"Great people, Great beer. Awesome atmosphere!"
The one and only most anticipated Beer Festival of the World, better known as the Oktoberfest. This is pretty much what setoff our love for travel. We are beer lovers so one thing we always wanted to do was the Oktoberfest in München, Germany... So we did and the rest is history. First off I'd like to start off by saying that this festival is a must do even if your not a beer drinker. We definitely recommend to visit at least once in your lifetime. The entire experience is a blast, from the fairground games and rides to tons of Bavarian foods, even shopping for your outfits with friends or family through out the shops around the city is awesome. Some even buy them at train station stops for the convenience, but will explain the options at the end of the blog. For women you wear what's called a "DIRNDL" dress and for men they wear what's called a "LEDERHOSEN". We can't emphasize enough to you all that we HIGHLY recommend to wear the traditional attire when attending the Oktoberfest. You just don't want to look out of place or be that person who is too cool to dress up. Besides it is a much better welcome and experience in our honest opinion.
How It All Began..
The beginning of Oktoberfest dates back to the year 1810, when Prince Ludwig, who eventually became King Ludwig I, married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12th, 1810. King Ludwig I invited all the fellow citizens of Munich to attend the festivities at the fields of the city gates and celebrate the royal event. These fields today are named Theresienwiese in honor of the crowned prince. On a side note, Theresienweise to the date is also one of the train stops to get off at when heading to the fest. The following year of 1811 up to 1818 there were very few amusements through out the fields, then small beer stands started to slowly appear and rapidly continue to grow over the coming years. In 1887 lederhosen and dirndls became the traditional attire for the festivities. It was not until 1896 that the small beer stands turned into the first beer tents, backed by landlords who were backed by breweries, hence launching the beginning of the monster beer tents we know today. Eventually the rest of the open areas through out the fields were turned into more amusement park rides and games. The fest traditionally begins with a parade that starts sometime before noon and ends at the oldest tent at the Oktoberfest called the Schottenhammel tent. This private tent is where the mayor taps into the first wood barrel of beer and the first "PROST" begins! Just over 7 million people from all over the world attended the festivities. This festival is indeed a great way to learn about Bavaria and its people and has become known as one of the greatest tourist attractions around the world...
How We Do Oktoberfest....
2015 2017 2018
Going back to our very first Oktoberfest we attended was quit an experience to say the least. The festivities can be quit overwhelming as you can find yourself limited to what tents you can get into and or where to even start trying to get a table to have a nice cold stein of Bavarian beer. We unfortunately did not have reservations of any kind for any of the fourteen main tents on site. All the tents do have outdoor self seating beer gardens which if you arrive early you can find a seat with no problem, although definitely better then nothing, it is just not the full Oktoberfest experience. Every single tent is a completely different type of vibe, with polka music bands to bands playing around a horse carousel, to all out party tents, to tents which are more focused on food, and even family orientated tents. There are two shifts per day, 11am to 5pm and 6pm to 11pm. Over the years we have done both shifts, sometimes even both in one day! Hehehe, good times! What we can tell you is that the early 11am shift is usually more family orientated, but there are tents like the Hofbraü-Festzelt which is home to the craziest parties we have seen under one tent and it really does not matter what time it is. The evening shift is usually an even bigger party than the morning. Both are a blast, but the late shift is where we have had some of the wildest times dancing on top of tables...yup, pretty much a beer fest movie! We have been lucky enough to have made very good friends over the years in Munich and we can now say we are proud to have a table at the Marstall tent, which sits at about the middle of wild and chill. We feel it's the perfect combination for the perfect atmosphere in a tent. For example the Hofbraü-Festzelt tent would be a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being chill and 10 being wild. We sit at about a 5 on the scale in our opinion, based off all the tents we have been to, and we have done them all. All are awesome and you can be sure to find a tent that fits everyones cup of tea. For entry to the Oktoberfest, you do do not need to purchase a ticket, as entry is free to everyone. There is plenty to do once entering the fest, roller coasters and games with plenty of Bavarian eats and other foods. But if you do not have reservations for a table and you want to wing it, you can still have a great time, especially it's a few of you, it is easier. We have noticed over the years it has gotten tougher every year without reservations, but with a little work and effort you may be able to work your way into a tent. We did on our first trip! But don't hold me to it, without reservations, you are on your own! Best advise we can give... Try and get reservations at a table. You can start making reservations as early as March, sometimes sooner depending on tent.
Now back to the fest.... With reservations you get a table for 8 or up to 10 people. Our table includes two huge wooden appetizer plates with meats and cheeses, a nice meal of usually chicken or pork, some tents serve fish as well, and one stein of beer per person. Tents like the Marstall also serve champagne. After that, you can open your tab and drink away! Take your time, it's not a race, it's a marathon! Enjoy the party on a steady buzz.....The Germans are not into downing your beer in one chug, you will make a fool of yourself and probably end up at the grassy hill of Bavaria park which is where tourists are passed out on top of barf saturated grass, also been called puke hill. The beers are delicious, mostly pilsners, very smooth. Not sure what it is and most if not everyone will tell you, the beer is not as filling as what we are use to when consuming a few liters of beer. We have done numerous amounts of research and even asked the locals, the answer we always get, it's the "water" in Germany. I guess it's true what they say, it must be something in the water. No matter what tent you end up at, make sure you make time to get to the Augustiner-Festhalle for a augustiner braü beer. Recommended by all local Munich peeps, this is the beer of choice and we agree! So sit back and enjoy the awesome atmosphere, swing side to side, dance, make new friends from all over the world and "Prost!" and take another sip of your beer and repeat!
Tips and Recommendations
Be aware you cannot get past security at the entrance with anything bigger then a small purse or wallet. Cameras and GoPro's were okay this past year of 2018. Security has gotten stricter over the years, so be advised if you bring a backpack or a big purse, you can be denied entry. We do advise to check websites like oktoberfest.de for up to date information. There is storage lockers right outside the fest but they do fill up fast, so arrive early if you need to carry a backpack of any kind.
Back to the dirndls and lederhosen's, after all, this is how to celebrate the Oktoberfest in style! If you are limited in time you can buy your attire pretty much anywhere in Munich, so don't stress on that. There is various shops and boutiques through out, even train stations sell Bavarian set ups. But be aware of the quality you may find at certain shops. There are German department stores that offer good quality discounted dirndls and lederhosen in the €140 range. Another option is renting your gear from Bavarian Outfitters. We have seen full lederhosen set ups as low as €50.00 per day and dirndls around €45.00 per day. One heads up, when it comes time to returning your rentals, the lines can be up to a 45+ minute wait. I would try not to skimp out on your Bavarian attire and do a full set up. No matter what you pay for your lederhosen, they will last a lifetime, but if you plan on returning to the fest or use them for years to come, as there is Oktoberfest's all over the world now near someones town or local bar, you may want to invest in a good pair or lederhosen as this becomes your lederhosen for life. Never ever wash them, this is a big No No. They are usually made of deer or goat leather. Do not buy imitation cowhide leather, no exception, just being honest. For women, you can be at shops for hours trying on various combinations of colors and combos of dirndls. It is recommended staying around knee length or lower, avoid extra short dirndl dresses, as they are impractical at the festivities in the tents. Besides the fact that it is chilly in September in Germany. We have purchased our full attire at Angermaier which was referred to us by a good friend of ours from Munich. They offer everything you need there and if you are on a budget, they do offer a "Wiesn-Special" of complete attires at a sale price and assures you will have everything you need for about €200.00 for men and about €130.00 for women. Angermaier has been around for over 70 years and even have a complete online store as well. Below is a few other shops and stores you can check out as well. Never know, Maybe we will cross paths in a tent somewhere at the Oktoberfest!
Quick Links
https://www.trachten-angermaier.de
https://www.bavarian-outfitters.de/en/
https://wiesn-tracht-mehr.de/en/
We hope this information will be helpful and would love to hear back from you about your Oktoberfest experience.
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