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Your First Time At The Oktoberfest In Munich
he Oktoberfest in Munich, in advance and there are some
also called Wies’n (meaning essential things you should know
“meadow”) by the locals, is and prepare for when you go there
the largest festival in the for the first time.
world. Although there are many
imitations of this huge beer The Oktoberfest was first held in
party, none of them will manage 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig
to reach the dimensions of the (later King Ludwig I) of Bavaria
original Wies’n in Munich that is married Princess Therese of
carried out each year in late Saxony-Hildburghausen. The
September and early October. It marriage took place on October
attracts as many as 6,000,000 12th, 1810, and on October 17th,
visitors and about 6,000,000 a large horse race was organised.
liters of beer as well as an The event was repeated and in
enormous amount of grilled 1819, it was decided by the city
chickens, sausages and pretzels council that the festival would
are consumed yearly. take place every year, no matter
what the circumstances. Since
These statistics may seem then it has been carried out
overwhelming for anyone with a every year at the Theresienwiese,
dislike of crowds but the named after "Therese" of
Oktoberfest is such an enormous Saxony-Hildburghausen, in Munich
event that everyone should for two weeks in late September
experience this festival at least and early October.
once in their lives. Miss the
Oktoberfest and you will you will The preparation for the
miss a major experience and maybe Oktoberfest starts about two
a lot of fun as well. To make the months before the festivities are
most of your trip to the opened. Six Munich breweries and
Oktoberfest, it is worth planning about eighty showmen set up their
beer halls and various beer halls are really huge
attractions such as ghost trains, compared to ordinary beer tents,
roller coasters and a variety of the places are already booked
fairground rides. even one year in advance and it
will be difficult to enter one of
Don’t be surprised to see a real them without a reservation. You
city with its own infrastructure will probably be luckier in
like streets, toilets, police, finding a seat outside in a
post office, first-aid station beergarden which most beer halls
and even its own sewage system. have. This may be the better
Hundreds of people are employed option as the beer halls can get
every year just to work there. very stuffy, hot and loud.
The Oktoberfest boosts not only
tourism but also has a major The best way to get to the Wies’n
impact on the economy of Munich. is to go there on foot. It is
about 15 minutes away from
Due to the popularity and scale Munich’s main Hauptbahnhof
of the Oktoberfest, it is highly station and is easy to find. In
recommended to book your flight most cases you don’t even have to
and your hotel well in advance ask someone, you only have to
and a few months will certainly follow the crowds. Another way of
be much too short. Prices for getting there is by underground:
flights and hotels usually use lines no. 4 or 5 and get off
skyrocket during the time of the at “Theresienwiese” or no. 3 or 6
Oktoberfest. The same applies if and get off at “Goetheplatz”.
you want to sit in one of the When you use the first option,
large beer halls, most of which you will be directly on the
are in one of the main roads also Wies’n when you leave the
referred to as “Bierzeltstrasse” underground, from Goetheplatz you
(beer-hall road). Although the will have to walk a few meters.
Tram no. 19 also stops near the than the ordinary beer so beware.
Oktoberfest. It is not advisable When you are not used to
to use your private car or bike drinking, even one of these
as you will not find a place to 1-liter mugs with this strong
park your car. If you come by Oktoberfest brew might be too
bike, be sure to leave it much! Not only beer, but
somewhere safe but this can be everything is quite expensive on
difficult as vandalism by the Wies’n compared to normal
drunkards is quite common. prices.
Another consideration is to be Although there are many toilets
aware of pickpockets by taking in the Oktoberfest mainly in the
care of your belongings. When you side streets next to the beer
use one of the fairground rides tents, you will probably have to
(which is better done before queue up for quite a while. This
drinking beer and eating), it is causes many drunkards to pee
best to have your money safely in directly on a meadow (they call
the closed pocket of your it “wild peeing”) and is not
trousers – otherwise you might something to be recommended as
just lose it. you will be charged if caught by
one of the many policemen that
Beer is drunk in large and heavy are around. So, don’t be shocked
1-liter mugs. It is hard to get when you see people peeing out in
the usual portion of ½ liter but the open or lying drunk on the
if you are lucky, you might be meadow near the main entrance.
able to order ½ liter of Weißbier
(“eine Halbe Weißbier”) but this Things become worse as the
is not the usual thing. The evening progresses and it is
Oktoberfest beer is a special important to keep your distance
kind of beer that is stronger when you see aggressive drunkards
with large beer mugs as it can be Schwanthalerstrasse to the
quite dangerous to be hit by one Theresienwiese. At midday, the
of them. For many, the best Major of Munich taps the first
option is to go to the barrel of beer in the beer hall
Oktoberfest quite early or even Schottenhammel. On the first
better, during the week. The same Sunday, there is large parade of
applies if you want to attend one traditional costumes and riflemen
of the many popular events held to the Wies'n that starts at
on the first weekend as you have 11.00 a.m. at the Siegestor in
to arrive very early to see Ludwigstrasse in Schwabing.
something.
If you keep in mind everything
On the first Saturday at 10.45 mentioned here and are even lucky
a.m., there is a march of the with the weather, you will have a
Oktoberfest innkeepers to the great time at the Oktoberfest.
Wies'n with their brewery horses Just watch the people (many of
lead by the Münchner Kindl and them being dressed in traditional
the Major of Munich. Its route is costumes), enjoy the Oktoberfest
from Sonnenstrasse via beer and have a good time!
About the Author:
AC Deffner is the editor of Munich Travel and Germany Travel Stock Photography website. AC Deffner is the owner of all material in this article. The material can be distributed on a non-exclusive basis.
Published At: www.Isnare.com
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