go wherever the rails/boats will take us.

Anywhere in St. G itself that are must-sees? (ie restaurants and such)

 

[-Dan-]

Appenzell and Saentis is a must! If you have time maybe drive to the Alps and visit Davos ... the train takes you there directly.

In St. Gallen I can recommend Birreria (http://www.birreria.ch) nice pub ... at least that's how it was and if you have a few bucks and don't mind spending money on food then go to a place called 'Restaurant zum Goldenen Schäfli' it's right around the corner from McDonalds in downtown.

By using the train I commend you go to Konstanz (Germany) at the lake. It's a nice city and lots to see. Also take the train to Zurich and Davos. In case you want to visit Germany you can go to Munich (about 4 hour train ride), Stuttgart (about 2-3h train ride), Friedrichshafen, or Lindau.

I try to think of more but nothing comes really to my mind.

 

[zombiejellyfish]

I know this is a little off topic, but as we're buying our rail passes soon, I wanted to ask:

What do you think the best deal would be for a 6-day trip, as far as rail passes go? How much more would it cost to include transit in Germany?

We fly into Zurich and train out to St. G.

Thanks for the info!

 

[homebrewer_99]

I lived in Augsburg from 75-79 and was living in Bamberg from 99-04.

I've visited Rheinfalls (definite MUST SEE), Winterthur, St Gallen and Appenzell (great cheeses) before taking my wife to Leichtenstein (my 3rd trip there).

As for the beer, just drink what the locals drink.

 

[-Dan-]

What do you think the best deal would be for a 6-day trip, as far as rail passes go? How much more would it cost to include transit in Germany?

We fly into Zurich and train out to St. G.

Depending how much you want to travel a rental car might be cheaper. I would def look into it. As far as rail passes go ... there are passes available in the US that are valid in most countries in Europe (google EuroRail??) and are fairly cheap form what I hear. When I used to live in Germany and then Switzerland I used to have a car and didn't travel by train more than 4-5 times a year. The train is usually fairly good but not always the cheapest way to travel especially when you want to take the express train and not the honkytonk route who stops in every little village on the way.

As a local travel agent in your home town if he can help you with a rail pass. The pass I'm talking about is not available in Europe and can only be purchased in advanced.

I agree with homebrewer_99! Rheinfall, Winterthur, and Lichtenstein is also worth a visit! Almost forgot about it.

Before I forget; when you are in St. Gallen walk up the Rosenberg, search for one of the benches from where you can look over the city and open a .5l can Schützengarten and say "Dan told me so" Lord I miss it sometimes