Paulaner Braühaus, Munich, Germany

Designer: Unknown, 1892

If Germany had a Beer Hall of Fame the building inhabited by Paulaner Braühaus would be inducted because it was on that site in 1889 that master brewers Eugen and Ludwig Thomas presented the first Helles Münchner Vollbier (a lager beer) to the citizens of Munich. It was an instant hit and demand so great that brewing and pub facilities had to be expanded to keep up with it. Thomasbräu was extended into the towering edifice seen today. In the 1920s, the city's brewing industry was consolidated and Thomasbräu and another local brewer Paulaner Braühaus amalgamated and continued producing their popular brews until World War II when the brewery was bombed and the production of beer ceased. It limped on as a pub until an auspicious day in 1989 when Paulaner resumed brewing there.

Take a look around the medieval style interior with sturdy Romanesque columns, pointy archways, and vaulted ceilings. It's reminiscent of a 13th century cathedral but the interiors are 20th century restorations of a 19th century design though one might not guess.

Photographer: Helen Peyton