The Oktoberfest in Germany -
It's Where Gemuetlichkeit Happens!
The Oktoberfest in Germany is located in Munich and is the world’s largest and most famous beer fest.
It is also called Wiesn by the locals, And sometimes referred to as the O'fest.
It is a 16-day celebration of bier, wursts, pretzels, songs, rides and, of course, more bier.
In those 16 days, about 6 million people will attend. They will drink more than 5.5 million liters of beer, 45,000 liters of wine, and almost 165,000 liters of non-alcoholic beer.
Click here to see a webcam view of Theresienwiese.
Centrally located in Munich, the site of the O'fest is called Theresienwiese (Theresa’s Meadow) or Wies'n for short.
It is over 100 acres and holds the giant bier tents, bier gardens, food stands, carnival rides, games and more.
There are 14 huge tents, representing six breweries. The tents hold up to 5,000 people each.
Actually, they are more than "tents", they are huge structures built every year on the fair grounds.
Here's an Observation:
There are huge beer tents with lots of giant mugs full of the best bier in the world.
There is lots of great food - pretzels, wurst, pig's knuckles, roast ox, fish on a stick, roast chicken, potatoes, cheeses, etc...
And, there are lots of Rides - A roller coaster, A carousel, A ferris wheel, and many of those rides I call... "Twirl and Puke". These 3 items can be a dangerous combination.
Remember this formula: Bier + Food + Rides = Trouble!
I know you don't want to lose all that great bier you just drank! Prost!
Wies'n Sights and Sounds
When is Oktoberfest?
Festivities run for 16 days. It traditionally starts the third weekend in September and ends the first Sunday of October.
When Will Oktoberfest 2009 Take Place?On Saturday, September 19th, the Schottenhamel tent is the place to be, if you want to catch the official opening ceremonies of the 2009 Oktoberfest.
On the opening day, at 12 noon, the mayor of Munich, taps the first keg and calls out “O’zapft is!” confirming that the tapping was successful. It is only after this that all other tents may begin to serve bier and visitors will then be allowed to join in the drinking.
It's wise to arrive early in order to experience the festivities up close and personal and it's quite common for visitors to come around 9am to get good seats.
The festival will last until October 4th, 2009.
Click here to check out the 2009 schedule.
Beer Serving Hours:
- Weekdays: 10am - 10:30pm
- Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 9am - 10:30pm
- Daily Tent Closing Time: 11:30pm
The "Käfer Wiesn-Schänke" and the "Weinzelt" are open until 1am. - Last call for alcohol: 12:15am.
As we arrived at the gates of the O'fest at about 1pm, there was a guy stumbling out... Obviously he got an early start on drinking.
We watched him as he fixed his eyes on a patch of grass and, as gently as he could, leaned himself against the tree and promptly passed out.
We could only hope he wasn't finished for the day... just a little nap was all he needed before Round 2!
This is a prime example of the "Bierleichen" ("Beer Corpses") you will see around Wiesn.
"Ein Prosit der Gemuetlichkeit"
Can I Bring My Children to the Oktoberfest?
The Oktoberfest happens to be very kid friendly!You can bring your children anytime. But, Tuesdays are "Family Day" and prices for rides, food and bier are reduced. If you get there early that day, you will see many families with young children.
Children under the age of 6 must leave the tents by 8pm. But then, I think parents would not want to keep the kids there so late when things really get wild!
The Biergarten outside the bier tent is usually a more relaxed area to sit with your family while enjoying a mass. My kids, age 9 and 11, sat with us - just as I did when I went to my first Oktoberfest (way back when) when I was thirteen.
Yes, I ate the Brezel and No, I did not drink the Mass. (That was my Dad's - Honest!)
A Brief History of the Oktoberfest
The world’s largest and most famous keg party began as a Royal Wedding Celebration.
Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I of Bavaria, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12,1810. All the citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event.
The fields of the first Royal Wedding Celebration were named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's Meadow") to honor the Crown Princess, although the local Muncheners have since abbreviated the name to "Wiesn".
The royal party drew about 40,000 guests — a major turnout for the event. Everyone had such a good time that the king issued a royal proclamation making the celebration an annual event.
The History of Oktoberfest spans almost 200 years and has grown and evolved through the years to become the mega-bier fest that it is today.
Getting To and From the Oktoberfest
Theresienwiese is centrally located in Munich and is very easy to reach
On our last visit, we were staying in Garmisch Partenkirchen and took the train to the Munich Hauptbahnhof. From there we just followed the crowd...Especially those wearing the Silly Hats!
There are also an U-bahn station right at the site: U4 & U5 - Theresienwiese.
If Munich and the O'fest is your main destination on your trip to Bavaria, then it is best if your accommodations are as close to "Die Wiesn" as possible. It is easier when you have had one Mass too many!
