Oct 12

Oct 12 A Weekend Guide to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany

“Prost”-ing on the top of our lungs while standing on benches with a stein in one hand and a brahtwurste in the other, bonding with international friends wearing dirndls or lederhosens, and to eventually stumbling out of the biergarten to ride on the nearest carnival ride...now that's a celebration! No matter your age, you should experience Oktoberfest in Munich at least once in your life. If beer isn’t your thing, Germany’s beautiful countryside in Bavaria will have you fall-ing in love during autumn time. But whatever your preference is, I vote you do both just like me.

When I lived in Europe for graduate school, Oktoberfest was under high priority. Thankfully my group of girlfriends were on the same page. Even though Oktoberfest was more expensive than we anticipated, we were persistent to make it happen regardless of our student budgets.

Flights were almost $500 from Rome (yikes), so we were desperate for another solution. We considered a train ride, but trains in Europe were weirdly more expensive than flights. After extensive research we found a student travel company (bus2alps) who offered round-trip bus transport from Rome to Munich for only $200. It was a brutal 14 hour bus ride, but at least it was scenic. To add on to our last minute luck, my friend Rachel had accumulated hotel points from her previous job and she was able to snag a free room at the Marriot in the center of Munich. Sometimes the stars just align for ya’ budget!

Oktoberfest

Once we dropped our bags and freshened up at our hotel, we were on the way to OKTOBERFEST 2012. We didn’t get to buy (nor could we afford) dirndls, but we improvised by styling our hair in braids.

Oktoberfest was funner than I imagined. Germans really know how to throw an epic party! From families, to couples, and to obnoxious groups of men and women; people of all ages were having a blast. My time at the festival was very blurry, but here are my must dos:

Party at the Hofbrau and Paulaner biergartens
Stand up on the benches during the “Prost” song and chug your stein (it’s played almost every 20 mins + everyone stops what they're doing to cheers everyone around them)
Eat a brustwurste and pretzel
Ride on a carnival ride (preferably tipsy)
Buy a heart-shaped gingerbread cookie
Dress up in a dirndl or lederhosen

Photos courtesy of Kathy Mather

Bavaria

We spent our first day face down in steins and I was hungover by 9pm. I had so much fun during my first day that I was content with exploring more of Munich the rest of the weekend (plus my liver couldn’t handle it). The majority of the girls went back to the festival the following day, but my friend Liz and I decided to take a day trip to Bavaria (german countryside) to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle. And boy it was SO worth it; this day trip became my number one recommendation for anyone visiting Munich.

To make things easier we signed up for the tour that our hotel provided. If you go on viator.com, there are a handful of similar tours. It was a full day tour in Bavaria with an early morning pick up from the hotel. The tour included stops to several King Ludwig castles, the Bavarian town of Oberammergau (home to Hansel and Gretel), and the Neuschwanstein castle.

I was blown away by Bavaria; the rolling green hills, autumn foliage, lush forests, and corky german houses. It was quite different from the hustle and bustle of Munich, and it was a nice break from the herds of drunk tourists in the city. Plus the weather in Bavaria during late September is gorgeous--clear skies, colorful leaves, and perfect sweater weather.

Souvenir shopping in Oberammergau was awesome. I snagged a handmade/authentic coo coo clock as well as several Christmas ornaments and decorations for my mom’s collection. If you have one thing to purchase in Germany, buy a coo coo clock! After shopping and strolling around the quaint streets of Oberammergau, we headed for the star of the show, the Neuschwanstein Castle.

A great view is never easy so get ready for a 20 minute hike though the black forest to the Neuschwanstein Castle. The gaudy interior of the castle was typical to every other European castle but what made this castle special was the view. Disney castles were modeled after the Neuschwanstein Castle; specifically the Cinderella Castle in Disney World and the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disney Land. Be sure to walk through the Marienbruke bridge to get the best view of the castle (although you'll feel claustrophobic with the amount of tourists in one suspension bridge).

Oktoberfest weekend in Munich was one I’ll never forget. Germans really know how to party and you’ll only ever know till you go yourself. Drink yourself to acoma, but don't forget to visit Bavarian countryside!

How was your experience at Oktoberfest? What else would you recommend doing while visiting Munich?