Friday in Oberpfalz Part 1, & the Zoigl Star: Zoigl Trip - Part 7 of 13

 This post is part of a 13 part series, if you want to start from the beginning, click here. 

Friday in Oberpfalz Part 1, & the Zoigl Star

Zoigl Trip - Part 7 of 13 

Finally, after an appetizer of Munich posts, here's what you have (hopefully) been waiting for.

Our D-bahn tickets gave us free metro rides in Munich for the day, but Billy and I were up early and had way more than enough time, so we hoofed it to Hauptbahnhof, the central train station.  

Being a true professional, Rich had our day fully scheduled out. We arrived early at the platform to get good seats on the Alex RE2 train, which did indeed fill up. We scored a set of four seats facing each other, and the almost two hour ride passed quickly and jollily. We got off at Wiesau, where we were to catch Bus 6276 to Waldhausen. The train and bus schedules were both a little out of whack that day and the station was under construction. After some confusion and running with baggage, we were on the correct bus. It’s not a true beer trip in Europe without frantic running with luggage at least once. 

Twelve minutes later, a little after 2pm, we were in Mitterteich, the first of four Zoigl towns we would be visiting. It was a 5 to 10 minute walk to Zoiglstube Luggert, which of the three Zoiglstube there, was the one that was open that weekend. Based on our brief time in Mitterteich, while there seems to be nothing except for Zoigl to attract tourists, it appears to be a town with slightly more there to it than other Bavarian towns of the same size. 

On the train ride, Rich told us that unique to Mitterteich, they put a tree out instead of or in addition to the Zoigl star when they are open. The only real thing making Luggert stand out from the buildings on the street on that overcast afternoon was the pine tree branch hanging from the second floor. 

From Rich’s Website, Luggert’s is open 9 times a year for 8 days straight. It is a very cozy place, fairly crowded with locals on this Friday early afternoon. Three strangers with luggage, we got a room-full of glances when we walked in, but quickly felt at home. 

In what might be unique to Mitterteich, locals give a good bye tap on each table as they leave. Even at tables with three strangers. 

Similar to the other Zoiglstubes we would visit, the Luggert property appeared to be a tightly packed complex of uses. The restrooms were across the alley from the front door. 

We had a tasty lunch and a couple of very fresh beers, then it was time to catch the 12 minute ride on Bus 6276 back to Wiesau. Five minutes later we were on the Regensburg bound OPB RB23 train to Windischeschenbach, which would be our base for the next two nights.

I had caught some bug back home and I was really quite sick at this point. Rich had us booked at the Schwan Hotel, about a mile from the train station, which is on the edge of Windischeschenbach. A couple hills later, with me trailing behind, we were there.

From my experience so far, hotels in the Bavarian countryside tend to be very pleasant, and very affordable. Gasthof Weisser Schwan proves the rule. They put out a great breakfast too. I know that happy memories of my couple of days at the Gasthof Weisser Schwan and hanging out in Windischeschenbach will pop up in my brain every so often for the rest of my life. 

The Zoigl Star

The Zoigl Star is also known as the brewers star. Symbols like this date back to when most people couldn’t read, and when many businesses were run out of people’s homes. If the star was out, it meant you could buy beer. 

Just like the Star of David, the Zoigl Star consists of two triangles. One of the triangles represents the three elements used in brewing: fire, water, earth. The other triangle represents the three ingredients (they didn’t know about yeast being the fourth back then): water, malt, hops. 

Zoiglstube Lugert, Bachstraße 12, 95666 Mitterteich, Germany

Gasthof Weisser Schwan, Pfarrpl. 1, 92670 Windischeschenbach, Germany

Next post: Friday in Zoigl County Part 2, including Visiting a Communal Brewhouse, & the Zoigl Beer “Style”