Belgium’s Hop Country Leads European Beer Tourism Ranking as Smaller Towns Take Centre Stage
Bailey Robinson places Poperinge and Watou ahead of Žatec and Freistadt in a study of historic brewing destinations for seasonal getaways.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Poperinge and Watou in Belgium score 88/100, ahead of Žatec in Czechia on 85 and Freistadt in Austria on 75.
- The ten destinations span Belgium, Czechia, Austria, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.
- Bailey Robinson’s scoring gives 40 points to beer heritage, 30 to visitor experiences and 30 to published weekend access for two adults.
- The ranking is not a measure of beer quality or a guarantee of winter opening or tour availability.
Europe’s beer-travel map extends far beyond the familiar beer halls of Munich and the bars of Prague. A new destination ranking commissioned by Bailey Robinson puts two communities in Belgium’s hop-growing heartland at the top of its list, as the approach of winter brings fresh attention to brewery visits, historic pubs and food-focused short breaks.
Poperinge and nearby Watou lead the study with 88 points out of 100, followed by Žatec in Czechia on 85 and Freistadt in Austria on 75. The findings spotlight places where beer culture is tied not only to what is served in the glass but also to agricultural landscapes, historic trades and the people who have preserved local brewing traditions.
The ten highest-scoring European beer destinations
| Listed rank | Destination | Country | Score / 100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poperinge and Watou | Belgium | 88 |
| 2 | Žatec | Czechia | 85 |
| 3 | Freistadt | Austria | 75 |
| 4 | Faversham | United Kingdom | 74 |
| 5 | Amersfoort | Netherlands | 73 |
| 6 | Bayreuth | Germany | 73 |
| 7 | Cieszyn | Poland | 68 |
| 8 | Tartu | Estonia | 62 |
| 9 | Biržai | Lithuania | 60 |
| 10 | Valmiera / Valmiermuiža | Latvia | 58 |
Amersfoort and Bayreuth each received 73 points, although they appear in fifth and sixth positions respectively in the published list. The ranking identifies one leading location per country rather than every noteworthy beer destination across Europe.
Belgian hop country and a Czech World Heritage landscape
In western Belgium, Poperinge’s connection to the crop behind many classic beers gives visitors a reason to explore beyond the brewery door. The town’s Hop Museum traces the cultivation and trade of hops, while Watou is associated with St.Bernardus Brewery, whose visitor experience introduces the production process and the history of its abbey-style beers. The combination of local agriculture, brewing heritage and structured visitor experiences helps explain the area’s first-place result.
Second-placed Žatec takes a different route into beer history. Its centuries-old Saaz hop tradition is integral to Czech lager production, and UNESCO inscribed Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops on the World Heritage List in 2023. The protected property encompasses working hop fields, historic villages, parts of the town and industrial structures associated with drying and processing the crop. For travellers familiar with Czech beer mainly through brewery visits in Plzeň or Prague, it offers an opportunity to see an earlier stage in the production story.
Historic breweries and independent drinking cultures
Austria’s Freistadt, third with 75 points, represents the appeal of a preserved brewing tradition in a compact historic town. Its Braucommune Freistadt has roots in the eighteenth century, and the surrounding medieval streets create a setting for a short break built around local heritage rather than a major festival.
Faversham in Kent follows on 74 points. The town is home to Shepherd Neame, which traces its history to 1698 and describes itself as Britain’s oldest brewer. Its brewery tours introduce visitors to beer-making and conclude with guided tastings. Traditional pubs and a historic market-town centre add to the experience beyond the brewhouse.
Rounding out the top five on the published list is Amersfoort in the Netherlands, with 73 points. Its medieval centre, canals, independent breweries and specialist beer venues offer an alternative to the more familiar Amsterdam city break. Bayreuth in Germany matches its score, while Cieszyn in Poland, Tartu in Estonia, Biržai in Lithuania and Valmiera/Valmiermuiža in Latvia complete a top ten that stretches across central, northern and eastern Europe.
What the ranking measures for travellers
The study, titled Beyond the Beer Capitals, uses a 100-point editorial framework. Its largest component is the strength of each destination’s distinctive beer story, worth 40 points. Beer-related visitor experiences account for 30 points, and published weekend access for two adults contributes the remaining 30. The scores reflect documented tourism potential, not an expert tasting or a judgement on the quality of local beer.
The researchers used attraction and brewery information, official tourism sources and secondary material where necessary. Unverified features received no points; prices, flights, accommodation costs and visitor numbers were not included. The October 2026 dataset also records seasonal openings and booking restrictions, so a high score should not be read as a guarantee that a brewery or museum will admit visitors on a particular winter weekend.
There is a substantial wider audience for beer culture: a Kirin Holdings report puts worldwide beer consumption in 2024 at approximately 194.1 billion litres, 0.5% above the preceding year. Consumption alone does not establish demand for beer-themed travel, however; the Bailey Robinson study instead examines the visitor experiences associated with individual destinations.
Sarah Ward Hedges, a personal travel designer at Bailey Robinson, said travellers should look beyond established beer capitals for closer encounters with local communities and brewing traditions. She also highlighted autumn and winter as opportunities to combine pub and brewery visits with seasonal food, sightseeing and festive travel.
For travellers planning a Christmas-market itinerary or a quieter winter city break, the practical lesson is to treat the ranking as a shortlist of cultural destinations, then confirm the opening times, tour schedules and advance-booking conditions of specific attractions. The strongest draw may be less the drink itself than the history of the towns and landscapes that helped create it.