2 Best Sights in Franconia and the German Danube, Germany

Once a Benedictine abbey, the Michelsberg Monastery has been gazing over Bamberg since 1015. Due to renovation work, the monastery's lovely Church of St. Michael is closed to the public until at least 2025, but it's still worth the long climb up to the abbey for this excellent brewery museum. Brewing has taken place on this site since at least the 12th century, and a downloadable audio guide will talk you through exhibits showcasing every step of the process, from the making of malt to the marketing of beer. You'll also learn why the local brew is notably smoky—and why almost all beers used to be. For a post-museum taste of Bamberg's beer culture, head down to one of the many pubs and brewhouses on the riverside Sandstrasse.

Learn about the traditional Franconian art of brewing and cutting-edge craft techniques at this great little museum. The Maisel brewery opened on this exact spot in 1887 and is still run by the fourth generation of Maisel brothers, though the actual brewing is now done at the larger, neighboring site. Today, this brick building is given over to exhibitions on the history of brewing, including old tools and machinery, as well as windows into the working brewery next door. After learning the facts on a self-guided tour (bring your phone to download the guide app), head to the museum's pub-restaurant or beer garden to quaff a cool, freshly tapped Bavarian Weissbier (wheat beer), or opt for a "Tasting-Board" of some of their more experimental Maisel & Friends craft brews.