Starkbierzeit at the Nockherberg

The Starkbierzeit is Munich’s strong beer season, and it starts straight after Fasching, the Bavarian carnival. Its best-known venue is the Paulaner am Nockherberg, the brewery’s beer hall on the Nockherberg hill in the Au district, on the right bank of the Isar. The next Original Starkbierfest there runs from Friday 26 February to Sunday 21 March 2027, in the large festival hall and, when the weather is good, in the self-service area of the beer garden.

Ticket sales for 2027 opened on Saturday 19 September 2026 at 10 am. The custom of strong beer in late winter goes back to the Paulaner friars of Munich, who brewed a rich beer to see them through Lent.

What to drink

• Paulaner Salvator. The venue pours Salvator, the brewery’s traditional strong beer, a dark, malty Doppelbock.
• Pace yourself. Strong beer is the point of the festival, and it goes to the head faster than a normal Helles.

Tickets and tables

• Online ticket. One ticket admits one person once, on the day booked, and includes one drink token.
• Table for ten. A table reservation costs 225 euros in total: entry for 10 people, a reserved table and drink tokens. Each drink token is worth 15.40 euros.
• Book early. Tickets are sold for a given day, and the sale opened five months ahead of the festival.

Practical tips for the Starkbierzeit

• Getting there. The address is Hochstraße 77, Munich. Use public transport: the hall is in the city, south-east of the old town, and drinking and driving do not mix.
• Strong beer, not Oktoberfest. The season is far smaller than the September festival, and mostly indoors. If you know Munich only through Oktoberfest, it is the other side of its beer culture.
• Where to stay. The Au and Haidhausen districts are close to the Nockherberg.