Beer has a long, diverse tradition in Germany – the German Beer Purity Law is the oldest food regulation in the world that is still in force. Beer may be the Germans' national drink, but there is certainly no national unity where beer is concerned.

Altbier is drunk in Düsseldorf, whereas in Cologne they drink kölsch and the Bavarians prefer wheat beer – there are as many different types of beer as regions in Germany. Tours are available at many of the 1,000 or more breweries, so visitors can learn about the art of brewing – and taste the beer.

Countless beer gardens allow drinkers to enjoy their beer in beautiful surroundings, because as everyone knows, beer tastes best out of doors. "Culinary Germany", a key theme in the German National Tourist Board's marketing campaign for 2008, highlights German food and drink - including beer.

One thing all German beers have in common is the German Beer Purity Law. It was proclaimed on 23 April 1516 and is the oldest food regulation in the world still in force today. Every year, the anniversary of this ancient, yet ultra-modern law is celebrated all over Germany when many inns serve their beer at special prices. German Beer Day is marked with beer walks, special guided tours and lots of beer festivals.

Pils is the most popular beer in Germany and is drunk all over Pils is drunk all over Germany the country, including Bremen where the Beck's brewery is open to the public. Beck's pils has been brewed in the heart of this Hanseatic city on the banks of the river Weser since 1879 and it is now exported all over the world ( www.beck.de ).

If you visit Berlin in the summer be sure not to miss Berliner Weisse, a very light, slightly acidic beer often served with a shot of sweet woodruff or raspberry syrup. One of the biggest beer gardens in Berlin and the Brandenburg region is located at a restored palace in Diedersdorf, a few kilometres south of Berlin, a historical setting with panoramic views of fields and meadows ( www.schlossdiedersdorf.de ).

Amber coloured altbier makes for a relaxing evening in Düsseldorf in the Rhineland. Most of the bars serving altbier or "old beer" are in the old quarter – which is purely coincidental. The Schumacher brewery is reputed to be the oldest private brewery in Düsseldorf and it is still family owned. Guided tours including tastings are available ( www.brauerei-schumacher.de ).

Not far away in Cologne kölsch is the name of the local beer, which is traditionally drunk in small glasses known as stangen. They hold just 0.2 of a litre, so the waiters are kept busy bringing refills, which they do automatically. Cologne's inns and taverns are famous for their friendly, welcoming atmosphere – just as long as you don't order a pils. To find out more – and to try some of the beer – book a tour of breweries in the old town ( www.touragentur.de/Koelschtour ).

Dark ale complements the cuisine in Germany's eastern regions. At newly renovated Neuzelle Abbey in Brandenburg you can see how Schwarze Abt beer is brewed. In the local area it is not only drunk, but also used in beauty treatments. There is a fascinating, baroque garden in the abbey grounds ( www.neuzeller-bier.de ). Every aspect of beer and brewing is illustrated at the Saxon Brewery Museum in Rechenberg in the Erzgebirge mountains nature reserve ( www.museumsbrauerei.de ).

The further south you travel in Germany, the more breweries there are – and the bigger the beer glasses. According to the German Brewers' Association there are 618 breweries in Bavaria, almost half of all the breweries in Germany. Munich Oktoberfest beer is brewed specially for the world's biggest beer festival and is drunk from one-litre tankards.

Wheat beer is the most typical of all Bavarian beer varieties. 80 per cent of these beers are from Bavaria, but their popularity has spread to the very north of Germany. They are highly carbonated and have a fruity taste. A visit to Weltenburg Abbey on the Danube combines beer with culture. Monks have been brewing beer according to the Benedictine tradition here since 1050.( www.weltenburger.de ) and the tavern has one of the finest beer gardens in Germany, right next to the dramatic Danube Gorge.

German National Tourist Board www.germany-tourism.de