I think I would really love my wedding to be the reason for celebrating beer! I could feast my queen and be the king by tasting as much beer as my liver can bear. I would eat while people were dancing until their feet went numb. OK, challenge accepted...I'm getting married at the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany!
This gigantic festival celebrating beer is held in Munich every year commencing in September. One thing I have to warn you about though, Munich is so crowded during Oktoberfest that getting there and actually sitting at a table inside a beer hall can take longer than you expected. If you're going to go to Oktoberfest then you have to factor in that there will be huge crowds in Munich. I knew this before I went, so I got in line early on the opening day just to get ready for the Beerfest.
One tip for newbie's is don't attend a "royal wedding" if you're not dressed properly. If you are a girl then you have to dress in a Dirndl, a traditional wear for Bavarian girls and if you're a guy like me, then you must dress in Lederhosen, Dirndl's male version. You can rent or buy these outfits, as I did, from every costume store in Munich from between 80 and 300 Euros. I opted for the cheaper version, but make sure you get the costume, it will make the experience so much better.
I stayed in a hotel that was a short walk to the Theresienwiese, which is the name of the area for the Oktoberfest grounds. Munich has plenty of accommodation options, but like anywhere if you want the cheapest price then you should book early. Hotel prices start from around 150Euro per night for a 3 night stay. If you're looking at saving a bit of money on the accommodation then you can also look at hostels and campgrounds.
Don't worry if you're staying a fair way away, as I highly recommended to use public transport, especially the Metro, which takes you right to the heart of the festival. A train comes ever 10 minutes or so and runs until 2am on weekends. We took the U4 line, but U5 gets you to same place.
One thing that I found straight away was that the people at Oktoberfest were really friendly and were always up for a chat. If you find yourself sitting with some locals you might find you could probably learn a thing or two about Munich or the Oktoberfest whilst you're there. I can highly recommend that if you are at Oktoberfest by yourself then just start up conversations with the people around you, everyone is there to have a great time and enjoy themselves.
I met a German couple at the Lowenbrau beer hall who told me one of the best Oktoberfest meals is the pork knuckle, which is pronounced Schweinshaxe in German. A pork knuckle is is basically a big shank or hock of pork. Pork is very popular at Oktoberfest I might add. Now of course it would not be a beer festival if I did not mention the beer and one thing you need to keep in mind is that Oktoberfest beer is one level stronger than normal beer and beer sizes come in a 1 liter glass stein. This is also called a Mass in German. So if you want one beer, remember "Ein Mass". A Mass costs around 9euro, but a tip is generally customary, so just give your server 10Euro and they will be back to serve you before you are done. After a few drinks I found myself singing drinking songs, knocking the table with my fists, dancing on tables and having so much fun with my new friends. The atmosphere in a beer hall is incredibly loud. Everybody is dancing, screaming and laughing all night long. I left the Oktoberfest when my beer hall, the Augistiner, closed at 10.30pm. The trip home in the Metro was quite fun though because the singing and dancing continued all the way back home!
I heard that there is plenty of companies that organise tours to the Oktoberfest. They are offering a place to sleep, sometimes with breakfast included, as well as transport to the festival ground. Apparently some even offer transport options in and out of the UK
All in all, everyone must celebrate beer once in his or her life and Oktoberfest should be a must on everyones to do list. However, I'm still waiting to meet my Beer Queen!
This gigantic festival celebrating beer is held in Munich every year commencing in September. One thing I have to warn you about though, Munich is so crowded during Oktoberfest that getting there and actually sitting at a table inside a beer hall can take longer than you expected. If you're going to go to Oktoberfest then you have to factor in that there will be huge crowds in Munich. I knew this before I went, so I got in line early on the opening day just to get ready for the Beerfest.
One tip for newbie's is don't attend a "royal wedding" if you're not dressed properly. If you are a girl then you have to dress in a Dirndl, a traditional wear for Bavarian girls and if you're a guy like me, then you must dress in Lederhosen, Dirndl's male version. You can rent or buy these outfits, as I did, from every costume store in Munich from between 80 and 300 Euros. I opted for the cheaper version, but make sure you get the costume, it will make the experience so much better.
I stayed in a hotel that was a short walk to the Theresienwiese, which is the name of the area for the Oktoberfest grounds. Munich has plenty of accommodation options, but like anywhere if you want the cheapest price then you should book early. Hotel prices start from around 150Euro per night for a 3 night stay. If you're looking at saving a bit of money on the accommodation then you can also look at hostels and campgrounds.
Don't worry if you're staying a fair way away, as I highly recommended to use public transport, especially the Metro, which takes you right to the heart of the festival. A train comes ever 10 minutes or so and runs until 2am on weekends. We took the U4 line, but U5 gets you to same place.
One thing that I found straight away was that the people at Oktoberfest were really friendly and were always up for a chat. If you find yourself sitting with some locals you might find you could probably learn a thing or two about Munich or the Oktoberfest whilst you're there. I can highly recommend that if you are at Oktoberfest by yourself then just start up conversations with the people around you, everyone is there to have a great time and enjoy themselves.
I met a German couple at the Lowenbrau beer hall who told me one of the best Oktoberfest meals is the pork knuckle, which is pronounced Schweinshaxe in German. A pork knuckle is is basically a big shank or hock of pork. Pork is very popular at Oktoberfest I might add. Now of course it would not be a beer festival if I did not mention the beer and one thing you need to keep in mind is that Oktoberfest beer is one level stronger than normal beer and beer sizes come in a 1 liter glass stein. This is also called a Mass in German. So if you want one beer, remember "Ein Mass". A Mass costs around 9euro, but a tip is generally customary, so just give your server 10Euro and they will be back to serve you before you are done. After a few drinks I found myself singing drinking songs, knocking the table with my fists, dancing on tables and having so much fun with my new friends. The atmosphere in a beer hall is incredibly loud. Everybody is dancing, screaming and laughing all night long. I left the Oktoberfest when my beer hall, the Augistiner, closed at 10.30pm. The trip home in the Metro was quite fun though because the singing and dancing continued all the way back home!
I heard that there is plenty of companies that organise tours to the Oktoberfest. They are offering a place to sleep, sometimes with breakfast included, as well as transport to the festival ground. Apparently some even offer transport options in and out of the UK
All in all, everyone must celebrate beer once in his or her life and Oktoberfest should be a must on everyones to do list. However, I'm still waiting to meet my Beer Queen!
About the Author:
For an extensive array of information and advice for the Oktoberfest in Munich, including travel options, travel tips, party spots and other activities you should contact the events and festival travel specialists, FOMO Travel.. Unique version for reprint here: Oktoberfest Is A Beer Celebration That Gets Munich's Festival Mood On.
No comments:
Post a Comment