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.