Oktoberfest
It’s that time of the year again – 16 days of beer, sausage, pretzels and fun rides. Yes, it’s Oktoberfest-time in Munich. Have you booked your flights yet? It’s the biggest and probably most popular fair in the world with 6 million foreign people attending every year. If you’ve never been to the Oktoberfest you should definitely continue reading. Our blog will give you some tips on where to stay, what to wear and what to do – apart from drinking beer of course 🙂
Where is it?
It takes place in Munich, a city in south Germany. The area is called Theresienwiese (field or meadow of Therese) or “Wiesn” as the Germans like to call it.
When is it?
The name Oktoberfest is actually a bit misleading, as the fair starts at the end of September and finishes around the first weekend in October.
What to wear?
You can wear whatever you like, but many Germans prefer to wear their Trachten (traditional clothing). That means Lederhosen (leather trousers) for the men and Dirndl (dirndl dress) for the women.
What to drink?
That one is easy to answer – beer! 7 million litres of beer are consumed over a span of 16 days. Beers are traditionally served in a Maß. This glass holds an entire litre of beer. Augustiner-Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr-Bräu, Löwenbräu, Paulaner-Bräu, Spatenbräu, Staatliches Hofbräu-München are the most common and popular beers. But don’t worry, if you’re underage, pregnant or just don’t fancy beer you can always opt for soft drinks.
What to eat?
You are definitely not going to starve at the Oktoberfest. The range of different foods and snacks is enormous:
- Hendl (chicken)
- Schweinebraten (roast pork)
- Weißwurst (a white sausage served with sweet mustard)
- Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock)
- Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick)
- Würstl (little sausages served with pretzels)
And for the Veggies:
- Käsespätzle (cheese noodles)
- Lebkuchen-Herzen (gingerbread hearts, usually with a message on it)
- Knödel (potato/bread dumplings)
- Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes)
What else can you do?
Well, if you don’t fancy getting drunk in one of the many beer tents you can always go for a stroll and discover all the different rides and roller coasters the Oktoberfest has to offer. You can also listen to bands and traditional Bavarian music.
How much is it to get in?
That’s the best thing – it’s free. But don’t get too excited. You will probably spend all your money on beer and sausage instead 🙂
A bit of history
It all started on October 12th, 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese. They invited the citizens of Munich to celebrate with them on the fields in front of the city gates. Later, the name of the field was changed to Theresienwiese in honour of the Princess. They decided to have a horse race to mark this special occasion. The royal family and the citizens of Munich had such a great time that they decided to make this an annual event. This year the festival is going to celebrate its 180th anniversary.
Of course, there were a few occasions when the Oktoberfest had to be cancelled, such as the First & Second World War and the inflation in the early 1920’s.
Where to stay?
There are hundreds of hotels and hostels in Munich. The choice is yours. Just be sure to book in advance, as most of them will be booked up pretty early.
The Oktoberfest is in the heart of Munich so you won’t have any problems getting there. You can either go by bus, train, tube or taxi… or just walk!
You can always check out our Guide to Munich. We have listed a few hotels and other fun things you can do in Munich.
Prost!