Of all the countries in the world, I have been to Germany the most. My love affair with the European country began at the tender age of 3 when my parents took me on a military space-A flight to visit Bavaria, walk through “Mad King Ludwig’s” Neuschwanstein Castle, drive the Romantic Road, and eat pretzels at Oktoberfest. Seventeen years later, I revisited Germany on the tail end of my month-long backpacking trip through Europe, wandering through Berlin and Munich during the heat of summer. A few years later, on yet another month-long travel spree, I found myself back in Bavaria, marveling (with a proper sense of wonder) at King Ludwig’s masterpiece, and driving the same romantic road I’d taken two decades earlier.

I say all of this to get to the point: after spending nearly my entire life traveling to Germany to get an authentic Bavarian experience, I’m happy to know that the warmth and raucousness of a German beer hall are now in my neck of the woods (meaning it’s closer than a 2 hour drive to Leavenworth).

The name of the game is Von Trapp’s (now called Rhein Haus) located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood near Seattle University. The place is a giant barn of a building, with two upper decks, six indoor bocce ball courts, and tons of beer on tap and house-made sausages and pretzels for eating.

For more details on the 11,000 square foot building including 8 interesting design facts, head over to Eater Seattle. Interior photos are also featured below.

For some “media preview night” photo action, check out the gallery on Capitol Hill Seattle.

Suzi Pratt

Suzi Pratt is a Seattle event, food, and travel photographer available for hire. She is also a contributing writer at Digital Photography School and runs a blog teaching others how to start a photography business.

www.suzi-pratt.com