What it is: After a full day of visiting historic breweries, beer gardens, and maybe even a church, sometimes you just need to go to bed. But sometimes you just need to go to a bar. That’s when Catwheezle’s is there for you, near the commercial heart of Bamberg and, improbably, open every night in a town where it can be hard to remember which taprooms are closed on which nights and which ones have inexplicably shut by 8 p.m. No simple boozer, Catwheezle’s is cozy but idiosyncratic, well-worn but eccentric, with plenty of unnecessary asymmetry and intriguing bric-a-brac to fill out a space of wood, candlelight, and snug corners.
Why it’s great: Besides the hours and atmosphere, it’s the beer. Four steady taps usually include three of the very best lagers around, here or anywhere: Keesmann Herren Pils, Spezial Ungespundet, and Sonne Hell. To get stuck into one of those while discussing the finer points, swapping opinions over that or the other brewery with a friend who may or may not be interested—this is why you came. Beyond the drafts, there’s also bottled kellerbier and smoked beer from the likes of Huppendorfer, Spezial, and more. No food—eat before you come or hunt for döner later. Or both.
Hours: 8 p.m.–1 a.m., Sunday–Friday; 8 p.m.–2 a.m., Saturday
Address: Steinweg 8, Bamberg, Germany
Web: catwheezles-castle.de
