Cellar Owners and Innkeepers of the Erlangen Bergkirchweih

Entla’s Keller

Entla’s Keller has been owned by the Engelhardt family since 1950 and is considered one of the key landmarks in Erlangen’s beer history. One of the offerings is a guided tour “into the heart of the Erlangen Mountain—the birthplace of the Beer City.” This tour takes visitors through the vaulted ceilings of Entla’s Keller and the mysterious depths of Henniger Keller.

Henninger Keller

The Henninger Keller has been owned by the Henninger family since 1816, though they sold both the cellar and the brewery to a cloth wholesaler in 1861. The Henninger Keller, formerly also known as the Henninger Reifbräu Felsenkeller, is the largest Burgberg cellar and was the only one to be converted into a tunnel with a north entrance (for cooling) in 1884. With a tunnel length of 861 meters, it is the longest beer cellar in Erlangen. For years, the Bergkirchweih beer tasting (known as “Anstich”) has taken place in front of the cellar. Afterward, a bar is open throughout the festival “im Berg”—that is, at the entrance to the original cellar.

Old Town Shooting Range

In 1700, a new shooting range was built on the Burgberg near the Felsenkeller, as the old practice area in the city center had to be cleared to make way for the construction of Erlangen’s New Town. As early as 1729, the first shooting house was replaced by a stately new building. Around 1750, the so-called “third day of Pentecost” was established for the “Vogel-” or “Königsschießen” (bird or king shooting), which has remained a holiday in Erlangen to this day. Since 1911, the Altstädter Schießhaus has been operated solely as a restaurant without any shooting activities and became the property of the City of Erlangen in 1928. In 1999, the shooting house—which had been newly constructed between 1965 and 1967—was sold to Elisabeth Beßler and Siegfried Wichert.

Goldmann Keller

Since 1706, the Burgbergkeller has been part of the community brewery of Erlangen’s Old Town. Starting in 1710, innkeepers—as well as other citizens—could brew their own beer there upon payment of a brewing fee. The Goldmann Keller, formerly known as the Kirchner Keller, has been run since 2008 by its owner and namesake, Thomas Goldmann. In the years prior, the cellar was used for other purposes, such as a kebab stand. Today, the Goldmann Keller is described as the smallest cellar with the largest selection of beers, with the distinction of serving the only Rauchbier on the Berg.

Erich Keller

The Erich Keller was founded in 1718 by the Windisch family and had been owned by the Erich family since 1848. Its well-known landmark—which was also a central motif in newspaper reports and postcards—was the old linden tree in front of the Keller. However, due to old age, it had to be cut down in 1926 and replaced with a new tree. Visitors from out of town consider the Erich Keller to be the heart of the Bergkirchweih. In addition, the Keller is known for its traditional closing song (“Lili Marlen”) on the final Monday evening of the Bergkirchweih.

Steinbach Keller

The brewery’s original location was not, as previously thought, at the cellars, but at the Bayreuther Tor. In 1861, the Steinbach family of brewers acquired the property and continued to brew beer themselves until 1923. Afterward, however, Steinbach existed only as a malt house. In 1995, the Gewalt family, the new owners of the Keller, resumed brewing beer and have been represented again on the Berg with their own bar since 1997. A special feature of the Steinbach Keller are the storks—the Steinbach family’s heraldic animal—which live on the building’s chimney and raise their young there.

Helbig Keller

In 1861, the Helbig family acquired the Helbig Keller property, but sold it to a corporation as early as 1905 due to the death of the heir. From then on, the cellar was used exclusively by other breweries, such as Hofbräu (1924) and Kitzmann (1932). In 1949, Siemens, the new owners, built a stately residence on the property for the Siemens director—who was originally from Berlin—and his wife.In 2000, the house—including the cellar—was sold to the Gewalt family (Steinbach Bräu), who have been operating the business under the name Helbig since 2001 and impress visitors with many unique features. One of these special features is that it is a genuine cellar, which even offers seating for visitors inside.

Birkner’s Cellar

Birkner’s Cellar is the easternmost rock cellar on the Bergkirchweih grounds. It was opened in 1895 by Emil Birkner as a so-called “beer hall,” but was sold again and demolished as early as 1919. The cellar has been back in operation since 1983 and has been serving Kitzmann beer since 1989, primarily to appeal to the younger cellar-going crowd with authentic Erlangen Bergkirchweih beer.

Hartmann Keller

The octagonal cellar house of Hartmann Keller was built around the end of the 18th century. The origin of the cellar’s name can be traced back to what was likely Erlangen’s smallest brewery, which was operated by a father and son (Johann and Andreas Hartmann) from 1872 to 1882. In 1886, the Erlwein family became the owners of the Felsenkeller, which led to the name change to “Brauerei Erlwein & Schultheiß” in 1895. By the mid-1930s, the cellar was once again owned by the Hartmann family, who served Erlanger Hofbräu beer there. Outside of the Bergkirchweih festival season, the family used the cellar to store potatoes and cabbage. It is also worth noting that the Hartmann Keller is the smallest of all the cellars located on the Berg in terms of floor space. Today, it is managed by landlady Rosi Müller, who is also responsible for “Müller’s Bergstation” at the Weller Keller.

Striezi Keller

Originally, the Burgbergkeller belonged to the Ott Brewery, which, however, decided in 1918 to cease brewing beer and sell its brewing quota to the Nuremberg-based “Freiherrl. Tucher’sche Brauerei.” The brewery leased the cellar to various Erlangen innkeepers for serving their festival beers during the Bergkirchweih. Starting in 1971, the FSV Erlangen Bruck sports club took over management of the Tucher Keller and celebrated its promotions there, among other events. Since 2017, the cellar has been owned by the Striegel family, who have resumed serving beer at the Bergkirchweih and have set themselves the goal of returning to the festival’s roots and leaving the “party madness” behind. By 2025, the Tucher Keller had become the Striezi Keller and was acquired by the Schiller/Engelhardt family. Starting in 2026, beer from Entlas-Bräu will be served there; this year’s beer is named “Gisla.”

Hofbräu Keller

The brewery was founded in 1729 by Georg Ernst Vierzigmann, who produced beer for the neighborhood’s needs until 1870. World War I led to the brewery being taken over by Hofbräu AG Bamberg-Erlangen in 1919, after which it was used as a branch location. The Keller was run by the Steinmüller family for over 75 years until 2005; today it is owned by Michael Gewalt.

Niklas Keller

The Niklas Keller was acquired by Karl Philipp Niklas in 1866 and was reorganized in 1895 as the “Erste Erlanger Aktienbrauerei vormals Carl Niklas” to raise fresh capital. Since long-distance trade was no longer possible due to World War I, beer production was halted in 1919 and the brewing quota was transferred to Henninger Reifbräu. Consequently, the corporation was dissolved in 1922. Since then, the Niklas Keller has been family-owned and has been run by his great-grandson Michael since the 2006 Bergkirchweih festival.

Hübners Keller

Hübners Keller originally belonged to the brewery of the same name on Hauptstraße. Beer had been brewed there since at least the end of the 17th century. In 1858, Conrad Hübner first joined the brewery as an employee, but acquired it 15 years later, thus becoming the new owner. The malt house, which was continued by Heinrich Hübner, was converted into a modern malt factory as late as the 1920s. After World War I, however, the owners, Hans and Heinrich Hübner, decided to cease beer production and sell the entire brewing quota to Brauhaus AG. In 1966, Brauhaus AG merged with the Nuremberg-based Tucher Brewery. In 1970, malt production was finally discontinued, but the name Hübner has survived on the hill.

Fleischmann’s Garden

Until 2024, traditional fish specialties from the Wittmann Herring Fry-Up were served here in the relaxed atmosphere of a classic beer garden. In 2025, Florian Kühn took over the beer garden and began offering Kreis-Bräu beer and delicious snacks. It remainsan insider’s tip for a quiet retreat.

Weller Keller

Since 2007, Müller’s Bergstation at the Weller Keller (formerly Moni’s Bergstation) has also been part of the family. From the covered terrace, you have a magnificent view of the Ferris wheel and the church fair festivities. In the cozy wheat beer cellar, you can enjoy Franconian specialties at your leisure. Müller’s Bergstation also includes the Kellerhäuschen at the Hartmann-Keller. So you’re in good hands with us, even when the weather’s bad.

We serve Franconian cuisine made with regional ingredients: roast pork, roast beef, pork knuckles, bratwurst from “Bratwurst Müller,” asparagus dishes, family-style schnitzel, and much more. We serve Kitzmann “Bergkirchweih” beer to go with your meal. We also offer homemade cakes and Küchle to go with your coffee.