Europe by the Pint: Best Beer Towns

• AMSTERDAM

  Amsterdam is graced by over 1,000 pubs. Beyond the local Dutch offerings, German and Belgian beers are popular in the city famous for its liberal leanings when it comes to imbibing. While Heineken is the big name in town, the Dutch have also made strides in brewing British and American styles. Breweries, tasting pubs and specialty beers shops are spread throughout the city.
  
  

• BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC

  The second largest city in the Czech Republic has a number of independent breweries that feature popular tours. There, you’ll find the Heineken-owned Starobrno Brewery, Pegas, one of the Czech Republic's first brewpubs, and Brewpub U Richarda, a brewery on the outskirts of town. 75 miles to the west, the fairytale town of Telc is home to the historic Regent Brewery.
  
  

• BRUGES, BELGIUM

  The medieval city’s pubs offer an almost unimaginable variety of beers, strictly served in glasses appropriate to the brew. The tour of the De Halve Maan Brewery includes a stop at the top of the building for a dramatic view of the picturesque city below. An old malt house is home to a beer museum, where one can take in the history of local brewing.
  
  

• COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

  The Carlsberg Brewery that has a tour with old beer wagons and ends in a modern bar with ample samples. But lots of brews beyond Carlsberg are available in Copenhagen’s bars, brew pubs and specialty beer shops. And one need not drink indoors in Copenhagen. Beer-drinking in public is legal, and popular.
  
  

• DUBLIN, IRELAND

  Dublin is, of course, home to Guinness. The tour at the Guinness Brewery is one of the city’s top attractions, ending up in the Gravity Bar, with a 360-degree view of the town. Dublin is also home to a large number of micro-breweries, and a staggering number of pubs.
  
  

• LEUVEN, BELGIUM

  20 minutes by train from Brussels lies Leuven. Two blocks from the Leuven train station lies the Stella Artois Brewery. The Stella tour includes lessons on how to properly serve beer. The city’s Old Market Square is home to a number of pubs serving a variety Belgian brews, with emphasis on pilseners, ambers and winter ales.
  
  

• MUNICH, GERMANY

  From its shaded beer gardens in the summer months, to massive, vaulted beer halls for the rest of the year, Munich needs no introduction to the beer lovers of the world. The Big Six brewers that dominate Munich’s historic beer scene are: Löwenbräu; Hofbräuhaus; Augustinerbräu; Paulaner; Hacker-Pschorr; and Spaten. Hofbräuhaus has one of the city's best-known, and most-visited, beer halls.
  
  

• PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC

  The Czechs have a knack for brewing lagers, with Pilsner Urquell as their most popular potable. It’s brewed in Plzen, a 90-minute train trip from Prague. Beers brewed in Prague include Branik, Staropramen and Kelt, which crafts a dark beer similar to Guinness. Prague also has a number of pubs with on-site micro-breweries.