Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
26 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
26 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
26 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
26 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Wolnzach German Hops Museum
Gastro Obscura

German Hops Museum

Beer lovers thirsty for knowledge can now visit a museum devoted to the world's largest hop-growing region.

Wolnzach, Germany

Added By
Sandra Lang
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Courtesy of Deutsches Hopfenmuseum Wolnzach
  Courtesy of Deutsches Hopfenmuseum Wolnzach
  Courtesy of Deutsches Hopfenmuseum Wolnzach
  Bernt Rostad
  Courtesy of Deutsches Hopfenmuseum Wolnzach
  Bernt Rostad
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The brewing industry owes a great debt to the fields of Germany, particularly Bavaria's Hallertau, the largest hop-growing region in the world. Humulus lupulus is one of the chief flavoring agents in beer, and the Hallertau is filled with the tall green bines and herbal, resinous smell of the beloved crop. In addition to bars and breweries, the region's agricultural contribution to beer is celebrated at a unique local museum. With several varieties of hops growing around its perimeter, the Wolnzach Hops Museum hosts exhibitions that cover all hops-related topics, ranging from botanics to the craft of brewing to history.

The museum covers everything from hops' early use as medicine in the 8th century to the Reinheitsgebot (the German Beer Purity Law that decreed all beer should be made with only water, barley, and hops), which sparked a major increase in local hops cultivation, and the impact of the Industrial Revolution on production and harvesting. There are models of old picker equipment, hopfendarre (hop-drying kilns), and mannequins demonstrating harvesting techniques.

For thirsty visitors wanting to taste the fruits of all this labor, the museum has its own beer cellar and hosts beer-tasting seminars featuring local styles of light lagers and doppelbocks as well as imports ranging from Belgian ales to craft brews from the United States. These sessions need to be booked in advance.

Related Tags

Beer Breweries Agriculture Food Museums Museums

Know Before You Go

It's worth exploring beyond the museum itself, roaming the Hallertau region by bike or on a hike. You can wander past vast hop plantations embedded within an extremely beautiful hilly landscape. When the hops cones are ripe, they spread a unique and pleasant odor.

Community Contributors

Added By

Vololona

Published

September 16, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.bavaria.by/traditionally-different/cultural-landscapes/hops-hallertau/
German Hops Museum
Elsenheimerstraße 2
Wolnzach, 85283
Germany
48.604, 11.627811
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Hinterkaifeck Memorial

Waidhofen, Germany

miles away

European Asparagus Museum

Schrobenhausen, Germany

miles away

Kuchlbauer Tower

Abensberg, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Germany

Germany

Europe

Places 760
Stories 68

Nearby Places

Hinterkaifeck Memorial

Waidhofen, Germany

miles away

European Asparagus Museum

Schrobenhausen, Germany

miles away

Kuchlbauer Tower

Abensberg, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Germany

Germany

Europe

Places 760
Stories 68

Related Stories and Lists

18 Places That Celebrate Glorious Beer

List

By Diana Hubbell

The Ultimate Guide to the World's Food Museums

List

By Sam O'Brien

Related Places

  • Bamberg, Germany

    The Gardener and Vintner Museum

    A local museum honors the history of Bamberg’s unique cultural heritage: growing crops in the heart of the city.

  • Waverly, Virginia

    First Peanut Museum in the U.S.

    A museum in the heart of Virginia peanut country devoted to the humble goober.

  • You may want to hold your nose.

    Loštice, Czechia

    Museum of Olomouc Cheese

    This entire museum is dedicated to a single smelly delicacy.

  • Learn about all aspects of the seltzer-making process.

    Brooklyn, New York

    Brooklyn Seltzer Museum

    Try an original egg cream at this museum located inside one of the last surviving old-fashioned seltzer factories in America.

  • Reykjavik, Iceland

    Árbær Open Air Museum

    The history of Reykjavik told through a historical village and live actors.

  • South African hops add their own distinctive character to the beers here.

    London, England

    Eko Brewery and Taproom

    Named for the Yoruba word for Lagos, this craft brewery draws on European beer-making and West African palm wine-fermenting techniques.

  • The cocoa museum shows various ailments cacao trees can get.

    Akyem Kukurantumi, Ghana

    Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana

    Sample cacao fruit and learn all about bean production.

  • Scallion cyclists greet you at the entrance.

    Su'ao, Taiwan

    Sanshing Green Onion Culture Palace

    Eat green onion ice cream and other allium-centric treats at this unusual museum.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.