Starting in the mid-1500s, brewers in Munich, the capital of the German state of Bavaria, dug caves known as beer cellars along river banks to store their beer and keep it cool during the warmer summer months. By the 19th century, brewers began planting chestnut trees along the river banks to shade the area with their dense canopies and further reduce cellar temperatures. Simple tables and benches were set up under the trees for drinking the beer, and these warm, friendly, welcoming gathering places soon became the popular biergarten, or beer garden, still enjoyed today.