Travel to the world’s most popular Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich, where September 21 marks the start of the sixteen-day festival of the year. This colorful event is more than just a festival; it is a Bavarian tradition of gaiety held late September, early October, ever since 12 October 1810.
Each year during July, beer tents begin erecting on Theresienwiese (Theresa’s fields) in preparation for the millions of visitors that travel to Munich not only from Germany. About 6 million people travel from all corners of the world, to join in the celebrations, drink beer in steins, eat sausage, and link arms, singing along with lederhosen clad musicians playing oompah bands.
The origin of the Oktoberfest
Prince Ludwig, who later became the Bavarian King, invited the citizens of Munich to celebrate the marriage of his daughter, Princess Therese of Saxony Hildburghausen. A horse race was held for the occasion, with 40,000 people on the guest list. Gallons of beer were consumed with so much fun, that it was decided to hold the horse race again the following year, together with an agricultural show.
The festival continued annually and now is a Munich highlight for travellers; but eventually the horse race ended.
Two other popular German festivals
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is another German town to travel to for the Cannstatter Volksfest. Celebrating the second largest beer festival at the same time as Munich does.
It runs from 24 September – 10 October.
Frankfurt
The last weekend in August travel to the Museums Ufer Fest held next to a river in Frankfurt. There are 600 stands that offer beer, wine, food, as well as art, dragon boat races and firework displays to add to the fun.