For the next segment of all things Oktoberfest, we are now going to talk about the actual day of Oktoberfest.
If you would like to check out my previous post for all things Planning Oktoberfest, you can do that (here). But here we go! PROST!
Start of the Day
We woke up bright and early on Sunday morning September 29th, 2019. I woke up VERY excited because I finally was able to knock something off my bucket list and most importantly, I get to experience my German culture and drink with my people.
We had to meet our tour group at 9:30 am by the Fish Fountain outside of Marienplatz to start the day with the tour of Munich. We did have an American provide the tour to us, so the language was not an issue for us at all. There were mostly couples in our small group of 12 people and had one father/son duo. Women were dressed in dirndls and men dressed in lederhosen and we were all from different cities in the United States.
To check out the tour we did, click on the link below and in the search box, type in Oktoberfest. The tour we took was called “Small Group Munich City and Oktoberfest Tour, including Reserved Oktoberfest Tent Table.” It is $182 per person, but it really is worth EVERY Penny! Promise! Did you see in my other post how much it could potentially cost you if you don’t?
Red Hot Discounts from Viator! Find and book tours and activities ahead and have more time for fun.
The walking tour took us all throughout the city center of Munich where we learned all about the history of the Bayarn Country. We walked past the Viktualienmarkt, which sadly was closed, because it was Sunday. But the Viktualienmarkt is a daily food market that offers fresh fruits and vegetables, bakeries, butcher shops and fish halls. There are 140 different vendors there for you to experience. Just a few steps away, you will find a large beer garden, one of the largest in Munich, I think. Did you know, the actual definition of a beer garden is a large open-air establishment where food and beer are served. Typically, you are permitted to bring your own food, but you cannot bring your own drinks. They will take them if they find you with outside drinks. Just don’t do it! However, it is very common to share the table with other patrons and it is a great way to meet people and celebrate together. There is a great sense of community in Germany and that is something that I really love.
Our next stop was the Bier-Oktoberfest Museum, which is a fantastic way to learn about Oktoberfest on your own. But alas, that was closed too, because it was Sunday! That’s ok though, our final stop on the tour was Oktoberfest, where we get to live the experience. So, if you visit Munich during a non-Oktoberfest time then that is a good place to go.
We then stopped at the Original, the OG of all Bier Haus’s… The Hofbräuhaus! This has been around since the 16th century and covers three floors of all things German, specifically beer, pretzels, and Brats (pronounced Brauts). You walk into the beer hall to find beautifully painted ceilings, a seating section for locals only and then general seating people not so local. You can pretty much sit anywhere there is an opening, but just so you know, if you sit in the locals’ seats, there is a chance you would get kicked out if they arrive at the same time as you OR they can invite you to sit with them. It can go either way. Just be prepared just in case.
Also, if you are a local, they have the Beer Stein locker room. This is where the locals can store their very own beer steins for when they visit, which is sometimes on the daily. It is a room off to the side that includes their locker and a sink, so they can wash their own stein once they are done. You then lock it up in their rented locker and they leave it until your next visit! Check out the pictures below!
We got distracted taking pictures that we almost lost our group. It was very difficult trying to find them when everyone in Munich is dressed the same. So, it took a few minutes, but we were finally able to catch up with them. In doing so, we passed some very pretty and unique buildings. We walked into the city courtyard where the Opera House resides.
Fun Fact: In 1823, when King Maximillian I was in power the Opera House caught fire during the winter. The pipes had frozen and they ran out of water. However, the building was still burning and burning strong. The nearby Hofbräuhaus (which was described above) offered a solution. They had plenty of beer and it was decided to take the beer to extinguish the fire. And extinguished they tried.
The Residenz Royal Palace is within walking distance to the Opera House and they watched the fire burn from there. Today, you can also walk the outside grounds of the Palace for free.
Arrival to Oktoberfest Fairgrounds
From the palace, we caught the U-Bahn, packed like sardines, to the Oktoberfest site, Theresienwiese Fair Grounds. And I can honestly say, I was not prepared for what I saw. I didn’t really know what to expect, I was excited, nervous, and ready to party. We come up from the subway and walked approximately 10 minutes to a large gated area with thousands of people all walking in the same direction. All you have to do is follow the people and you will easily find your way. The lines moved very quickly though to my surprise. Luckily, it was a beautiful clear day with a lot of sun and wonderfully comfortable temperatures, so it was no issue waiting in line. Word of caution though, large backpacks are not allowed, so really bring with you only what you need. You can buy most things inside the grounds.
We did have to go through security where they checked our bags and the metal detection wand was guided over us. Once cleared, it was as though we had entered a wonderland of Oktoberfest. There were games, amusement park rides, rollercoasters, food stands, beer gardens and of course, the infamous Brewery Tents. Let us not forget the thousands of people that were there. Now it was really important to keep up with our group.
Did you know that they build the tents and buildings EVERY Year? They do, they build the structures and disassemble them every year. They found it is more cost effective to do this than keep them up year-round and having to maintain the buildings.
Our tent was located towards the back of the fairgrounds, so we walked approximately 15 minutes to get there from the entrance. Taking in the music, the people and the energy was pretty overwhelming for me. I felt like a little girl in a candy store. I was so happy; I was so excited I legit could barely contain myself. I know what you are thinking, girl you are 38 years old, get a grip. But to experience something that is part of my culture is something I always wanted to do. Culture is something that I never really experienced growing up.
Since I started traveling, experiencing different cultures is something that I really love. I have experienced so many other cultures; it was now time to experience my own. And let me tell you, I just want to keep going back! I love Germany in so many ways. I am really hoping to meet my German Family on future trips to Germany.
But I digress….. Sorry!
Soooo I am a girl in a candy store, feeling excited and oh so happy. We finally made it to the Lowenbrau Tent whose Mascot is a lion. Find the Lion on the top and you are home. First before I describe what the tent is like, let me just tell you that it is NOT at all what I expected. I thought it was going to be like a Giant wedding tent for people who have outdoor weddings, right. I was so very wrong in my thinking, but again, I didn’t know what to really expect.
This was no ordinary tent; this was a Giant Building with foundation and structure and multi-levels. There was huge Gazebo in the middle of the first floor where the band resided, with hundreds of tables surrounding the gazebo. We walked in and if I wasn’t overwhelmed already, I was really overwhelmed now. Just on the first floor, there were literally thousands of people, all dressed to impress in their lederhosen and dirndls. There were people of all ages, all demographics celebrating Oktoberfest together. It didn’t matter if you were from the US, South America, Asia, or Europe. We were all one family that day as it should be. Our table reservations were on the second floor and luckily, I was able to be along the wall overlooking the lower level. What a view we had; it was pretty amazing.
We sat down with our group and the servers, AkA, the beer maidens, the ladies who can carry 8 liters at a time, came to take our order. Don’t forget we had 2 beers and ½ a chicken included with our tour, but we could also order anything from the menu. The Beer Maidens did not speak very much English so please be patient with them. Travel Tip: The best thing to do is to point to what you want on the menu instead of speaking it. It is very loud in the Beer Hall and difficult to hear. If you can’t speak the language it will be frustration on both ends. Can I just tell you how impressive the Beer Maidens were too? They were all EXTRAORDINARILY strong German women. They can carry 6-8 Liters of beer at a time. They can bring the entire tables Beer at once. The massive trays of food they brought to the table at once was like, WHOA! I couldn’t do that so, I give them mad props, because it was really amazing to see. My drink of choice are the Lemon Radlers! There is something just so refreshing with it! SO, refreshing that I drank 4 Liters in 4 hours! Side Note: I drink all the Radler’s when I am in Europe because it is so difficult to find in the states!
As we waited, we got to know a little bit more of our group, where they were from and what they do! Where would they be traveling to next! Munich was just a stop for pretty much all of them. Some were continuing through to other German cities, some were returning home and then others were going to other European cities, like us.
Then the show started! And when I say show, I mean the band started to play and the singers took the stage. When the music started is when the party really started. People were starting to dance and sing along with the band. They sang German songs and English songs, pretty much everyone was included in attendance. There was so much interaction and engagement that it was contagious. At first, I was a little nervous, but the more beer I drank, the less I cared and joined in the fun. I did an actual Facebook Live Video of the band playing With or Without You from U2 and you can hear me sing clearly. In my mind I thought my voice would be drowned out from all the other people singing but when I played it back, in fact, my voice is all I can hear! Ha! Sorry guys! My voice isn’t the best but OH IT WAS SO MUCH FUN and that is what really counts. The music and the dancing and the constant chant that we sang every 20 minutes: We chant and we drink! PROST
The Bathroom Situation
I know you are wondering about (cue dramatic music now)….the bathroom situation. What is that like? Because I thought the tents were going to be an actual tent, not an actual built structure, I was very concerned about the what the bathrooms would be like. I was thinking it would be rows upon rows of port-a-potties and I know all my girls can relate! They are gross and I was terrified that was going to be the situation. However, again to my surprise, they were actual fully plumbed toilets with running water. AMEN, praise to the German Gods! I was so happy that the fear had quickly dissipated. Yes, the lines could get long, but they moved quickly because of the number of toilets they had. SO have no fear, we have running water here!
The What to Dos and What Not to Dos
There are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to Oktoberfest! Some of the Don’ts can get you kicked out so please pay attention!
Bye Bye Oktoberfest Session
When it was time to leave, we said our goodbyes to the group, because the staff had to prepare for the next round of guests. We as a group parted ways but all left with a group picture and we have connected on Facebook too! The power of social media is amazing.
We decided to walk the grounds and we found a great place to sit and just people watch. I will say that we saw several people highly intoxicated to the point of them being passed out. Don’t be like these people. If you are caught being THAT intoxicated, they will kick you out, hoping you do not need medical attention. We saw several people taken out on stretchers. Don’t be like those people.
The fairgrounds were very active at this time, which was late afternoon. There were people on rides, rollercoasters and at smaller beer gardens on the outskirts of the grounds. They had a beautiful Ferris Wheel; the sun was starting to set, and it was beginning to be my favorite picture time!
Fairground Eats
As far as food, it is interesting, at least to me. In an Amusement park for example in the United States, you have the typical carnival foods, funnel cake, deep fried Oreos, French fries, ice cream, hamburgers, and hot dogs. Here in Germany, it is a much healthier version of carnival/amusement park food. They had roasted nuts, sausages, delicious German chocolate and all the beer you can drink. You can even find freshly smoked trout! Check out the picture below! The line for the trout was very long and it appeared to be very popular. But the fish had faces and I can’t eat anything that still has a face. Yeah, no thank you!
As it turned night, the rides really lit up the sky and it really looked amazing. It looked as though these rides are a permanent fixture here. I cannot believe that they build this every year. There are multiple options for the same rides, so if the line is long at one ride, you can always check the others. There were at least 3 High Level Swings there on site just as an example!
PSA: Please don’t drink and ride. If you are going to do the rides, do so before you spend your time in the tents. Another option you have is to go on different days and participate in the events separately. There is no charge to get into the grounds. So, it may be worth it if you have time on your side.
We ate some sausages, drank some more beer and some water, did more people watching then called it a night.
We hopped on the U-Bahn to head to back to our hotel. We had an early morning the next day as we were going to our next stop! Vienna!
In conclusion
In the end, we absolutely will be going back. That was the most fun we had in a long time, especially now since we can’t travel because of COVID-19. It is an amazing memory that we will always have. I highly recommend the excursion we did as it was worth EVERY Penny and it was amazing to experience my German culture. If you want to go, check out my first blog so you can prepare accordingly. You can check out the site I used by clicking here.
Don’t forget to check out my previous post about Oktoberfest Preparation too!
Write your questions and comments below!
Till Next Time! PROST
