Well, it’s been a long time since I posted anything. I am sorry but I think with Covid preventing us from travelling, there’s a pretty good excuse.
Now I’m back living in Dublin, Ireland, and have travelled to a few new countries this year already! I’m feeling inspired to write and will hopefully soon be writing on these new destinations and finally about my home, Dublin.
But for today, after a long break, it’s back to Germany but instead of Berlin, we’re the city of Munich, the capital of the southern German state of Bavaria. It is the time of year to discuss Oktoberfest, after all. This post won’t be very fact heavy, it will be mostly just my own experiences from 2019.
So what is Oktoberfest all about? For me, it’s a festival of colour, sweets, traditional clothes, life, beer and attractions!
The festival dates back to 1810, when locals celebrated the wedding of Kind Ludwig I and Princess Theresa. Interestingly, the festival takes place in the same location as the wedding! It’s in a huge outdoor area called Theresienwiese which means ‘Theresa’s meadow’. This is still pretty close to the city centre, we walked there from the train station easily.
The large outdoor area is transformed for the festival. It’s taken over by many beer tents; stalls selling food, postcards, sweets and more; and all the rides and attractions. Oh, and of course, by the many, many people!
Oktoberfest is absolutely best known for its beer and its many beer tents. Each beer tent has its own beer, food and music. Some are more popular than others. Oh yes, and all the beer is all brewed within the city. That’s one of the rules of the festival and it keeps everything local and to high standards. However, this can be quite political too. Apparently, Netflix’s show Oktoberfest: Beer & Blood shows this aspect of the festival very well. I have not watched it myself but it is on my list!
As well as the food and drink, there are also rides and attractions. Differently to Ireland, German festivals always have attractions. For example, as I wrote about previously, Germany’s Christmas markets always have attractions too. However, to me, Oktoberfest’s rides and attractions are older, they seem less modern and shiny.
Just to note, other German cities and towns will also have their own Oktoberfest celebrations. But Munich’s Oktoberfest is the original one and is the one that most people will be referencing. That said, if you can’t make it to Munich and want to experience the festival’s vibe, then you should check out one of these smaller festivals. For this post, I’ll be saying Oktoberfest but will be talking specifically about Munich’s Oktoberfest. I hope that’s clear!
There are parades as part of the festival too, but only the first weekend, I believe. I did not see any when I was there near the end of September.
For me, attending the festival was fun and a real experience. I enjoyed it and don’t regret going or anything. The atmosphere was really wonderful, there was such energy and excitement. It was fun even just walk around and admire all the outfits, the halls, and colours.
On a less positive note, it was very busy. If you don’t mind crowds, great. If you do, then the Christmas markets would be a better bet for you. They can be busy too but there are a lot more of them. E.g. Berlin has lots of them scattered throughout the city so they don’t get as busy. Whereas Munich’s Oktoberfest is only in 1 location.
Some practical information for you, you don’t have to pay into the festival. And you can stay for as long as you want.
NOTE: Can’t bring a big bag with you. If you have one, you’ll have to pay to put it in a locker.
I know that most people want to go so that they can drink glasses of beer. But you don’t need to go to the festival for this; Munich’s restaurants will serve 1 L drinks too. Even in other German cities, you’ll find places that will sell you beer in a 1 L glass, at any time of the year. Hackesher Markt Station restaurant in Berlin is one such example.
I think Oktoberfest is on more bucket lists than Christmas markets. Personally, I think the Christmas markets are more fun. BUT it was fun to see the traditional outfits and to dress up. You don’t get that experience at the markets.
I went and I did really enjoy it. Would I go back? Probably not. Is it something that should be on everyone’s bucket list? Maybe not.
Obviously, this is only my opinion and I did enjoy going. I enjoyed dressing up and the atmosphere but there are other events you can do that for too.
Christmas markets are more fun, I’d say. Similar huts and attractions but less people. Ok, you won’t see the cool outfits, that’s true.
Less of a party atmosphere too. So it really depends on what type of event you prefer.
Munich is a beautiful city anyway. Even if you have been to Germany before, you’ll love exploring Munich’s streets and admiring its well-maintained and beautiful buildings. But to be fair, the whole city is taken over for the festival. You’ll see signs of it all over the place, be it decorations or someone walking around in a traditional outfit.
At Oktoberfest, it’s good to note that you can also buy crepes and savoury food such as chips. It’s not just beer. Pretzels are quite typical too. Also, there are lots of sweet (as in non-savoury) hearts, very nicely decorated and with messages written in icing. I had never associated these with Oktoberfest but I saw them all around, even in the train station when we arrived. They are called lebkuchenherzen and you are sure to see them around. I have not eaten one, let me know if I’ve missed out or not!
If you are going to go then you should definitely dress up if you can! The traditional dress is a dirndl for girls and lederhosen for a man. I bought one in Germany in a shop called Takko Fashion! It was cheap (€10, I think) but still looked good. You should be able to find them online too.
There really is a fun atmosphere at the festival and throughout the whole city. I would imagine that the locals don’t enjoy it too much though. This would be similar to most Irish people and St. Patrick’s Day. A lot of Irish people would avoid the St. Patrick’s celebrations and watch the parade on TV instead. So I’d guess that a lot of Munich’s inhabitants are the same!
So that’s my impression of Oktoberfest, make of it what you will! I hope it gives you a bit of idea of what to expect, if you do choose to go.