A celebration of beer at Bavaria’s Oktoberfest, and the wonders of Munich

In a wonderful confluence of circumstances, my partner and I found ourselves with some free time over the Bank Holiday towards the end of the summer in 2015, and discovered that this coincided with Munich’s famous Oktoberfest. We therefore found ourselves in Munich for the Bank Holiday, excited to take in this extraordinary celebration of German beer.

Oktoberfest is a two-week festival, held between the last week in September and the first week of October (although if you are planning to visit it is well worth checking the dates in advance). It is a hugely popular festival, both in Germany and throughout the world, and draws in people of all ages. The atmosphere is incredibly friendly and welcoming, and it is quite easy to make new friends from around the world.

The overriding theme of the festival is ‘beer’, a celebration of Germany’s remarkable beer making cultures and traditions, as well as a chance to taste the finest offerings from Bavaria and across the country. However, a word of warning: don’t be tempted to drink on an empty stomach! This is not ‘light beer’ by any stretch of the imagination, and Bavaria’s famous brewers brew their beer strong, usually around 5.5 – 6.5% alcohol, with some brewed at around 7% especially for the festival! It is therefore incredibly important to try the other traditions of Oktoberfest, and to fortify yourself with enough wurst and sauerkraut to keep you going. 

Traditions are important at Oktoberfest, and alongside the beer and sausages are the clothes. Men dress in lederhosen, while women wear the dirndl or tracht, which makes for quite a sight! If you wear a dirndl, hang a heart-shaped cookie around your neck to really get into the traditions. Finally, put your English ‘cheers’ to one side, and clink your glasses together with the proper German prost!

A cast-iron stomach is therefore a must in order to truly experience Oktoberfest. Beer is drunk from huge 1 litre glasses, and you’ll find yourself putting away quite a bit, as the lager or Bavaria’s speciality, marzen, is delicious. Although it is tempting, do not try to steal the glasses, however much you might want to after a few litres. There are check points specifically designed to prevent this, and glass thieves will receive a hefty fine. The glasses are available in the festival souvenir shops however, or in the city, so you don’t have to leave without a memento.

The festival site is in Theresienwiese Park, an open space dedicated to Oktoberfest. The first ‘fest was started by Bavaria’s King Ludwig in 1810, when he married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, and has been an annual tradition ever since. 

The festival kicks off with the Mayor of Munich tapping an enormous beer keg and exclaiming ‘O zapft is!’, and then continues in every brewer’s specific tent. There are 14 large and 18 small tents in the festival area, the most important of which I’ve listed here:

Hacker: Known as the Heavens of Bavaria, this tent is quite a sight. It has a 10,000 seat capacity and is decorated outstandingly with light blue fabric illustrated as open blue sky with white, fleecy clouds. It really is a must see tent.

Fischer Vroni: A slightly alternative option, this tent is popular with anyone who has got tired of the endless parade of meat and sausages, and wants to eat fish instead.

Hofbräu-Festzelt: This is a very touristic tent where you can taste the famous Hofbräu beer. 

Schottenhamel: The opening ceremony in 1867 was held here. This tent is a favourite with the younger crowd.

Lövenbräu-Festhalle: This tent is famous for its roaring lion at the main gate. You can taste the Löwenbräu beer here. 

Augustiner-Festhalle: The tent where you can drink Augustiner beer, which is still served from traditional wooden kegs. 

Bräurosl: The tent where you can drink Hacker-Pschorr beer. 

Marstall: The tent where you can drink Spaten-Franziskaner beer. 

Hippodrom: This tent is located right at the entrance of the festival. It has a more down-to-earth, alternative vibe, and is mostly preferred by locals and hippies. 

Spatenbrau: The tent of the biggest brewery in Bavaria. 

Käfer’s Wies’n-Schänke: The tent where you can drink Paulaner beer. This is also where Bavaria’s high society congregate. 

Schützen-Festzelt: Mostly charities and activity groups are here.

Das Weinzelt: Another option for something a little different. This tent accommodates those who prefer wine instead of beer. Here you can have a nice meal with your sparkling wine accompanied by orchestral music. 

Armbrustschützen-Festhalle: You can also try Paulaner beer in this tent, but the main draw is the opportunity to join the crossbow championship! 

Ochsenbraterei: You can find Spaten-Franziskaner beer here. Also a whole ox is roasted on a specially designed machine. 

Winzerer Fähndl: Another tent where you can drink Paulaner beer.

One thing I found, and one of the best tips I can give to anyone heading to Oktoberfest, is to get there early. If you get in before 10am, you will most likely be able to grab a table, otherwise you will find it hard to find a seat, particularly on weekends. One of my friends told me that he had been able to reserve a table the year before, but this doesn’t sound likely or ring true with my experience. Still, worth a try I suppose! In the end I found I didn’t want to hang around indoors for too long anyway, and far preferred to be outside, which neatly avoided the table problem! The only issue is that it can be hard to drink beer without a table, as most tents won’t let you drink standing up. I only found one tent, Hofbräu’s, which allowed you to drink while standing inside. The good news is that if you are a couple, or a group of three, you really don’t need to reserve a table as you’ll easily find someone who will let you join their table – with the added bonus of making new friends! Last orders is at 1030pm, and the staff start kicking people out at 1130pm.

The beers themselves are served mostly by women, who perform remarkable feats of strength and dexterousness, carrying up to twelve litre glasses of beer at once! I heard that there are even beer glass carrying contests amongst the waiting staff, but sadly I didn’t come across any.

It isn’t all just beer and sausages though. There’s a whole festival to explore, with a huge amount of activities and things to do. The rollercoasters at Schaustellarstraße were a personal highlight. The second week of the festival is known as Italian Week, but sadly my trip wasn’t long enough to discover why.

Getting to the festival is pretty easy, taking the U4-U5 subway to Theresienwiese and just following the crowds from there.

Our trip wasn’t just about the delights of beer however, and alongside Oktoberfest we found time to explore the beautiful city of Munich a bit further.

Aldstadt-Lehel

Munich is a small city, perfectly designed for exploring on foot. You can comfortably see the whole city just by walking around, which makes it a very attractive prospect for a mini-break. The population is around 1.4million (amazingly the third biggest city in Germany!), and it never feels crowded.

The centre of town is also the centre of traffic flow, called the Altstadtring. Although much of the city was destroyed during the Second World War, the wonderful architecture of the city has been painstakingly and beautifully restored, using archive images as a reference. The city is the home of Mann, BMW, Dax, Siemens and Allianz, which is quite a roll-call of big names!

Marienplatz

Marienplatz is the main square of Munich. Originally named Schrannenplatz, it was renamed in honour of the Virgin Mary during a particularly nasty cholera epidemic, to ask for her protection. The square is the municipal centre of the city, with both the Altes Rathaus and the Neues Rathaus located here. It echoes with the sound of bells throughout the day, from the Glockenspiel in the tower balcony of the Neues Rathaus. These chimes are accompanied by life-sized figures appearing, rotating and disappearing, like an enormous cuckoo clock, which is quite the tourist attraction and gathers a crowd.

Just off Marienplatz is the Neuhauserstraße, which leads to Karlsplatz, and is the main shopping district in Munich. It’s a lovely street for a stroll, and to do a bit of window shopping. In Marienplatz itself the Viktualienmarkt is a proper little gem. Butchers will prepare you a fresh sandwich, you can buy fruits and vegetables, and the greengrocers will make fresh juices to order, which is a delicious way to grab lunch!

Frauenkirche and Peterkirche

Two lovely little churches, Peterkirche and Frauenkirche are well worth looking into. Peterkirche is just around the corner from Marienplatz and you can find Frauenkirche on the right while you are heading to Karlsplatz along the Neuhauserstraße. If you can face a rather daunting climb, the endless stairs of Peterskirche eventually lead to a panoramic nirvana, with the best view of Munich. 

Hofbrauhaus

The Hofbrauhaus is world-famous, and on every Munich ‘must-see list. Tourists are told to come here and drink beer. To be honest, while it is impressive, and certainly worth visiting for the history, I suggest you visit, take your photos, grab a quick look inside, and then go and have a beer elsewhere. There are nicer, more beautiful, and cheaper places for drinking almost everywhere in the city! The history of this place is very important though – it is where Hitler made is first speeches, and is connected with some of the most important and shocking genocide incidents of Nazi Germany. 

Odeonsplatz

Odeonsplatz is another of Munich’s most important squares, after Marienplatz. The Feldherrnhalle (the Hall of the Marshalls) – where Hitler also spoke, and where you can find the statues of Johann Tilly and Karl Philipp Von Wrede – stands in Odeonsplatz. There are also some fascinating places to visit very close by, such as the Theatinerkirche, the Residenz Royal Palace and, if you are interested, Siemens AG and tje Hofgarten. The statue of Maximilian I stands nearby, at the Wittelsbacherplatz, and afterwards you can swing by the black obelisk in Karolinenplatz square. 

LudwigStraße

One of the four biggest streets in the centre, LudwigStraße is a breathtaking example of Italian renaissance architecture. Ludwig church and the main building of Maximilians-Universitat are on this street too. It starts from Odeonsplatz, and runs through the Lion Gate, which is called Siegestor. 

BriennerStraße

BriennerStraße is another of the biggest streets in the centre, and another great place to shop, or just to grab coffee on the way to more sightseeing, as it reaches out to the Museum district. There are a number of great little cafes on the eastern side of the street. 

MaximilianStraße

Known as the Royal Road, this is the place for luxury shopping and high fashion. Even if you aren’t that into retail therapy, it is very enjoyable to stroll around in the evening, as the street is lit up beautifully. It begins at Max-Joseph-Platz, continues through Residenz and the National Theatre, and finishes at the Bavarian Parliament building that is situated on the banks of the river Isar, just before the Maximilian Bridge. Running parallel to the Royal Road is Prinzregentenstraße, where most of Munich’s museums are located. Once you’ve shopped until you’ve dropped, you can take a look at the magnificent architecture of the parliament building and the Maximilianeum.    

Ancient Gates 

Karlstor (at Stachus), Isartor and Sendlinger are the 3 important ancient gates of Munich, and you can’t really miss them as they are in the centre and in the line of the U and S-Bahn stations. 

Maxvorstadt

Known as Munich’s brain, the Maxvorstadt district houses the city’s universities, including the University of Munich, as well as several important museums and art galleries. I visited Pinakotheken, which has a fantastic collection of modern art, but you can also find Museum Brandhorst, the Lenbachhaus, the Glyptothek, and the Antikensammlungen. 

Schwabing and the English Garden

This is a cool and trendy neighbourhood with some amazing historical residents. Famous historical characters have all called this area of Munich home, including Thomas and Heinrich Mann, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Lenin and Werner Heisenberg. This is also the place to eat, drink and be merry, as some of the city’s best cafes, bars and restaurants are in Leopoldstraße. In fact, this is a great place for almost everything, as there are a huge range of fancy shops in Hohenzollernstraße and Kurfürstenplatz. The best, and most refreshing place is the English Garden, which is bigger than Central Park in New York and Hyde Park in London. An oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of the city, here you can watch surfers on the Eibach River and take a break in the Chinese tower.

Olympic Area

This is the site of the 1972 Olympic Games. It is a bit of a climb, but if you can face walking up the hill, you’ll find a great view of Munich, and even catch sight of the Alps! The Olympic Stadium, which is also used as concert area, the Olympiapark and the BMW museum are also here. 

Neuhausen-Nymphenburg

This is a nice little district, off the beaten track and very much not a touristy location. It has a truly peaceful, if quite posh atmosphere, which is not surprising as the Schloss Nymphenburg Palace was the summer house of the kings of Bavaria! It’s easy to reach by tram, with the 12, 16 and 17 all running to Romanplatz or Rotkreuzplatz.

Ludwigsvorstadt – Isarvorstadt

Just south of Munich station is the Ludwigsvorstadt district, a lively, vibrant area mostly known as the home of Munich’s main immigrant communities. This is a buzzing, exciting place to wander, and although some streets are rather full of sex shops, casinos and strip clubs, it is perfectly safe to visit. We didn’t spend much time here, as we really only passed through on our way to Theresienwiese for Oktoberfest, but it is worth seeing the Bavaria Statue, the 20 foot high symbol of Bavaria, before heading off to the festival area to get drunk!

Gärtnerplatzviertel is the centre of Isarvorstadt. This square is home to many cafes and bars, as well as the Staatstheater, which we sadly couldn’t see on our visit due to the ongoing restoration. Just around the corner is another must-see location, the very popular Glockenbachviertel. This is a great little spot full of boutiques and local designers, showcasing the best of German craft and design. Isarvorstadt is also home to Blumenstraße, Müllerstraße, Hans-Sachsstraße and Klenzestraße, which are good places for some lively fun after dark, and the focal point of Munich’s gay culture. 

Dachau

Be warned, a visit to Dachau is not for the faint hearted, and although it is incredibly important and worthwhile, it will leave you in a grim and downbeat mood. The first and the most significant concentration camp after Auschwitz, Dachau is just a twenty minute train ride from the city. 

Once there, you can visit the camp with an audio guide, but I strongly recommend a personal guide, to walk you through the trauma and horror of this still relatively recent historical site. Some of the traces have been removed, since Germans understandably would like to forget their past but still, when you see the wards, furnaces and gas chambers, your words stick in your throat and you feel the pain in your heart. Don’t leave Munich without seeing there, and it merits putting aside half a day for a proper visit.

Food 

Finally, onto to one of my favourite aspects of travelling the world. It is worth saying that although my partner and I went to Munich for Oktoberfest, Bavaria is not just about beer, meat and sausages. First of all, I advise you to taste German roasted nuts, made with almonds, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, that you can easily find both in Octoberfest area and in Marienplatz. These are melt-in-your-mouth candy delights, and not to be missed. During our trip we tried an astonishing, and frankly surprising range of German delicacies that I now sadly can’t remember the names of! At Viktualienmarkt, we bought a sandwich on a delicious white bread from the butchers, and got a wonderful mixed fruit smoothie from the farmers market as a drink. The Germans’ taste in food is very close to ours, and their baking in particular is outstanding! You should definitely eat duck at the Der Pschorr, again located at the Viktualienmarkt. We found it so delicious that we went there twice! My last recommendation is to seek out a Rischarts, located at every corner of the city, and try…well, anything!