This was it. Today was the day that I would attend one of the largest beer festivals in the world, a festival made legendary by movies and that had a long-standing history in Munich. I was up with the sun to prepare for my day. Donning on my dirndl and utilizing my host’s impeccable directions, I set out for the bus station to get into the city. It was a crisp, chill morning, but my adrenaline for the day’s activities kept me warm.
Hitting the Streets of Munich
I had booked the Small-Group Munich City and Oktoberfest Tour that included a reserved Oktoberfest Tent Table on Viator.com. This tour allowed the solo traveler the ability to see the city with a small, personable group and a seat at Oktoberfest without having to reserve the whole table as many official sites would suggest. Our starting point of Marienplatz, the site of the infamous Glockenspiel and a central hub of the city, was bustling with energy as daily commuters went about their day and in this single location, there was so much to take in. After a quick history of the sight, it was off to explore the city.
It was a walking tour, and in the true spirit of Oktoberfest, this city tour made sure to highlight all the beer-related landmarks. There was the Biergarten Am Viktualienmarkt that was right next to the Victuals Market. I loved the spacious outdoor seating, surrounded by various vendors, the smell of fresh breads and meats wafting through air as they prepared for the lunch hour. The Maypole located there depicted the different businesses that had developed and thrived in Munich, all of which happened to be beer-related. We passed the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum, which our guide said was the perfect place to learn about beer on a rainy day, and Schneider Bräuhaus München, a brewpub known for their wheat beers. The cloud cover began to dissipate as it became a gorgeous day, as I made a note to return to these locations for more history and a drink sometime.
Where Everyone Knows Your Name
No time to stop for a drink at Hofbräuhaus München, the original location of the Hofbräuhaus brewery, but being one of the most iconic sights in Munich, we did step inside to view the spacious dining hall and beautifully painted vaulted ceiling. The murals on the ceiling were awe-inspiring, with bright and vibrant colors and a lovely attention to detail. If time had allowed, I could sit there and enjoy the art, beer, and big band music all day.
The brewery also upheld an amazing practice of honoring their regular patrons by hanging their family name above their favorite spot to guarantee them a place even on their busiest days. Not only that, but regular patrons could also store their personal steins at the brewery as well. It was a practice that transported you back in time when an establishment cared more about its customers than its profit, which in the long run is what makes a place worth coming back to. If I ever opened a brewpub, this is a tradition I would love to practice.
Fun Facts and History
Aside from all the beer-related landmarks, there were historical sights along the way as well. We passed the Residenz München and paused to learn some historical facts about Feldherrhalle, a 19th-century monument to the Bavarian army and site of Hilter’s Beer Hall Putsch. Behind that was Drückebergergasse, or Dodger’s Alley, an alley where those opposed to Hitler would go to avoid doing the Heil Hilter as they passed. There was a trail of gold tiles that ran down that alley in memory of those times. After absorbing that little piece of history, my excitement rose as the step in our journey was a quick train ride to get to Theresienwiese, the site of Munich’s Oktoberfest Beer Festival.
The name of the place where Oktoberfest is held, Theresienwiese, comes from Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen who married Prince Ludwig of Bavaria in 1810. This marriage celebration was the very first Oktoberfest. Our tour guide explained that the word “wiese” is the German word for grassland, which when translated, Theresienwiese means “grassland of Therese”. He also mentioned that the locals do not call the festival Oktoberfest but instead referred to it as “Weisn”, which is the Bavarian term for “Weise”. They would most likely look at you like you were crazy and know you were a tourist if you called it Oktoberfest.
More Than Just Beer
Our group entered the festival amidst carnival rides and games. It was almost just like stepping into a carnival in the U.S. Children were there with parents, playing games and riding rides. There was all kinds of different pop culture music playing from various attractions and booths selling food and souvenirs. The smell of funnel cakes, popcorn, and pretzels in the air. One of my favorite attractions outside of the beer tents was a carousel wine bar that was rotating so slowly you could barely tell it was moving unless you watched it for a while. Patrons just stepped on, and from a stool at the small, circular bar, could get a good view of everything around them, like a casual, adult merry-go-round.
We crossed the festival grounds and headed to the long row of beer tents that would be our final destination. The tents were not your typical cloth and rope pitched tents, but rather fully built and elaborately decorated buildings. Each tent represented a different brewery, and each one had a different style and theme. (For more information about each tent, click HERE). The reserved table for our group was in the Löwenbräu-Festhalle tent. Before going in, we stopped to see the Bavarian Statue. You could actually go into the statue and climb stairs to look out a small viewing hole in the crown, but there was no time for that. It was time for beer!
Good Drinks and Good Company
I was happy to sit with the group of people that I had gotten to know on our walking tour, and many of them were from the United States or Australia, so we were able to communicate easily. We had really bonded on the tour, so it was more like sitting with friends than strangers. The beer wenches brought out liter mugs of beer by the dozen and it was quite a sight to see. The tour came with two beer tickets and a ticket for a half chicken, and it was just my luck that my Air BnB host actually gave me another ticket of each that he had and wasn’t going to use. The chicken was amazing and I even used one of my food tickets to get a pretzel (which, apparently, is unheard of and made the server quite happy). The energy of the tent was electric and contagious. Whether you were authentically adorned and dressed casual, everyone greeted you with a smile and we all raised our glasses and sang along (as best we could) when they played Ein Prosit, a German drinking song that the bands play to encourage drinking and cheer.
Oktoberfest Tent Hopping
We only had the table reserved for 4 hours, which meant that we had to leave by early evening, but my new friends and I were not ready for the fun to be over. Now, I had read that it was just about impossible to find a seat in a beer tent after a certain time and many seats would have reserved signs and not allow you to sit there, but if you’re lucky you may be able to find a few. I had also read that they would not serve you a beer unless you had a seat. Well, we went into the Winzerer Fähndl beer tent looking for 5 seats. We never did find them, but by some stroke of luck, we managed to acquire another beer as we stood and walked around.
We proved unstoppable as this lovely girl from Pennsylvania and her take charge attitude managed to secure spaces and beer at the Hofbräu Festzelt and Augustiner-Festhalle. We had anywhere from 5-7 liters of beer each and had the time of our lives. I didn’t trust myself to navigate the trains by that point, so it was a taxi-ride back to my host’s place that evening, for a good sleep after a great day.
Cheers!
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