Travel Postcard: 48 hours in Munich during Oktoberfest
MUNICH |
MUNICH (Reuters) – Got 48 hours to spare in Munich during Oktoberfest, the world’s largest fair?
Oktoberfest was first celebrated 201 years ago when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese and invited Munich’s citizens to join the party on the Theresienwiesen (“Wiesn”).
These days the festival is held mostly in September as October gets too cold. This year it runs from Sept 17 to Oct 3.
Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most out of a visit to Oktoberfest, where a record amount of beer — 7.1 million liters — was consumed last year.
Friday
5 p.m. – Gear up for the Oktoberfest by shopping around for your own Bavarian garb, which has come back into fashion over the past decade.
Try wearing lederhosen (if you’re a man) or a dirndl (for women) if you’re up for the authentic feel. The regional clothing now exists in a dazzling spectrum of styles from the austere and traditional to modern and mildly pornographic.
You can often lay your hands on the kit anywhere in Munich from the luxury boutiques on Maximilianstrasse to the second hand shops tucked away in side streets, as well as online.
Other regional dress, from Scottish kilts to Dutch dress and clogs, are also warmly welcomed.
Clad in your new outfit, take a first stroll across the “Wiesn” to soak up the atmosphere: the aroma of cotton candy, roasted almonds and the scent of barley and hops of the main protagonist, the beer.
Some 6.4 million visitors from Germany and as far afield as the United States attended the Oktoberfest last year.
7 p.m. – Take it easy tonight if you plan to return for another session tomorrow.
If you’re keen to rub shoulders with celebrities, head to the Hippodrom tent where Bayern Munich footballers, former tennis star Boris Becker and German actors are often sighted.
Young locals favor the Schuetzen-Festzelt tent, famous for its suckling pig in maltbeer. Even younger locals head to the Schottenhamel where Oktoberfest’s first keg is tapped.
Traditional charm can be found in the Hacker tent — decked out in white and blue, colors representing Bavaria’s skies — at the Braeurosl or Augustiner tents. The latter is the only brewery that still uses wooden kegs for storage. Its beer is also served in the Fischer Vroni tent.
The Oktoberfest tents serve local delicacies such as oxen, pork knuckles and cunningly thirst-provoking, salty pretzels. But for a less pricey version and possibly more authentic
Article source: PRNewswire
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