One of the events I have always wanted to take part in was to visit Munich but also to take part in ‘Oktoberfest’.
This German festival is primarily related to the consumption of German beer but there is much more to it than that. Every year thousands of people from all around the world visit the festival held obviously in October. This year 2012 the attendance has been over 6.4 million and this is getting bigger attendances every year.
The festival takes place in Munich each year, and this year was the 179th time that it had taken place. Besides the abundance of beer, another popular thing at the fest, as always, was the traditional Bavarian dresses. A lot of people wear the outfits to get in the spirit of Oktoberfest.
I wasn’t really keen on buying one so I wandered around in my casual everyday clothes. At some point I did feel quite strange because everybody else had dressed up, but when I had one or two beers, I didn’t care at all.
And talking about beer, it was fascinating. There were all types of beer, made from different ingredients and with different methods and techniques. The beer on offer whilst not cheap is different than others that I have tasted on my travels.
From the minute we arrived in Germany as always we were given a fantastic reception by the German people and had fun until the moment we left, albeit with slightly sore heads.
When planning on visiting the Oktoberfest I would recommend that check out the Live Like a German web site. They have affordable accommodation in Munich and surrounding areas. What I found is that if you commute a little further out you can save substantially on the rental rate. Also, there are plenty of Oktoberfest and Munich travel tips, compiled by locals – so worthwhile to check this site out.
Here are some statistics for the festival; more than 1 litre of beer per person had been drank during the festival – 6.9 million. Bear in mind that there are many people at this festival that decide not to drink and some are even too young to do so. Another 57 calves and 116 oxen had been consumed during the festival.
This is definitely one of the highlights of 2012 and one I hope to go to again in the future with my family. Fantastic experience and one I would recommend to anyone.
