Betrunken in München : Oktoberfest
October, the start of the chilly winters when a normal Human being finds comfort in cozying up in a blanket at home, where adrenaline junkies prefer doing something unexpected, like this event held in Munich every year where all the people gather and celebrate the festival of Beers celebrated in the last week of September to the first week of October.
It all began when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese on October 12, 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city, which the locals call “Wies’n” (which means grass, and why Oktoberfest is nicknamed Wiesn in Germany). The official costumes for this fest are the Bavarian Drindls (for women) and Lenderhosen (for men), there is no compulsion to wear them if you are a tourist, but the locals do appreciate the efforts if you manage to find these traditional clothing.
Nothing beats a good, old-fashioned Bavarian festival than having a beer in the great Beer halls in the festival. The Theresienwiese fairground commonly known as the “Wies’n” erupts in a frenzy, dancing and strolling arm in arm locals and foreigners alike around the picnic table while the almighty brews tons of Beers and Pretzels. During the fair, the city functions even better than normal. The triple-loop roller coaster must be the wildest on earth (best before the beer-drinking). Even if you are not a beer fanatic, it is a good experience to experience the rich culture that they offer. If you’re not visiting while the party’s on, don’t worry, You can still dance to local bands, munch lovely pretzels, and show off your skills to chug a beer down any time of year at Munich’s classic beer halls. While it can be extremely touristy, everybody’s having lots of fun. The great Beer Halls are fun as it may sound, but it’s a carnival outside those humongous Beer halls, Literally, a carnival with games, rides, and even haunted houses, so much so that you would feel like you are in a Theme park.
Yes, you can book tables and tents and many people do to avoid the last minute waiting. It’s nice to know you have a place to sit down, but other than on weekends or at night, it seemed like you could always find an open seat, even if you had to stand for a while. Most of the tables seat around 6–10 people and may cost you around 300 Euros. Also, each tent has its own personality. Some tend to be heavy on Americans, Australians, older Germans, rich celebrities, etc. So consider this before booking a table. All the tents are free to enter. Beer is typically 10 euros, and most full meals are 12–15 euros. You can get snacks and small meals for around 5 euros. You can also buy alcohol outside the tents (but not beer), and the drinks cost around 8 euros. You’ll also have to put a 2-euro deposit down on the glass they give you. You’ll find tons of stands everywhere with sausage and wurst for 4 euros too.
Surviving the Oktoberfest is a great task, you need to remember that it’s a marathon and you will be drinking throughout the day, so if you start chugging down beers one after another, you may find yourself on the lawns outside the beer halls by noon. Those liters of Beers are strong and you can go a bit easy on them, enjoy every sip of it. Drinking lots of water to keep yourself hydrated is the most important part which most tend to ignore.
It’s virtually impossible to do this event on a tight budget, but it’s definitely worth the expense. A beer hall is a classic Munich gemütlich scene. Gemütlich is the perfect word for Bavaria’s special coziness and knack for savoring the moment.
