And How to Spend the Day After in Munich

Prost Auf Reisen! Cheers to Travel!

Oktoberfest traces its roots back to 1810 and remains a highly sought-after celebration for locals and visitors. Concurrently, Munich is a phenomenal city with plenty to see, eat, and do! It is the capital and the most populated city of Bavaria. We met up with our dear friend and his sister here. Due to stringent work schedules, we only had 2 days in Munich. At the time, our big goal was to finally experience Oktoberfest.

We went at the end of September, and the weather was perfect! At this time the general temperature at the time was a low of 9° C (48° F) in the evenings and 23° C (73° F) in the daytime. For our general health and overall enjoyment, we decided to enjoy Oktoberfest one day and then see some of Munich on the second day. Consequently, this is how we savored our incredible 2 days in Munich.

Fun To Know:

Most of the locals we spoke to were fluent in English and German. As a matter of fact, most Europeans are multi-lingual! For travelers like us, I find it helpful and kind to try and learn some of the basics:

• Thank you- Dankeschön
• Thank you very much- Vielen Dank
• I am sorry- Es tut mir Leid
• Excuse me- Entschuldigen Sie
• Hello- Hallo
• Goodbye- Auf Wiedersehen

A Handy Guide to Oktoberfest

A Little Bit of History

Oktoberfest is the largest beer festival in the world. It is 16 days long and takes place in Munich. The festival began to celebrate the wedding of the Bavarian Crown Prince to the Hildburghausen Princess in 1810. In like fashion, the wedding was annually celebrated with anniversary parties. These parties eventually grew into the beloved Oktoberfest. The festival grounds occur on Theresienwiese, which translates to Theresa’s Meadow, named after the bride. Up to the present time, the festival grounds are called “Wies’n” for short.

What You Need to Know about Oktoberfest

Firstly, the entrance is free! If you plan ahead, then you can reserve a table for free. Do not worry if you haven’t made reservations. A lot of tables inside are first-come, first-served. Be that as it may, it will be more challenging to find tables and chairs for larger groups. We had a group of 2-4 people throughout the day and sat at 2 of the 4 tents. We met some larger groups who stood in line as early as 6:30 am to save full tables for the day. Be kind and friendly when asking. We had a great time chatting and singing with all the friendly strangers in the long run.

Do Not Bring

• Large bags, purses, or backpack
  • Anything larger than 3 liters in volume and over 20x15x10cms in size will be checked in at a tent during security. This includes a typical-sized backpack. Once inside, you will be glad to carry less.
• Any type of drink, including water
  • We were drinking our morning coffee when we walked into security and had to throw away our cups.
  • We saw people emptying their water bottles at the security check too.

Helpful Tips for Oktoberfest:

• Stay Hydrated
  • Water bottle filling stations are not available. Being that you can’t bring drinks inside, you have to buy water This is not where you want to be cheap. When you do order water, you must specify between carbonated and non-carbonated. Restaurants typically serve carbonated water unless specified.
• Pace Yourself
  • Hubs and I entered the grounds at 9:15 am and exited our last tent at 11:30 pm. The day was long but enjoyable. You will hear this phrase throughout the day, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint”. I 100% agree. If you want to enjoy Oktoberfest and make it through the evening, then you pace yourself.

• Bring Cash
  • Oktoberfest is a cash-only affair. At any rate, there are ATMs throughout the festival grounds.
• Restroom Lines
  • The restrooms are free of charge, but the queue can be lengthy. Do not wait too long before you stand in line.
  • There will be restroom attendants inside asking for tips. They help keep the restrooms clean throughout the long day. The decision to tip is yours to make. I usually do because I appreciate a clean bathroom. Can you imagine how absurd these restrooms would be without the attendants? 
• Time Your Day
  • We walked into 3 tents during the day without waiting in line. When we tried to walk into a new tent at 4 pm, the crowd waiting outside was pretty big. I used the term “crowd” instead of “line” since there was no sign of an organized queue. We joined the crowd for 20ish minutes before we decided to leave. We thought it was better to walk around and find another tent. The waiting crowds at Oide Wiesen were not as busy, and we did not have to wait long.

Dress to Impress

• Almost everybody dresses for the occasion- women wear dirndls while men wear lederhosen. The locals are often the ones with the nicest dirndls and lederhosen. They reserve them for special events, including Oktoberfest!
• There are vendors outside the festival that sell dirndls and lederhosen. Nevertheless, there is a wide range from expensive made with quality materials and inexpensive made like Halloween costumes. Find what suits you! Did you get the pun??
• I was told you can rent dirndls and lederhosen. I was not looking very hard, but I didn’t see any of these vendors once I got inside the festival grounds. Since we weren’t sure if we would return to Oktoberfest, we bought inexpensive ones right outside the entrance the night prior. The vendors were equipped with fitting rooms too! 
  • Fun Fact: The placement of the bow on your dirndl indicates your relationship status. I did not know about this until after our Oktoberfest experience.
    • Left- single
    • Middle- maiden
    • Right- married

Sing, Dance, and Be Merry!

Oktoberfest is a party! You will end up dancing and singing along with the room. If you so choose, you may stand on the benches. Do not stand on the tables.

So Many Tents!

There are 17 large tents and 21 small tents around Oktoberfest. All of the tents have different specialties and personalities. If you are not part of a large group, I recommend you go with the flow. It was exciting to bounce around and see where we ended up. We visited four tents and still had time to explore the carnival games and rides. The tents we joined included:

• Hofbräu-Festzelt- The largest Wiesn tent. The angel, Aloisius, will greet you from above the crowd. This tent is known to be the international one. Hofbräu-Festzelt is especially popular with Americans.
• Hacker Festzelt- People love this tent for its beautiful skyscape. The tent is decorated as the heavens of Bavaria. This one is known to close early due to its popularity. In terms of aesthetics, this was my favorite.

Oide Wiesen- Old Oktoberfest

This is a separate area within Oktoberfest. It costs an extra 3 euro to enter, and your entrance fee is valid all day. We ended our day in Oide Wiesen, which I loved. We sat with locals who chatted, cheered, sang, and danced the night away. One of the locals we sat with mentioned that he lives across the street from the venue. He looked out his window to see how busy the entrance lines were, and decided to come down and grab a few beers when he saw the queue was not too crowded! 

• Festzelt Tradition- Enjoy the local brass band while you watch the traditional dances. This tent is also known to be family-friendly during the daytime. We saw plenty of kids with their families. It was a fun and inviting experience. 
• Herzkasperlfestzelt- Known for young local and folksy music. The bands we heard were so much fun! They played a good mix of traditional songs and their folksy twists of pop and rock songs, including some of our favorite Queen hits. This was ultimately a great tent to end our day. We sat at a table with all locals, who were very kind and helpful. Toward the end, I must confess I was on the verge of a heavy crash. In brief, they helped me order some food, which perked me right back up. 

Oktober Eats and Treats

I deeply regret not eating much throughout the day. The entire Oktoberfest experience went by so quickly. Before I knew it, the sun was setting. All of the food looked and smelled delicious. Here is a handful of things I got to sample throughout the weekend. 

• Brezen- These massive pretzels may feel hard on the outside, but the inside is soft and chewy. Also, beer and salt are a wonderful marriage. 

• Roast Chicken- This spit-roasted chicken is one of the best chickens I have ever had. The skin was golden brown and crisped to perfection. The inside was juicy and flavorful. Once you try it, you will see why some people lovingly don roast chicken hats.
• Würstl- You could do wurst… They are so delicious! I especially like it with a side of sauerkraut and/or red cabbage. Try the steamed white sausages with sweet mustard too. My mouth is watering at the thought of all the wursts. 

• Käsespätzle- These tasty cheese noodles look similar to mac and cheese. Käsespätzle is a comforting hot plate that pairs well with beer. Well, at least I love cheese and beer.

More Info about Oktoberfest

You can find more information about Oktoberfest on their website!

Oktoberfest’s Website

How to Spend the Day After Oktoberfest in Munich

While you are in town for Oktoberfest, you have to see Munich! Sundays are typically lazy days in Europe, and most shops are not open. We spent our last hours being European casual and saw where the day took us. After a full day of heavy boozing, I required a day of nature and gentle physical activity.

The English Garden

The English Garden is a centrally located public park in Munich. Furthermore, this park is expansive. We spent about 6 hours; strolling, people-watching, and enjoying a handful of beer gardens. The park has around 48 miles of paths, beer gardens, and historic landmarks within its campus. It was a beautiful Sunday with a steady flow of walkers, joggers, cyclists, and loungers. I especially loved seeing all of the happy and obedient dogs! They were so cute! The English Garden was a drastic yet welcome difference from our day at Oktoberfest.

The English Garden’s Website

Sights around the English Garden

• Court Garden
  • We were embraced by a golden tree-lined avenue. The bloomed flowers were perfectly aligned, while the grass was precisely manicured. While we walked towards the center of the Court, we were enchanted by a cellist.
• Japanese Teahouse
  • The teahouse is closed on Sundays. It is situated on a small island, surrounded by beautiful foliage.

• River Surfers
  • A local we met at Oktoberfest recommended this spot. This artificial river cuts through the park, creating a current ideal for surfing. The surfers attracted a good-sized crowd. I would be too nervous to have all these strangers watching me. But first, I need to learn how to swim.

• Schönfeldwiese
  • This space has green open lawns and a gentle river. Straightaway, you’ll notice a sprinkling of people lounging along the river banks. You may even see some nude sunbathers. Relaxing in the sun sounds like a great way to recover from Oktoberfest.
• Chinese Tower
  • A brass band plays traditional music on the second floor of this wooden pagoda. We swayed to the music, sipped on beers, and shared a brazen (pretzel) from the Chinesischer Turm beer garden. On this occasion, it was a very chill Oktoberfest for us.
• Covered Bridge
  • Wooden bridges remind me of a road trip I took throughout Vermont. From the bridge, you can see distant and busy Munich traffic in one direction, and a lush forest in the other. 
• Hirschau
  • The southernmost part of The Garden is a forest. Aumeister is a beer garden and restaurant with comfortable outdoor seating on the terrace. We ordered the käsespätzle here since I didn’t get to it at Oktoberfest.

• Monopteros
  • The short and shaded ascent to the top rewards you with an overlook of the park. 

Genießen!

Our adventure to Munich was sparked by the excitement to attend Oktoberfest. It was the fun-filled festival I had hoped for! Oktoberfest was followed by a deep appreciation for how beautiful Munich is. All the refreshing beer, luscious food, and kind people made this a weekend to remember. We were all pretty proud of ourselves for going hard at Oktoberfest and then slowing down on Sunday. Three of us were Americans who newly moved to Europe, and we were trying to assimilate. I hope you have a perfect trip to Munich, much like I did.