Antica Birreria Forst, Forst Village
Just 3 km north of Merano in the village of Lagundo sits the Forst Brewery, South Tyrol's most beloved beer producer since 1857. Its sprawling chestnut-shaded beer garden beside the Passer river serves cold Forst Sixtus lager alongside loaded boards of Speck Alto Adige IGP, Schlutzkrapfen pasta and dark rye bread — a lunch that feels like the truest expression of this bilingual, border-crossing cu
What to Order
The Törggelen platter is the benchmark dish: a wooden board of house-cured Speck, Kaminwurzen smoked sausage, pickled turnip, and fresh-baked Schüttelbrot flatbread. It is designed to be eaten slowly over a half-litre of amber Forst Kronen. The Schlutzkrapfen — half-moon pasta filled with spinach and ricotta, browned in butter and sage — is the essential primo.
For dessert, the Kaiserschmarrn (shredded caramelised pancake with plum compote) arrives in a cast-iron pan and is sized for two. Forst also produces a limited-edition dark Märzen available only in autumn, worth seeking out if you visit during Törggelen season (October–November).
The Brewery & Surroundings
The original 19th-century brewery building is still visible behind the restaurant, and guided tours of the production facility run on weekday mornings. The adjacent Forst shop stocks branded merchandise and seasonal beers unavailable elsewhere.
The riverside setting makes it ideal for a long lazy lunch after a morning hike on the nearby Meraner Höhenweg trail. In summer, live Volksmusik performances take place in the garden on Friday evenings.
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