Think of a German beer garden and Munich probably comes to mind. But the country's most venerable spot for a pint under the open sky may sit in the Saxon town of Pirna, southeast of Dresden. Schlossschänke, the "Castle Tavern" on the grounds of Sonnenstein Castle, started serving in 1678 and now styles itself "Germany's probably oldest beer garden" — with the telling hedge word "probably."

The claim holds up if you count any outdoor space pouring beer. But the classic Bavarian biergarten is a more specific invention. A 1553 brewing ban between late April and late September forced breweries to store beer in cool cellars shaded by chestnut trees, and drinking among those trees became the tradition. By 1812, so many people were swarming brewery gardens that restaurants complained, so a decree allowed breweries to sell only beer and bread. Locals brought their own pretzels, cheese and pickles — and bringing your own food remains a hallmark of a true biergarten today. Food sales were legalised again in 1897, but the BYO custom stuck.

That's where Schlossschänke's nuance lies: it's technically a wirtsgarten, meaning you eat what's cooked on-site rather than packing your own snacks. Its patio nonetheless offers plenty to recommend it — views over Pirna's old town, regional beers plus non-alcoholic options, and a menu of bratwurst, burgers and fries, with live music on summer Friday and Saturday evenings. Pirna itself is only about 30 minutes' drive from Dresden, so it's an easy half-day trip.

Purists who want the full chestnut-shaded, BYO experience have options. Munich's Augustiner-Keller, often mistaken for the country's oldest, dates to 1812 and seats 5,000 under the trees. An hour outside Munich, Andechs Monastery — brewing since 1455 — pairs its beer with sweeping Bavarian countryside views. And Berlin's oldest, Prater Garten, opened in 1837 with picnic tables for 600.

For a traveller, the takeaway is simple: come for the beer, but know what you're ordering into. A wirtsgarten like Schlossschänke gives you history, a castle setting and a view. A classic biergarten gives you the age-old pleasure of unwrapping your own pickle sandwich at a long communal table. Both are very German — just different chapters of the same story.