On October 12, 1810, on a sunny autumn day, the first festival took place in Munich, which is now considered to be the largest and most famous beer festival in the world - Oktoberfest.
For the happiness of the young
The festival was arranged to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Teresa of Saxony-Hildburghaus, and all the inhabitants of Munich were invited to their wedding - they were poured free beer and handed out treats. The holiday was a success, and Ludwig decided to hold it annually.
Since 1819, the Munich city authorities have been organizing the festival. Year after year, its traditions were formed. Since 1881, chickens have been cooked at the festival in a special fryer, and in 1892, the guests of the festival drank beer from glass mugs for the first time. In the same period, beer tents acquired a modern look.
"Uncorked"!
The middle of the 20th century marked the emergence of another tradition of the Oktoberfest festival - the holiday begins with the opening of the first keg of beer by the mayor of Munich with the exclamation "O'zapft is!", Which in Bavarian means "Uncorked!".
For the first time this happened in 1950 by chance: during the march of the owners of the beer pavilions, from which the festival begins, one of them had an enthusiastic conversation with the mayor Thomas Wimmer. When the march ended, and the discussion was still in full swing, the mayor asked what his interlocutor was going to do next, and found out that next on the schedule was the ceremony of uncorking the first barrel of beer. Wimmer went to the cask, and when it came to driving in a tap, they decided to entrust this honor to the mayor, who uncorked it in 19 strokes.
Oktoberfest facts and figures
- Oktoberfest is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest holiday in the world: every year it attracts 5-7 million visitors. There is an erroneous belief that the global fame of the festival repels the Germans themselves from attending it. In fact, about 70% of the festival participants are residents of the closest lands to Bavaria, another 15% come from other parts of Germany, and only 15% are tourists from Europe, the USA and other countries.
- Another Oktoberfest rule states that the volume of beer sold in a mug should not differ from 1 liter by more than a tenth.
- During the festival, visitors drink 6 million liters of beer, eat 1.5 million fried Munich sausages, 65,000 pork knuckles and 84 bulls.
- 30% of all annual production of Munich breweries is drunk during Oktoberfest.
- Oktoberfest is world famous for its huge beer pavilions, each of which can accommodate up to 10,000 people. All of them are managed by the same entrepreneurs from year to year. It is often a family tradition passed down from generation to generation.
- Think twice if you're tempted to pick up a beer mug as a keepsake. The theft of beer mugs has grown to such proportions that it can already be called the most popular sport at Oktoberfest. Therefore, security personnel can check any suspicious visitors to see if they have taken trophies out of the tents.
Oktoberfest beer
Of course, the main character of Oktoberfest is beer brewed according to the canons of the Reinheitsgebot beer purity law. It is brewed from four components: water, malt, hops and yeast. Oktoberfest beer is a type of special March beer (Merzen). It is distinguished by a special strength (up to 6%) and a darker color compared to traditional varieties.
Six breweries pour their beer at Oktoberfest:
Augustiner
The Augustiner brewery, founded in 1328, is the oldest brewery in Munich. Its history began with a small production of beer by Augustinian monks. At Oktoberfest, beer with an ABV of 6% has been bottled exclusively from oak barrels for many years. Augustiner beer is offered with fish dishes in the Fischer-Vroni pavilion.
Hacker-Pschorr
This is a family brewery founded in 1417 by Maria Theresa Hacker and her husband Josef Pschorr. Thanks to the efforts of several generations, the brewery became the largest in Munich, but since 1993 the breweries that brewed Hacker-Pschorr beer have been closed. Today it is produced on the grounds of the Paulaner brewery. At Oktoberfest, guests are treated to 5.8% ABV signature beer, which can be tasted in the brewery's tent and in the Bräurosl pavilion.
Hofbrau
Initially, the Hofbräu was considered the court brewery of the Bavarian dukes, and its brewhouses were located in the Hofbräuhaus on Platzl. In the 19th century, the brewery was taken over by the state and, with an increase in production capacity, moved to Inner Wiener Strasse. For 30 years, the Hofbräu brewery has been located on the alley of the same name in the Trudering-Riem district of Munich. At the Oktoberfest, Hofbräu branded beer is served with a strength of 6.3%.
Lowenbrau
The name of the brewery, whose history began in the 14th century, is associated with a fresco depicting the prophet Daniel, who was thrown into a pit to be torn to pieces by lions and miraculously escaped. The image of a lion eventually became the trademark of the brewery. The huge roaring lion with a mug of beer over the tent of the Löwenbräu brewery at Oktoberfest is also impressive. Serving beer Lowenbrau with a strength of 6.1% in the tents of the brewery and in the Schützenzelt pavilion.
Paulaner
The first mention of Paulaner beer dates back to 1634. Initially, it was brewed by representatives of the Catholic Order of the Minims. Soon, strong beer, brewed according to an old recipe, found connoisseurs among the inhabitants of Munich. During the Oktoberfest, Paulaner beer with a strength of 6% can be tasted in the tents of Winzerer Fähndl, Armbrustschützen-Zelt and Käferzelt.
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Spaten
The Spaten brewery was founded in 1397. A distinctive feature of the label of any beer Spaten- a white shovel on a red background. The shovel for the emblem was not chosen by chance, because in translation from German Spaten is a shovel. At Oktoberfest, beer is served in the Schottenhammel tent, where the traditional barrel opening takes place every year, and, of course, in the brewery's tent of the same name. Holiday beer "Spaten" has a strength of 5.9%.
Every autumn, Munich becomes the center of a grandiose world revelry. It hosts the largest festivities on the planet, a real beer festival - Oktoberfest.
Megaliters of beer are pouring, kilotons of sausages are fried, which the famous Bavaria is famous for - the people come off in full. About 7 million guests annually receive the famous Oktoberfest in Germany. In addition to the Bavarians themselves and Germans from other regions of the country, tourists from all over the world flock here.
How it all began
Oktoberfest begins in October 1810. Then the wedding was celebrated in the royal family of Bavaria - the future ruler, Crown Prince Ludwig I married Princess Therese.
Ludwig was a generous man and decided to celebrate the marriage not only with his family. For subjects, mass festivities were organized in one of the meadows in the suburbs of Munich. Since then, this holiday has been made traditional in Germany, and the venue was named after Therese (Theresienwiese).
In Germany, they did not immediately begin to massively drink beer at the end of September. Initially, the Oktoberfest program mostly consisted of a food fair, a park with traveling artists and horse racing. And only in 1896 the first tent with was opened at the festival. Since that time, Oktoberfest has developed rapidly, becoming the largest event of its kind, first in Germany itself, and then beyond its borders.
Where and when is Oktoberfest
The festival starts annually in Germany on the third Saturday of September, and ends on the first Sunday of October (16 days in total). In 2018, the Oktoberfest dates are September 22 - October 7.
Opening hours of tents and tents on weekdays are from 10.00 to 23.30 (beer is poured an hour before closing), on weekends - from 9.00 to 23.30 (several pavilions are open until 1.00 am).It is advisable to plan a visit to the holiday for the second week. The main influx of guests by this time is on the decline, and finding a place in a beer tent is not as problematic as immediately after the opening of the holiday.
Oktoberfest is still organized on the "Teresa Meadow", which, however, has long been located in itself, and not in its suburbs. This is a huge open-air space, completely dedicated to the famous beer festival.
The area of Theresienwiese is 42 hectares. Flea markets and circus performances are also held here, and an agricultural festival is held every 4 years. But most of the time the space is empty - waiting for Oktoberfest.Getting to the place is easy: there are several metro stations nearby (stops Theresienwiese, Schwanthalerhöhe, Goetheplatz and Poccistraße). You can also come by bus or tram. It is best to choose public transport, as finding a parking space for a car during the festival can be a very difficult task.
What is included in the Oktoberfest program
Traditionally, the parade of brewers opens the holiday. It takes place on the first day, from the center of Munich to Theresienwiese, the owners of beer tents, brewery owners, organizers of the competition program and attractions solemnly parade.
The parade is a procession of wagons on which beer barrels are mounted. As soon as they reach the "meadow", the official opening ceremony of Oktoberfest begins. At noon, the city chief burgomaster drives a copper faucet into a wooden beer barrel with a mallet. Then the barrels are moved to the pavilions, and the grandiose world festival of beer begins.
In 1950, the beginning of Oktoberfest was first marked by cannon volleys, and the Mayor of Munich started the tradition of uncorking the first barrel. Then he opened the barrel from the 19th hit (this is the worst result for the entire history of the tradition).The next day, a grandiose costume procession takes place. Residents of Munich, guests of the city and even government officials walk together in national clothes to the sounds of folk music. Any tourist can buy items of national costume in souvenir shops: for men - a hat with feathers and leather shorts, for women - dresses (dirndl), low-cut blouses and bright aprons. Kids get scarves in the colors of the flag of Bavaria.
When Oktoberfest takes place in Germany, many Germans and city guests go to the holiday with their whole families. The program of the event is not limited to drinking beer - many competitions and games are held here, attractions (the Ferris Wheel and Roller Coaster are a must), labyrinths, mirror rooms, stalls with street food and souvenirs.
Due to the large gathering of people, the organizers posted a special Wiesnbarometer on the festival website, showing the occupancy of the tents on different days.For more than half a century, the flea circus (Flohzircus) has been performing at the festival, it is very popular with both adults and children. And Tuesday at the festival is declared family, when there are discounts on almost all attractions.. The organizers warn that on especially busy days, for example, on weekends, it is not recommended to take small children in strollers with you to Oktoberfest.
The holiday ends with a farewell salute at the foot of the statue of Bavaria.
What to eat and drink at Oktoberfest
The beer festival is held under the patronage of the Munich administration. Only the breweries of this city participate in it. They brew a special kind of beer for Oktoberfest with a pronounced taste of malt, it contains 5.8-6.3% alcohol (it is called Oktoberfest beer). Other alcohol is also offered to guests.
Traditionally, Oktoberfest breweries are represented at the festival each with their own tent.: Spaten, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Augustiner, Löwenbräu.
Augustiner is famous for the fact that beer is bottled here from oak barrels, while other breweries use metal ones. And the tent "" is considered the most popular, thanks to its huge capacity for 10,000 seats.
From appetizers at the festival, they offer fried chicken, cabbage and potato salad, dried fish, pretzels, pork ham, famous Bavarian sausages, beef fried on a spit, and others. The simplest menu will cost about 30€(a liter glass of beer - 11 €, chicken - 15 €, Bavarian pretzel (bretzen) - 4.5 €). There is also a large selection of vegetarian snacks. Bringing your own food is strictly prohibited.
In 1881, fried chicken was first served at the Oktoberfest, and in 1892 beer was poured into mugs, the shape of which has survived to this day.Interesting facts and records of Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest holiday in the world. For example, 12 thousand people are involved in its implementation, of which more than 1.5 thousand are only waiters. 30% of the beer produced by local breweries per year is drunk during the 16 days of the October festivities.
The largest pavilion at the festival was installed in 1912 - it was designed for 12,000 seats.
For us, this is an ordinary drink that helps to quench our thirst and increase the degree of fun in good company. But for the inhabitants of Bavaria, this is a whole cult, the basis of their traditions and culture, as well as an excuse to throw a grandiose booze with impunity and call it a beer festival.
The Germans are great brewers. About 5,000 varieties of foamy drink are produced here, and few countries can compete in quality with it. And the average beer consumption in the country is 131 liters per person per year. These two facts already hint that the world's largest beer festival, Oktoberfest, could only have originated in Germany.
On October 12, 1810, Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghaus. Seeing the wonderful weather, the newlyweds decided to move the feast from the stuffy halls of the palace to a nearby meadow, which, by the way, was later named after the bride, Theresienwiese (Teresa's field).
In addition to the traditional races and parade, there was also a “feast for the whole world”, where the aristocracy was treated to wine and meat, and the common people were treated to beer and bread. The party lasted for five days and left so many pleasant memories that they decided to repeat its success next year. And then another year later, and another...
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Over the years, the holiday has become a tradition. Pompous parades were replaced by food and drink stalls, street booths replaced the palace band, and the festival became truly popular. Its duration was increased to two weeks and moved to the last week of September, since the second half of October was somewhat cool for outdoor activities.
They left the old name, Oktoberfest, thinking that it was a tribute to tradition, and this decision turned out to be correct. The name really took root, although it had nothing to do with beer, however, like the holiday itself. The first brewery tent appeared on the meadow only in 1857. And only in 1880 the Bavarian authorities abolished the monopoly on beer that existed before, after which the drink became the real king of the festival.
How, where and when is Oktoberfest
The beer festival begins on the third Saturday of September on the same Teresa meadow, which is now located in the very. At 10 am, the traditional costumed procession starts, which ends at the tent of one of the city's oldest breweries, Schottenhamel. At noon, the mayor of Munich opens the first barrel of beer and says: “Oh ‘zapft is!”, “uncorked”. Then 12 cannon volleys are heard, giving a signal to the owners of the tents that they can start pouring beer to the guests dying of impatience.
"Tents" are huge indoor structures with a capacity of up to 10,000 people. You can get into them by purchasing a ticket in advance, or standing in a long queue. It is there that the indescribable atmosphere of the holiday reigns, with drunken interethnic “fraternizations”, dancing on the tables and other delights of Oktoberfest. If you didn’t manage to get inside, it doesn’t matter, there are additional tables near each tent in the open air. The opening hours of the tents are from 10.00 (on weekends from 9.00) to 22.30.
To understand what Oktoberfest is, it is enough to wander its impromptu streets and listen to tourists who speak different languages, and, nevertheless, understand each other. If you get bored (which is very unlikely), there are a lot of attractions and fun for every taste.
What is served at the beer festival
The golden rule of Oktoberfest is that only the very best draft Munich beer is served. The administration carefully monitors that the varieties admitted to the festival comply with the law on the purity of beer. Since 1516, he has prohibited the use of any additional ingredients in the production, except for pure water, hops and barley. Many breweries have been waiting for years to have the honor of presenting their brews on Teresa Field.
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Especially for Oktoberfest, a "festival" beer, Wiesnbier or Oktoberfestbier, is brewed. Due to its low gas content, it is easier to drink than usual and has a slightly higher alcohol percentage, around 6%. Beer is served exclusively in liter glass mugs. There is no smaller container, so you don’t have to pester busty waitresses with this question in vain. The cost of a glass of beer is within 10 euros.
Oktoberfest does not live on beer alone. Baked chicken, fried sausages and sausages, pork, beef ... In general, the monthly norm of cholesterol is provided to you. It is also full of various pastries and sweets.
Facts about Oktoberfest
- About 6 million people visit the beer festival every year. The record, listed in the Guinness Book, was recorded in 1985, when the number of visitors exceeded 7 million.
- During the two weeks of the festival, 30% of the annual beer produced in Munich is drunk.
- Many people think that Oktoberfest is an event where exclusively adult entertainment reigns. It used to be so, but now the organizers pay a lot of attention. On Tuesdays, there are "family days" when many tents add a children's menu and offer discounts on rides.
- The fine for a stolen beer mug is 50 euros. In souvenir shops you can buy it for 30, but every year about 100,000 people are caught trying to take out the cherished “my own, with whom I drank at Oktoberfest” from the tent. Tradition, what can you do...
- More than 1,000 passports, 500 wallets and 300 mobile phones are brought to the festival's lost and found office every year.
One of the most popular European holidays was and remains the Oktoberfest beer festival - a meeting of beer lovers, annually held in Bavarian Munich.
An event that gathers up to 7,000,000 people in one place in two weeks and pours up to 7,000,000 liters of Munich beer into this human mass!
The Bavarians remain true to tradition, and to this day it takes place on Theresienwiese (teresa's meadow), which has long ceased to be a suburb and is now located within the city and is connected to the center by several lines of the city metro.
Official address of Oktoberfest in Munich: Theresienwiese, 80339 Munich, Germany. Directly next to Teresa Meadow there are three stations of the city metro. The metro stop closest to the northeast entrance (two minutes walk) Theresienwiese.
The rest of the metro stations are located a little further, on average, a ten-minute walk from the entrances to the meadow. These are the stops Goetheplatz,Poccistrasse(next to the southeast entrances), and the railway station Hackerbrucke, located near the north entrance.
When does it pass Oktoberfest in Germany (Munich)?
The festival always starts on the third Saturday of September and lasts 16 days, that is, until the first Sunday in October. But the exact dates of its holding vary every year, as you can see by looking at the Oktoberfest calendar:
In 2016 = = = from 17.09 to 03.10
In 2017 = = = from 16.09 to 03.10
In 2018 = = = from 22.09 to 07.10
How is Oktoberfest celebrated?
The first association among those who are going to Oktoberfest in Munich- these are mugs overflowing with foaming beer in the hands of Bavarian frau, bursting with health and appetizing forms. Meanwhile, this holiday is not only a show, it is also a tribute to the traditions that the Bavarians hold sacred. That is why the holiday has a scenario that is repeated every year.
=> The first day of Oktoberfest begins with a parade of brewers - a solemn procession of the owners of the holiday. Here you can see the owners of beer tents and eateries, organizers of attractions and competitions. The parade is personally led by the mayor of Munich, and the procession itself consists of carts with beer barrels, which will later be installed in the pavilions. The procession begins in the center of the city, from where it follows to Teresa's meadow and marks the complete readiness for the beginning of the holiday.
The opening ceremony of the first beer barrel is the official signal for the opening of Oktoberfest. It begins promptly at noon after the procession of the beer tent owners arrives at Teresa's Meadow. The procedure is carried out by the mayor of Munich, driving a copper tap into a wooden barrel of beer with a wooden mallet in the Schottenhammer tent.
After he hammers the tap into the first barrel, and the audience supports him with a noisy exclamation « O'zapft is!» — « Open!” and, in fact, one of the most popular beer festivals not only in Europe, but throughout the world will begin.
=> Costumed holiday – held on the first Sunday after the opening of the festival. About 8,000 Bavarians in national costumes, to the accompaniment of folk musicians, begin a solemn procession from the Bavarian parliament building through the city center to Teresa's meadow. The parade is attended not only by ordinary citizens, but also by government officials, including the minister-president and his family.
Oktoberfest: food and drink festival
No one doubts that the main character of Oktoberfest is beer. Festival beer is brewed according to a special recipe: it is aged a little longer, and its strength is slightly higher - from 5.8% to 6.3%. They drink it in tents, raising the mugs up with the exclamation of “Prost!”, That is, “We will!”, “To your health” ...
What beer do you drink at Oktoberfest?
° Augustine– traditionally, two pavilions of this manufacturer are installed at the festival, the drink is stored in oak barrels, its strength is about 6%.
° Paulaner presents two varieties: 6% light and wheat beer.
° Hacker-Pschorr– This variety is produced in the family brewery of Teresa Hacker and Josef Pschorr. At Oktoberfest, you can try light beer with a strength of 5.8%.
° Spaten- offers its guests a light lager beer with a strength of 5.2%.
° Hoffbrau- the strongest Oktoberfest beer - 6.3%.
° Lowenbrau present two tents at the festival: Schützen-Festzelt and Löwenbräu-Festhalle.
Looking for quality snacks? Traditional Oktoberfest food will delight lovers of hearty cuisine. A variety of sausages, fried chicken, spit-roasted ox and pork ham. Garnishes to this meat splendor are potato and cabbage salads, pickles and seasonal vegetables.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
The approximate cost of the menu for 1 person, which will include: a liter of beer = 10.5€ + fried chicken or half of it = (15€ / 7.5€) + bretzen (Bavarian pretzel) = 4.5€. Total: 25-35€ / person
And this is all despite the fact that you came on Monday at 10:00 at Theresienwiese and accidentally got places in the tent ... In general, as we showed above, no one counts expenses at Oktoberfest, because to get into the tent, you need very early (2-3-4 months, or even earlier) to buy a ticket to the tent (especially on weekends - from Friday to Sunday), which includes food with a glass of beer too. So this is the price of this entrance ticket including per person: 1 seat at a table in a certain tent + 1 or 2 liters of beer + 1/2 grilled chicken or 3 course menu can be up to 4.000€!!! Well, a very average ticket price is about 150 € -250 € per person.
Are you planning expenses? Focusing on your individual needs and opportunities, because you can hardly limit yourself to one mug of beer!Important:You can pay at the festival, basically, only in cash. Bank cards in many cases are not accepted for payment! If you plan to spend the whole day in Teresa's Meadow, stock up on cash in the amount of 50-60€ per person. Stocked up? And now add another 100-200-300€ to them - after all, the soul has already gone to celebrate!
Oktoberfest with the whole family!
It may seem like a beer festival Oktoberfest This event is exclusively for adults. However, it is not. Bavarians come here with the whole family, with children and even dogs!
The traditional entertainments of Oktoberfest are games and competitions, mirror rooms and labyrinths, all kinds of rides and carousels with animal figurines for the little ones, as well as the famous roller coaster, and of course, the Ferris wheel!
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Children under 15 years old can only be in beer tents accompanied by adults and only until 20-00!
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Try not to let the younger generation out of your sight - the cases when kids get lost in the hustle and bustle of the festival are not rare! This fact forced the Bavarian branch of the Red Cross to open a special point in Teresa's clearing to look after lost babies.
Oktoberfest Munich dates 2017
Oktoberfest will start this year 2017 16 of September , but will end October 3 . A distinctive detail of this year will be that the last day of the holiday, 03.10.17, coincides with another important event in the life of Germany - the celebration of the day of German Unity. Therefore, the show program associated with the closing of the Oktoberfest will be held on a large scale - fireworks and other bells and whistles.
To the attention of numerous guests and beer lovers! The festival does not work around the clock, but according to the following schedule:
10:00 – 22:30 (weekdays)
9:00–22:30 (weekends and holidays);
There are tents open until 1am, such as Kuffler's Weinzelt .
5 life hacks for those who are going to Oktoberfest
LH#1- It is better to plan a visit to Oktoberfest for the 2nd week of the holiday. This is due to the fact that the main influx of guests is already starting to subside and finding a place in the tent will not be as difficult as in the opening week. True, the Bavarians call the 2nd week “Italian week”, because. noisy Italians traditionally come to Munich at this time 🙂
LH#3– The optimal time to visit Oktoberfest is no later than 14:00. In this case, from Monday to Thursday, you have a chance to find a place without prior reservation. You can see how busy the festival venue is at the moment online(real picture only during the holiday) on the Oktoberfest webcam.
LH#4- How to find a free place in a tent if it seems to you that everything is already occupied there? Go to the tent (if you can do it, especially on weekends :-)), and after ordering a beer, take a free place next to the platform on which the orchestra plays. Dance, have fun, and when the mug is empty, put it on the nearest table, asking the visitors sitting at it if this can be done. The answer in 99% of cases will be yes! After one or two such requests, you will most likely be invited to the table.
LH#5- Do you want to try something unusual? Then take a look inside the tent Ochsenbraterei where they cook the meat of a bull roasted on a spit. Unlike traditional chicken and sausages, this dish is not served in other tents. By the way, shooting one of the plots of the program "" with the participation of the Munich guide and creator of the tour. company " Your guide in Bavaria» Alexei Usik, took place just in the Ochsenbraterei tent.
Oktoberfest in Germany is the biggest beer festival in the world!
Every year Oktoberfest is visited by 6-7,000,000 people who, according to statistics, drink 6-7 million liters of beer. The canonical "dose" is a liter glass mug (the popular name is "maas"). It is this mug that is most often brought as a souvenir by those who managed to visit the festival 🙂
! Many seek to get a "souvenir" directly on the spot - simply put, take out the mug in which the waiter brought the ordered beer. However, be prepared for the fact that at the exit you can be stopped by a security guard and confiscate a “souvenir”, and even fined.What else can you bring back from Oktoberfest?
If it was not possible to take out the coveted beer container for free - do not despair! On the Teresa Meadow itself, as well as in Munich, during the Oktoberfest days, there are many souvenir shops and shops where you can pick up souvenirs for every taste:
✔ dishes with the symbols of famous breweries;
✔ national Bavarian clothing or its individual elements: leather pants with suspenders, a hat with a feather for men, bright aprons, blouses for women, scarves with the Bavarian flag for everyone.
✔ colorful gingerbread in the form of hearts of large and small sizes, with a traditional inscription: Gruss vom Oktoberfest,
✔ Well, and, of course, beer!
Hotels near Oktoberfest in Munich
The most expensive hotels in Munich for the period of holding the largest beer festival in the world - Oktoberfest, during this period, of course, those that are nearby, in the immediate vicinity of the festival venue - Theresienwiese Meadows. And since the meadow is located almost in the center of the city, respectively, ALL hotels in Munich from mid-September to early October soar in price several times.
The most popular Munich hotels near Oktoberfest on the streets:
Landwehrstrasse, Schwanthallerstrasse, Goethestrasse, Pettenkoferstrasse, Schillerstrasse, Sonnenstrasse and others.
The most popular three-star hotels are especially popular among Russians:
Atlas City, TRYP München City Center, Best Western Atrium, Courtyard by Marriot, Adagio, Mercure Hotel, Germania and others.
In the Premium segment, this is, of course: Königshof, Bayerischer Hof, Mandarin, Kempinski, Rocco Forte, Platzl, Sofitel.
Private guides in Munich
Do you want to make your visit to Oktoberfest comfortable? Don't want to stand in queues for tents for a long time and are afraid of the language barrier?
Then use the services Russian-speaking company in Munich, which was created specifically to work in the capital of Bavaria with clients from Russian-speaking countries. Its staff will help you overcome any difficulties associated with a trip to Oktoberfest - from booking a place in the right tent to transfer to anywhere in Munich and Bavaria. Just remember - you need to book places in tents, especially if you are traveling in a group, very early!
Contact the head of the company Alexey Usik you can through the site www.vash-gid-v-bavarii.ru.
Oktoberfest Munich - photo and video
In our photo selection of Oktoberfest photos you can see the emotions and everyday life of this biggest beer festival in the world taking place in Munich!
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Oktoberfest: bright photos and videos, a detailed description and reviews of the Oktoberfest event in 2020.
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It is unlikely that there will be a beer festival in the world more popular than Oktoberfest, which has been held in Munich on Theresienwiese for more than 200 years. Every year, about 6 million visitors come to the city to taste special festival beers from the best breweries in the city. The foamy drink is distinguished by a pronounced malt flavor due to long exposure and a strength of 5.8 to 6.3%, and it is produced only at this time of the year.
Only Munich breweries were allowed to participate in the festival, are allowed and will be allowed.
A bit of history
The festival was first celebrated when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Teresa, after whom the meadow where the festival takes place is named. It happened in October 1810, the event became an annual event, the name Oktoberfest was assigned to it. Gradually, the dates were moved to a warmer and sunny September, but the two-week festival traditionally captures the first weekend of October.
For 200 years, the holiday was canceled only a few times and only for very good reasons: due to the cholera epidemic, the Prussian-Austrian and Franco-Prussian wars, the First and Second World Wars and hyperinflation in Germany in 1923-1924. For a long time, Oktoberfest was an event for the inhabitants of Bavaria and the surrounding regions of Germany. Only since 1960, tourists from different parts of the globe began to come to it, and now it is one of the most visited festivals in the world by tourists and the largest folk festival.
Munich Oktoberfest
How is Oktoberfest
Traditionally, Oktoberfest begins on Saturday with a parade of tent owners. Headed by the Mayor of Munich, the procession on festive teams with kegs of beer hoisted on them and accompanied by orchestras passes through the city center and ends in the Teresa Meadow. Exactly at noon, 12 shots are fired into the sky from a cannon, and in the Schottenhamel-Festzelt tent, the current Mayor of Munich drives a tap into the first barrel - Oktoberfest is open! The next day, on the first Sunday of the holiday, a costumed procession and a parade of shooters take place. About 8,000 people dressed in historical and national costumes, along with orchestras and decorated teams, walk from the Bavarian parliament building to Teresa's meadow. A costumed procession and a solemn knocking out of the cork from the first barrel are relatively new traditions, they appeared only in 1950.
The holiday lasts a little more than two weeks, during which time 14 large (with a capacity of 10 thousand people) and 15 small beer tents (for 1000 people) are being built on Teresa's meadow.
Inside the tents, life is seething - fragile-looking waitresses carry 12 liter mugs of beer at a time, festival guests gobble up fried chickens and pork sausages on both cheeks, beer flows like water, music rumbles, and noisy, cheerful crowd does not stop for a minute. Often, at one table, then at another, someone gets up and, to the applause of others, drinks a liter of beer in one fell swoop, while others empty their mugs at speed.
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The festival has a lot of entertainment: carousels, breathtaking roller coasters, a 50-meter Ferris wheel, a free-fall simulation tower. You can periodically be distracted from the tasting and just take a walk, choose souvenirs, make new friends, ride one of the attractions or look at the flea circus. Otherwise, there is a great chance, having drunk too much, to fall into the caring hands of doctors and volunteer nurses serving the festival. In German, there is even a special name for those who do not know the measure: Bierleichen - a beer corpse.
Every Tuesday is a family day with significant discounts on food and attractions. Special rooms are provided for children, and for the convenience of parents, parking lots for strollers and a microwave oven, where you can warm up baby food. Children under 6 years old can be taken to the holiday on other days, but before 20:00 they must leave the beer tents.
Oktoberfest 2017
Oktoberfest 2017 kicks off on Saturday 16th September with the official kicking ceremony at the Schottenhamel tent at 12:00 noon. On this day, it is better to arrive early - good seats are taken as early as 9:00. On Sunday, September 17 at 10:00, the costume parade will begin. Other significant events are the traditional religious mass on September 21st at 10:00 am and the brass band concert on September 29th at 11:00 am. The festival will last until October 3: at midnight it will be completed by fireworks at the Bavaria monument.
In 2017, prices at Oktoberfest have risen slightly, especially for non-alcoholic drinks. A liter of beer will cost about 11 EUR, while lemonade and mineral water will cost even more. Prices are fixed, you can study them at the office. event website (in English).
New attractions will appear: Drifting Coaster - drifting gondolas, Voodoo Jumper - jumping with a complete feeling of weightlessness, XXL Racer, lifting to a height of 55 m, Jules Vernes Tower - lifting even higher: 70 m at a speed of 65 km / h. For those who are not looking for thrills, Oide Wiesn is suitable - a trip in a 70-year-old trailer among picturesque lawns with goats, horses and piglets. Every 4 years, an agricultural exhibition is held in Terezin Meadow in parallel, and it will be held this year as well.
On the opening day, beer tents will be open from 12:00 to 22:30, the rest of the time: on weekdays - from 10:00 to 22:30, on Saturday and Sunday - from 9:00 to 22:30. Attractions, tents with food - from 10:00 to midnight. Admission to all tents is free, but their capacity is limited, so you need to arrive early or book in advance. Detailed information - at the office. website. As soon as the tents are filled, they are closed, usually this happens before noon even on weekdays.
Having reached Munich, you need to get to Theresienwiese meadow, located in the very center of the city. From the airport, it is most convenient to take the S8 train to the Hackerbrucke station, from which it is a 10-minute walk to the festival site. From the railway and bus stations located in the center of Munich, Theresienwiese is a 15-minute walk away. If you are too lazy to go, you can drive one stop by metro (line U4).
Hotels are predictably full during Oktoberfest. For unpretentious guests every year, 10 km from the city center, Oktoberfest All Inclusive Camping is set up: tents, tents and sleeping bags; common amenities. Not very comfortable, but fun and cheap. There is a recreation area, a bar where beer lovers make noise around the clock and enjoy life. A tent for two will cost 2000 EUR for the entire festival period. In any hotel and even a hostel, prices for the dates of the festival will be much higher.