Today’s post is 2100 words, 41 photos, three videos, an 11-minute read. Enjoy!
Hi everyone,
This week, I’ll take you to the famous Oktoberfest in Munich, where you’ll experience the sights, sounds, music, and traditions of this annual Bavarian cultural festival.
Before we start on our excursion to Oktoberfest, check out the links below if you missed earlier episodes in this series.
Vienna here and here; Regensburg, here and here; Neckargemund; Mosel Valley here and here; The Rhine River and Bonn; Julich here and here; Cologne, and Munich here, here, and here.
Let’s get started.
Oktoberfest
It was our last full day in Germany. The morning was overcast, and it smelled like rain. Wayne hadn’t slept well, didn’t feel good, and decided not to venture out today.
At about 8 AM I walked to the bus stop near our lodging in Hallbergmoos, realized I forgot my Sony camera, ran (ok fast walked back to the Airbnb), retrieved it, and made it back to the bus stop in time to catch the bus to the train station.
At the train station, I purchased a ticket to the station closest to the Oktoberfest grounds, Theresienwiese. I followed the crowd, dressed in lederhosen and dirndl, past St. Paul’s Church into the security line, where I was told I couldn’t enter with the small backpack containing an umbrella, my first aid kit, a sting kit, and other items. It was too large. The security guard pointed to a tent where I could leave the backpack for a charge of €5; they would guard it with their lives. I took out the umbrella, it was drizzling, and entered the grounds.
The celebration that became Oktoberfest began in 1810 as a public festival honoring the marriage of Prince Ludwig (who later became King Ludwig I) to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend horse races and festivities held on the fields outside the city that became known as Theresienwiese, or “Theresa’s Meadow. This is the same place where Oktoberfest is still held. Over the years, the horse races faded away, but the festival grew into a grand annual tradition featuring music, food, carnival rides, parades, and enormous beer tents operated by Munich’s historic breweries.
Oktoberfest is more than a beer festival; it’s an important celebration of Bavarian culture, history, and community. Around six million people from all over the world travel to Munich each year to take in the traditional clothing, brass bands, folk dancing, and some classic Bavarian foods. Oktoberfest plays a major role in Munich’s economy, supporting hotels, restaurants, transportation, and tourism throughout Germany.
This is what I was stepping into when I entered the Oktoberfest grounds. By the way, there is no entrance charge to attend this event. Here’s a map of the grounds in case you get lost or have too much beer! It came in handy when looking for the restrooms.
A Tour With Sylvia
The City of Munich offers tours of the Oktoberfest. I signed up in advance for the English-speaking tour, which began at 10:30 AM, at a reasonable price of €18 for seniors (about $21 USD). Sylvia, the tour guide, met us at the information booth near the main entrance. She was both funny and informative, and was wearing traditional clothing. For the next ninety minutes, she led us through a couple of beer tents, past the food vendors, and pointed out some of the historical carnival rides. 
One of the first things we learned from Sylvia was that only the six traditional breweries are officially allowed to sell and serve beer at Oktoberfest: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Lowenbräu, Paulaner, and Spaten. These breweries are located within Munich’s city limits, and each has a large tent on the Oktoberfest grounds. Beer is only sold in one-liter glass mugs. Prices vary between breweries but by only a euro or two.
The beer tents are the heart of Oktoberfest. The largest tents can hold thousands of people, and each has its own vibe. Some are lively and loud, others are quieter and more traditional. Table reservations are required for the busiest times and include a minimum purchase of food and drink. Reservations can be made months in advance and do sell out. Each tent also has a walk-in area and is usually open on weekdays or early in the day.
The Schottenhamel Festhalle is one of the oldest, most famous, and most traditional tents at the festival. On the first day of the festival, the mayor of Munich taps the first keg inside this tent. This act officially opens the festival. Only after the ceremony can beer be sold on the festival grounds. This tent is enormous, seating thousands of people inside and even more in the outdoor beer garden. On this day, the outdoor tables were empty due to the light drizzle. 
It was 11:00 AM, and beer drinking was in full swing.
The tents are constructed a few months before the festival begins and deconstructed after it ends. The tents are nice with decorations, lighting, and sound systems.
As we walked through the grounds, Sylvia pointed out the large Ferris wheel and the many food vendors.
Below are some photos of the large beer tents.
These are a couple of photos of the smaller tents. All the tents are elaborate and beautifully decorated.
On one side of the grounds is a striking permanent set of structures. The 60-foot-tall Bavaria Statue overlooks the Oktoberfest grounds on a small hill and has become one of Munich’s best-known landmarks. The statue, made during the reign of King Ludwig I (1825-1848), represents the strength and courage of Bavaria. She holds a wreath in one hand and stands beside a lion, a traditional symbol of Bavaria. The statue stands in front of the Hall of Fame, a monument honoring notable Bavarians throughout history. An interesting part of Oktoberfest culture.
Here’s a view of the festival grounds from the steps of Bavaria. Notice that a little rain doesn’t stop the Oktoberfest attendees from having some fun.
Then there were the carnival rides. They all looked top-notch, not like some of the tacky, greasy carnivals I’ve seen over the years. Now I’m not a carnival ride person, but everyone sure looked like they were having fun. I hope they took their rides before filling up on beer and sausages!
There were plenty of carnival-type games, and the shooting galleries were particularly plentiful and busy. Oktoberfest is billed as a family event. The day I attended, a Tuesday, there were many children and young adults enjoying the carnival and games.
The food vendors are popular. In the photo below is a fish on a stick, or sticklerfisch. This is a Bavarian delicacy, a whole mackerel (gutted) marinated in oil, garlic, and herbs, then grilled over charcoal. I’m told they are delicious. I’ll take their word for it. I passed.
This is more my style. I ordered a scaled-down version of the 1/2 meter bratwurst. 
The tour with Sylvia was well worth the time. I made some mental notes of things I wanted to see again.
The Hofbräu-Festzelt
After a bit to eat, it was time to experience one of the beer tents. I chose Hofbräu for their beer and atmosphere. Sylvia took us on a walkthrough during the tour. The tent is lively and energetic, a favorite of visitors from around the world. Like the other tents, it seats thousands of guests and has a good-sized standing area near the middle of the tent. Since it was drizzling, a weekday, and early afternoon, it wasn’t crowded at all.
Shortly after getting settled on one of the standing tables for those of us without reservations, I ordered a beer. What arrived was a liter of full-bodied golden Marzen lager with a 6% alcohol content. The charge for this beer was €15.40 or about $18 USD. It was a good choice and very tasty. And the beer stayed cold until the last drop.
To soak up some of the liquid, I purchased a large pretzel for €8 or about $9.50. There were many different kinds of food on the menu, such as roast chicken, sausages and sauerkraut, pork knuckle, potato dumplings, and apple strudel. The beer and pretzel were enough for me!
While I was sipping on my beer, I observed the people around me. The fellas in the photo below looked ready to party. I wondered if it wasn’t a bachelor party. Did you know that it’s very common for out-of-town owners to rent lederhosen and dirndls for Oktoberfest? Or they purchase an outfit they might not wear again. An authentic, high-quality traditional clothing item can be quite expensive.
This group of young women was called up to direct the band. Looks like a bachelorette party. There is a code for how the apron is tied: if the bow is on the right, they are taken; on the left, they are single and available; in the middle, a young woman; and in the back, a widow or a server. 
More scenes from the standing table area.
A view of the nearby seated tables.
This short video shows the crowd and their enthusiasm for the song.
After drinking the strong beer and about a third of the pretzel, I was ready to walk about and see more of the sights on the festival grounds. During the tours, Sylvia pointed out the attraction Feldl’s Teufelsrad or Devil’s Wheel. She said this is the most fun you’ll have for a €3 admission. She was right, it was fun and definitely worth the admission.
The participants, volunteers from the audience, sit or lie on a rapidly spinning shiny metal disk. They attempt to stay on, but the centrifugal force tries to throw them off. The last person remaining wins the round. Kids and adults participate. It’s good, clean fun. There is loud music, obstacles, and cheering from the audience. 
During my walkabout, I saw a horse-drawn wagon delivering Augustiner beer to the tent. Each of the six breweries has its own team making the ceremonial delivery by wagon. Here’s what I experienced.
It was later in the afternoon when I left the Oktoberfest grounds. It was a fascinating day, I enjoyed every bit of it, but I had to get back as we were heading home early the next morning. 
After leaving the grounds, I stopped at the nearby St Paul’s. Sylvia said the view of the Oktoberfest grounds is spectacular. What she didn’t mention was that it was 245 steps to the top. I passed on the photo and the heavy breathing from that many steps!
My adventure for the day was not yet over. After taking the subway to the main station and switching to the train to the airport, I was enjoying the ride and thinking about all the fun things I had done that day. At the stop before Hallbergmoos, the train came to a halt; people got off, and others got on. But the train didn’t move. After a short while, an announcement was made in German. The English speakers looked around for anyone who could translate the message. Apparently, two people entered the track, prompting the train driver to perform an emergency braking maneuver. There was a lot of uncertainty and a lack of information. Finally, we all left the train.
Many of the passengers were headed to the airport. They quickly organized taxi and Uber rides. A few of us were left with no options. It was too far to walk. I finally used the Uber app for a ride. It took nearly an hour. The 20-minute ride was $40 USD. The driver, Mohamad, talked the entire ride. He was interesting, an immigrant from the Middle East, and an entrepreneur.
When I got back to the Airbnb, I found out that Wayne was still not feeling well, even after resting most of the day. We chatted a while, then finished packing. Our ride to the Munich airport was at 6:00 AM for a 9 AM flight.
It was a great trip with my friend, a nice way to see Germany. I would go again.
Join me next week for The Best of Germany, a recap of our three weeks.
But before I go……
THE FIVE SENSES PLUS ONE
Saw – the lights on the carnival rides, lots of people even though it was rainy and cool, draft horses, people trying to get a taxi or Uber to the airport
Heard – people talking a lot of languages, music playing, people singing and laughing, whistle vendor, clapping, jingle of horse collars, sounds from the rides
Touch – beer stein, railings, camera, phone, money
Smell –horses and horse shit, nuts roasting, meat and fish cooking, beer, fresh air after being in the beer tent, smelled rain in the air
Taste – pretzel, beer, sausage, cherry strudel, roasted almonds
Learned – history of Oktoberfest, do’s and don’ts at Oktoberfest, public transportation can surprise you
Until next week, happy travels!
Tom
PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM