Travel
The Munich Oktoberfest – Enjoying Beer, Pretzels and Bavarian Music
“Gruss Gott” (hello) said the waitress coming to take our order.
We were finally in Bavaria and at the Oktoberfest, sitting on a wooden bench in a tent, we had carefully picked. It felt good to hear this good Bavarian dialect once again.
Who has not heard of the Oktoberfest in Munich, the most well known fest in the world? However, I am sure most of you will agree with me that when people think of it, they immediately think of beer… But the fest is not at all, just about beers. If you thought so, you may have to come and see it for yourself.
What also comes to mind then?
Is it the giant Bretzeln (pretzels), the Bavarian music, the gingerbread hearts or the many fair rides for adults and children? Really, there is something for everyone. Trust me.
If you want to feel like a Bavarian lady for your stay in Munich or at the fair, wear a Dirndl (an apron dress). Men will wear the traditional Lederhosen (leather pants) with socks coming up to their knees and an Alpine hat with a feather.
What would the fest be without those large tents holding up to 10,000 people?
There are over 30 tents for beer lovers, but you can also go to different food stands, various places for desserts or simply choose to sit at a café. Each tent is made to suit everyone`s taste. Some are more traditional while others are more for celebrities or just perfect for families.
In the meantime our waitress dressed in a traditional Bavarian outfit, a lacy dress, came back with our food and drinks. Despite the 5 Mass (5 liters or 1.3 gallons of beer) she was carrying in one hand, she did not forget to smile. Apparently, they can carry up to 12 Mass at once.
But how can a human being carry such big mugs in one hand without any problem? Would I be able to do it one day with training?
If you are a beer drinker, then here is what you should know about the beers served at the fest and in Munich: At the Oktoberfest in the tents you can drink 6 different types of brand name beers:
- Augustiner, brewed since 1328 in Munich. 8 types of beers are sold, going from wheat beers (Weissbier) with 5.4% alcohol to Pils to dark beers (Maximator) with 7.5% alcohol. Augustiner produces a beer just for the fest with 6% alcohol.
- Löwenbrau, brewed since 1383. There are 9 types of beers from wheat to dark beers. The beer produced for the Oktoberfest is spicy and contains 6.1 % alcohol. The Loewenbrau Original (cool and spicy) is quite beloved.
- Spaten-Franziskaner, brewed since 1397. There are 5 types, even one for sporty types and for dieters.
- Hacker-Pschorr, brewed since 1417 and offers 13 types of beers for every taste and season.
- Hofbraü, brewed since 1583. There are 10 types of beers. Brand offers a festive beer for parties. Oktoberfest beer has 6.3% alcohol content and is a light beer. The most famous is the Höfbrau Original (very refreshing) with 5.1% alcohol.
- Paulaner, brewed since 1634. It is a quality wheat beer, the number one in the world.
In addition, if you have time, try to experience the fest at a beerhall in downtown Munich. Here are a few good ones:
- Hofbräuhaus: Hofbräuhaus Platzl 9 80333 München Tel: 089 / 22 16 76. Can seat more than 3000 people
- Augustiner Keller: Arnulfstr. 52 80553 München Tel: 089 / 59 43 93.
- Loewenbrau Keller: Nymphenburgerstrasse 2 80335 München Stiglmaierplatz Tel: 089/54726690. Can seat up to 2000 people.
When the weather is nice, don’t forget the beer gardens, where you can enjoy good food, music and beers outside. The Augustiner Keller has a good one. Don`t miss the one at the Chinese Pagoda in the Englisher Garden.
You will get hungry at the Oktoberfest looking at and smelling the food.
So what is the typical food you could order?
- Hendl, a roasted chicken
- Knödl, which are dumplings made of potato or bread
- Käsespätzle, cheese noodles
- Weisswurst, famous German sausages
- Schweinshaxe, a knuckle of pork. The best tent to eat it is the Spätenbrau Festhalle
- Apfelstrudel, an apple dessert with flaky dough served with a white custard or vanilla ice cream.
- Kaiserschmarrn, which is an Austrian egg dish (thicker than a French Crepe) with raisins, served with a fruit compote.
Our pretzels were as big as expected and very tasty, nothing to compare with the ones you get outside of the Oktoberfest or outside of Germany. Music (accordions, tubas, clarinets and brass instruments) started playing. It was this good lively folk music we had been waiting for. We were in heaven. The men playing in the band looked as they had had a couple beers themselves.
Suddenly the band members all stood up and started the traditional Prosit song, inviting everyone to lift their beer mug, to cheer and to drink more beer. What a cheerful atmosphere!
It was an experience I had been waiting for a long time. It was not my first time at the Oktoberfest, but nevertheless it felt like it.
Actually the first time I put my foot on the Theresienwiese was many years ago as a teenager. I had just arrived in September to spend a year in the city. I visited the festival a couple times including watching the opening parade with the cows, horses and farmers and mainly spent time looking at the many rides and eating roasted peanuts and gingerbread.
Then, I came back a decade later with a friend living in Munich, who knows the fest quite well. We stayed up late and experienced the beer tents at night, the noise, the fun and the people getting louder and louder… some of them even dancing on the tables. I never drunk a beer, but I remember the fun I had watching the people who did.
This time, I brought my family to the fest, my parents and my son. I knew the feeling would be different.
But why do they call it “Oktoberfest” if it mainly happens in September?
Well a little bit of history is necessary to understand it. In 1810, for the marriage of Prince Ludwig of Bavaria (the king who later built the famous Neuschwanstein castle) with his bride, Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, there was a big fest in October. The party was so popular that it was celebrated each year, extending the length over the years. Now, it lasts 16 days but since 1872 because of the cool October weather, the celebration started in September. It happens every year from the 3d weekend in September to the 1st weekend in October. The Theresienwiese (meadow of Therese) is where the Oktoberfest takes place; the name was given in memory of Therese. The Bavarians call it simply the “Wiesn”.
If you belong to those who would rather know in advance what happens check out the program on the internet or call the tourist office. However there are three things that always happen even if it rains!
- On the first Saturday, there is a short parade of the breweries represented at the fest. One can enjoy looking at the beautiful decorated floats and animals.
- On the first Sunday of the Oktoberfest, for more than 2 hours, there is a Bavarian band and riflemen parade going from downtown Munich to the Theresienwiese. It is quite famous so you are in the area, try to see it.
- It is the mayor of Munich himself that opens the Oktoberfest on Saturday morning with the tapping of the first barrel and the popular phrase “O’zapft is”, which means it’s tapped.
What you need to know:
- The Oktoberfest runs over three weekends and starts the third weekend of September. This year it will start on September 21st and ends on October 6th.
- Drinking is allowed till 10:30 pm and again the next morning from 10:00 am.
- If you come with young children under six, you will not be allowed in any tent after 8pm.
- The second Tuesday is family day at the Octoberfest
- Hotels and apartment rentals are extremely expensive during the fest; sometimes 3 times as much as in the summer months.
- The cost for 1 Mass will be up to 11.80 Euros in 2019.
- Use public transportations to go to the fest or you may be stuck in traffic for a long time.
Here are some useful sites:
| http://www.bahn.de/ | for the German trains schedule |
| http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/ | an informative site about the metro, prices of tickets |
If you want to reserve a table at a tent, you can. Just dial the country code 49 if calling from outside of Germany or the area code of 89 if you are in Munich. Choose the tent you want to dine in and add the phone number: 089/ 38 38 73 12, the Ochsenbraterei tent for instance.
If you forget, then you better go early in the morning to find a table!
There are some interesting facts about the Oktoberfest in 2018:
- More than 6.3 Million visitors came to the fair
- 7.5 Million liters beers were sold
- The tents can seat up to 100,000 people
- There are more than 1000 toilets available
- 549.899 chickens were sold
If you decide to go this year you may be lucky enough and see the former US President Barack Obama. As he will give the opening speech at the Bits & Pretzels on September 29th and has never been to the Oktoberfest, one may think he will go as the Clintons did last year.
