September is one of the best months to visit Bavaria: it’s the month of the region’s most popular festival, Oktoberfest. Don’t let the name fool you. Although it literary translates as October Festival, Oktoberfest is in September, more precisely, at the end of the month, simply because September is a bit warmer than October. The original festival was held on October 12, 1810 – as a parade in honor of the marriage of Prince Ludwig and Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The festival is now held precisely on the field where the parade took place, Theresienwiese – south west of the city centre, in the Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt district.
As the largest fair in the world, Oktoberfest enjoys record participation numbers every year. This year, the festival opens officially on September 17th, with the mayor of Munich tapping the first keg of Oktoberfest beer. The festival will last until October 3rd, 2011 - 17 days of beer fun, wild parties, music, traditional costumes, pretzels and traditional cuisine.
Following the tremendous success of the historical part of the 2010 Oktoberfest, the organisers have decided to again have a “nostalgic” Oktoberfest: old rides will be featured, alongside a traditional beer tent which will hose folkloric music, and a beauty contest. There will be new rides as well, like rafting rides for the whole family, and XXL swings for adrenaline seekers.
Like last year, beer will be pricey – but no one really seems to care, since the fun is worth every penny (or cent, in this case). Depending on tent and brewery, a liter of beer will cost you between 8.70€ and 9.20€. As a liter of water will cost you around 7€, it’s really a better deal to drink beer.
And because it’s hip and trendy, there’s even an official Oktoberfest app for those who cannot leave home without their iPhones. App is available free at the App Store.
Feature image: © DeVIce – Fotolia.com
