If you enjoy beer, your travel bucket list may include a large list of well-known breweries in different states and countries. But there’s no reason to stop there if you enjoy the alcoholic beverage. Beyond sipping, there are a variety of activities across the world that take beer to the next level, including spas, train rides, and even a temple. The top beer-themed attractions from around the world are listed here.
1. Carlsbad Beer Spa (Karlovy Vary, the Czech Republic)
Image Credit: Pivní Lázně Karlovy Vary
Are you so obsessed with beer that you’d take a bath in it? Make that dream a reality by visiting the beer spa in Karlovy Vary, a famous resort town in the Czech Republic. Guests are allowed to soak in an oak tub filled with beer, yeast, malt, and hops—a vitamin-rich concoction supposed to promote favorable health effects including skin renewal and detoxification—as part of a Bohemian folk medicine experience.
However, the beer spa isn’t just about the bath. You’re welcome to drink as much light or dark Kruovice beer as you want from your tub-side tap during your visit. It all comes to a close with a relaxing session on a wheat straw bed and a plate of homemade beer bread.
2. Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew (Wat in Si, Thailand)
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
One may adore beer, but how about a shrine constructed entirely of beer bottles? Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew in Wat in Si, Thailand, is unlike any other Buddhist temple because it was built with over 1.5 million bottles of beer, mostly green and brown Heineken or Chang. According to legend, the temple’s monks began brewing the beer in 1984 while cleaning up the local area.
Additional structures, including a crematorium and a water tower, have been added as more empty bottles have been given. The temple now serves as a photogenic tourist attraction that exemplifies the value of community and recycling.
3. The Doghouse Beer Hotel (Columbus, Ohio)
Image Credit: Beer Info
If you’re the type that always intends to remain a tiny bit extra at the brewery, you’ll be happy to learn that with a reservation at The Doghouse in Columbus, Ohio, you’ll never have to leave. The Doghouse, which claims to be the world’s first craft beer hotel, is housed within a BrewDog brewery, a popular worldwide business.
The hotel boasts 32 beer-themed rooms, each with an in-room beer tap and shower beer fridge, making it a true beer lover’s delight. On the premises, there’s even a 6,000 square-foot interactive craft beer museum. You’re invited to bring Fido along as well, as the hotel is dog-friendly.
4. Beer Can House (Houston, Texas)
Image Credit: Los Angeles Times
Houston’s famed Beer Can House is covered in flattened and sliced beer cans, as well as various beer accouterments like bottle caps and pulls tabs. The odd project, which can be seen on an otherwise ordinary residential street, is the work of John Milkovisch, who spent 18 years creating the folk art building you see today with cans rescued from his hoard.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not estimates that the house is made out of over 50,000 cans. To see the location, purchase a ticket for one of the Saturday or Sunday tours, which operate every 30 minutes throughout the opening hours.
5. Colorado Brew Train (Durango, Colorado)
The adult-only Brew Train aboard the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado’s craft beer mecca serves great brews with a side of stunning vistas. As you ride a train through the San Juan National Forest’s scenic Cascade Canyon, you’ll feel as if you’ve been transported back to the 1880s. Passengers are allowed to sample ales while learning about the origins and brewing process of each.
When you get to the canyon, the beers keep arriving, along with more sampling from different brewers. This is one you’ll want to schedule ahead of time because it’s only accessible a few times a year between the summer and fall.
6. Beers of Europe (King’s Lynn, United Kingdom)
Sit tight until you visit Beers of Europe in King’s Lynn, United Kingdom if you’re having trouble deciding between all the fantastic beer options at your local store. The family-run Beers of Europe, which claims to be Britain’s largest beer shop, began with a few hundred beers from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium and has now grown to offer over 1,700 different beers from all over the globe.
Browse their enormous assortment to pick a new fave, or if you’re feeling a little bewildered by the cornucopia in front of you, just ask one of their helpful staff members for help.
7. Kuchlbauer’s Bierwelt (Abensberg, Germany)
Tours of breweries abound, but few include access to a one-of-a-kind viewing tower. The Kuchlbauer Brewery in Abensberg, Bavaria, welcomes visitors to its World of Beer, which dates back to 1300. The most notable feature is a vibrant, storybook-like tower designed by world-renowned artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, which stands 34 meters tall and is topped with a gold-plated observation ball. There are dedications to Bavarian beer and brewing all around the premises.
If one wishes to climb the wacky Kuchlbauer Tower, you’ll have to attend one of their 90-minute guided brewery tours. Visitors can also purchase an additional ticket to visit KunstHausAbensberg, their on-site museum.
