A can of
Warsteiner Pilsener (3 euros) on my Eurowings EW8462 flight from London Heathrow to
Berlin Tegel airport was an inexpensive treat to get in the mood for a beer-orientated trip to the city.
Flight time passed quickly and despite warnings of delays at the overcrowded airport, with only hand luggage, transit through the airport was quick thanks to automated passport-checking booths.
I did not stop for a beer and currywurst at
EsS-Bahn just outside the airport terminal but I did take a photo!
Having done some research into the various
fares available, the best option for me, staying over 4 days and not planning to visit museums or tourist attactions, was a standard 7 day ticket.for zones A & B, costing 30 euros.
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| West section of Berlin transport map with route in orange |
This ticket option was available on the 'more fares' (second) screen of
the machine which accepted card payment. It then needed to be inserted
into a validating machine before boarding the (TXL) bus.
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| Beusselstrasse S-bahn station |
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| Berlin du bist so Wunderbar! - eastwards view from Halensee S-bahn station |
A transfer to an anti-clockwise S-Bahn at Beusselstrasse for Halensee, left me near a bus stop for a short journey on a yellow double-decker bus to a stop near
St Michaels-Heim hostel.
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| Wolf Vostell's Zwei Beton Cadillacs sculpture - Rathenau Platz |
The bus route passes an unusual concrete sculpture in the middle of a roundabout at
Rathenau Platz. Constructed by
Wolf Vostell in 1987, '
Two concrete Cadillacs in the form of naked Maya' some parts of the cars are still visible from some angles.
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| Biergarten am Herthasee / rear garden of St Michaels Heim |
After checking in at St Michaels Heim hostel, it was necessary to return to reception to obtain an electric fan as my room was hot and lacking any air-con.
I was soon back on a bus to
Kurfürstendamm 100, the address for Das Haus der 100 Biere.
There were less than 100 beers on tap but I was happy to order a draught Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier which was very refreshing on such a warm evening. The full height windows were open which let in a breeze and traffic noise. Most customers were sat outside at pavement tables.
The decor of the rather characterless bar included some old B&W photos. Although food was available I decided to eat at Gasthaus Lentz in Charlottenburg which I knew was good.
A short bus journey eastwards and then one stop north from Adenauerplatz on the U-bahn (U7) took me to Wilmersdorfer Strasse in Charlottenburg.
It was a relief to find a free table inside Gasthaus Lentz, Stuttgarter Platz 20, last visited in August 2013.
I ordered a draught Andechser Vollbier Hell from Klosterbrauerei Andechs, a monastery brewery 30km south west of Munich. The menu included several dishes of the day but they were not all available as it was now 9.45pm.
I ordered Regensburger Wurst with sauce, sauerkraut, pickle and bread (5.80 euro) which was a good subsitute for my initial choice.
In no hurry to return to my hot hostel room, I ordered an 4.9% ABV Andechser Export Dunkel to extend my stay in the pleasant surroundings of Gasthaus Lentz. The 0.5l draught beers cost 3.80 euro each.
After a couple of bus rides and a walk I was back at my hostel just after midnight. I stopped at the entrance to take a photo of the noticeboard advertising Biergarten am Herthasee which occupies the hostel's substantial gardens. However, on this trip I would never have an opportunity to sample this local beer garden.
