In order to get acquainted with the history and traditions of the festival, as well as find out where and when Oktoberfest 2018 will take place, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the review prepared by our Munich guides.

A brief excursion into the history of the holiday

The official birth date of the world's largest beer festival is October 12, 1810. It was on this significant day that the Bavarian Crown Prince, and later King Louis I, married Princess Teresa Hildburghausen of Saxony. In honor of this event, the couple decided to arrange a feast not only for themselves and their aristocratic entourage, but also for commoners. In order for everyone to be able to take part in the celebration, tables with refreshments and drinks were organized on several suburban pastures in Munich. The event was so liked by the subjects of the crown prince that he established it to be held annually.

It is also noteworthy that the “climax” of the festive feast in 1810 was not drinking your favorite foamy drink, but horse racing. However, a few years later this sad "misunderstanding" was corrected. Since the Bavarians' addiction to beer turned out to be much stronger than their love for equestrian sports, the races were replaced by a fun beer feast.

For nine years, the main founders of the holiday were the royal couple, but already in 1819, all the powers to organize the event were transferred to the Munich City Council.

At the end of the 19th century, Oktoberfest acquires features similar to those that are characteristic of the modern format of the holiday. At the initiative of the Bavarian breweries, the venue of the event was equipped with spacious beer halls, and the areas for attractions and dances were moved outside them. In 1882, the traditional tin mugs were replaced by liter glasses made of glass, into which the festive drink is poured to this day.

Festival traditions

The official tradition of the Oktoberfest in the city of Munich is the solemn departure of the owners of breweries in horse-drawn carriages. This event is accompanied by live orchestral music and joyful exclamations of those present.

This beautiful ceremony dates back to 1887, when the festival was located far outside the city. The festive procession, numbering more than 100,000 participants, began from the central square of Munich and ended on the Teresa meadow, where beer tents were placed.

Currently, the solemn ceremony is headed by the mayor of Munich. He also opens the festival itself. With a wooden hammer, the mayor drives a tap into a beer barrel located in the main Oktoberfest tent - Schottenhammel. The first mug of the drink traditionally goes to the guest of honor of the event - the Prime Minister of Bavaria.

After the end of the ceremony, festive salute flashes in the sky over Munich, after which twelve cannon volleys are heard, notifying the owners of the pavilions about the beginning of the service to visitors.

It is worth noting the grandiose costume procession, which traditionally takes place on the first Sunday of the holiday. As a rule, the protagonists of the event are musical and creative groups from Bavaria and other regions of Germany. Often in the procession you can see representatives of Italy, Croatia, Poland, Austria and Switzerland.

Noteworthy is the fact that only six Bavarian breweries are allowed to participate in the Oktoberfest, namely Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Paulaner, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu and, of course, Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu. However, festival guests can easily diversify their alcohol list with other drinks. There are many pavilions on the territory of the Terezinsky Meadow, where visitors will be offered to taste champagne, schnapps and young wine made by local producers.

When and where is Octoberfest 2018?

According to the information published on the official website of the organizer, the dates of the festival have already been determined. The grand opening ceremony will take place on September 22, the preliminary closing date is scheduled for October 8-9, 2018. The venue of the festival also remains unchanged. Celebrations will traditionally be held in the capital of Bavaria - the city of Munich.

Popular analogues of the festival

Currently, there are many similar festivals in different countries of the world that are popular with beer lovers. However, the beer festival in Prague can be called the main competitor of the Munich Octoberfest. Despite the fact that the history of the Czech project has only a few decades, he managed to win the recognition and love of a multi-million army of beer fans.

How to get to Oktoberfest?

There are various ways to get to the festival in Munich:

• on a tourist voucher;
• by private transport;
• ordering tickets for the bus tour.

The most preferred option for Russian travelers is the latter option. Such tours are organized by many travel agencies that offer their customers an inexpensive and high-quality service.

During the Oktoberfest, on average:

• about 7.3 million liters of beer are drunk;
• more than 1.5 million sausages are eaten;
• more than 70,000 beer mugs disappear from the pavilions.

On October 12, 1810, on a sunny autumn day, the first festival took place in Munich, which is now considered to be the largest and most famous beer festival in the world - Oktoberfest.

For the happiness of the young

The festival was arranged to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Teresa of Saxony-Hildburghaus, and all the inhabitants of Munich were invited to their wedding - they were poured free beer and handed out treats. The holiday was a success, and Ludwig decided to hold it annually.

Since 1819, the Munich city authorities have been organizing the festival. Year after year, its traditions were formed. Since 1881, chickens have been cooked at the festival in a special fryer, and in 1892, the guests of the festival drank beer from glass mugs for the first time. In the same period, beer tents acquired a modern look.

"Uncorked"!

The middle of the 20th century marked the emergence of another tradition of the Oktoberfest festival - the holiday begins with the opening of the first keg of beer by the mayor of Munich with the exclamation "O'zapft is!", Which in Bavarian means "Uncorked!".

For the first time this happened in 1950 by chance: during the march of the owners of the beer pavilions, from which the festival begins, one of them had an enthusiastic conversation with the mayor Thomas Wimmer. When the march ended, and the discussion was still in full swing, the mayor asked what his interlocutor was going to do next, and found out that next on the schedule was the ceremony of uncorking the first barrel of beer. Wimmer went to the cask, and when it came to driving in a tap, they decided to entrust this honor to the mayor, who uncorked it in 19 strokes.

Oktoberfest facts and figures

• Oktoberfest is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest holiday in the world: every year it attracts 5-7 million visitors. There is an erroneous belief that the global fame of the festival repels the Germans themselves from attending it. In fact, about 70% of the festival participants are residents of the closest lands to Bavaria, another 15% come from other parts of Germany, and only 15% are tourists from Europe, the USA and other countries.

• Another Oktoberfest rule states that the volume of beer sold in a mug should not differ from 1 liter by more than a tenth.
• During the festival, visitors drink 6 million liters of beer, eat 1.5 million fried Munich sausages, 65,000 pork knuckles and 84 bulls.

• 30% of all annual production of Munich breweries is drunk during Oktoberfest.
• Oktoberfest is world famous for its huge beer pavilions, each of which can accommodate up to 10,000 people. All of them are managed by the same entrepreneurs from year to year. It is often a family tradition passed down from generation to generation.

• Think twice if you're tempted to pick up a beer mug as a keepsake. The theft of beer mugs has grown to such proportions that it can already be called the most popular sport at Oktoberfest. Therefore, security personnel can check any suspicious visitors to see if they have taken trophies out of the tents.

Oktoberfest beer

Of course, the main character of Oktoberfest is beer brewed according to the canons of the Reinheitsgebot beer purity law. It is brewed from four components: water, malt, hops and yeast. Oktoberfest beer is a type of special March beer (Merzen). It is distinguished by a special strength (up to 6%) and a darker color compared to traditional varieties.

Six breweries pour their beer at Oktoberfest:

Augustiner

The Augustiner brewery, founded in 1328, is the oldest brewery in Munich. Its history began with a small production of beer by Augustinian monks. At Oktoberfest, beer with an ABV of 6% has been bottled exclusively from oak barrels for many years. Augustiner beer is offered with fish dishes in the Fischer-Vroni pavilion.

Hacker-Pschorr

This is a family brewery founded in 1417 by Maria Theresa Hacker and her husband Josef Pschorr. Thanks to the efforts of several generations, the brewery became the largest in Munich, but since 1993 the breweries that brewed Hacker-Pschorr beer have been closed. Today it is produced on the grounds of the Paulaner brewery. At Oktoberfest, guests are treated to 5.8% ABV signature beer, which can be tasted in the brewery's tent and in the Bräurosl pavilion.

Hofbrau

Initially, the Hofbräu was considered the court brewery of the Bavarian dukes, and its brewhouses were located in the Hofbräuhaus on Platzl. In the 19th century, the brewery was taken over by the state and, with an increase in production capacity, moved to Inner Wiener Strasse. For 30 years, the Hofbräu brewery has been located on the alley of the same name in the Trudering-Riem district of Munich. At the Oktoberfest, Hofbräu branded beer is served with a strength of 6.3%.

Lowenbrau

The name of the brewery, whose history began in the 14th century, is associated with a fresco depicting the prophet Daniel, who was thrown into a pit to be torn to pieces by lions and miraculously escaped. The image of a lion eventually became the trademark of the brewery. The huge roaring lion with a mug of beer over the tent of the Löwenbräu brewery at Oktoberfest is also impressive. Serving beer Lowenbrau with a strength of 6.1% in the tents of the brewery and in the Schützenzelt pavilion.

Paulaner

The first mention of Paulaner beer dates back to 1634. Initially, it was brewed by representatives of the Catholic Order of the Minims. Soon, strong beer, brewed according to an old recipe, found connoisseurs among the inhabitants of Munich. During the Oktoberfest, Paulaner beer with a strength of 6% can be tasted in the tents of Winzerer Fähndl, Armbrustschützen-Zelt and Käferzelt.

Spaten

The Spaten brewery was founded in 1397. A distinctive feature of the label of any beer Spaten- a white shovel on a red background. The shovel for the emblem was not chosen by chance, because in translation from German Spaten is a shovel. At Oktoberfest, beer is served in the Schottenhammel tent, where the traditional barrel opening takes place every year, and, of course, in the brewery's tent of the same name. Holiday beer "Spaten" has a strength of 5.9%.

Every year at the beginning of autumn, millions of people from all over Germany and from many other countries of the world take off and rush to Munich to take part in the grandiose action, the most popular folk festival in the world - Oktoberfest. This is a cycle of fun, dances, songs, round dances, and all this is washed down with a huge amount of beer, jammed with tons of fried sausages, chicken legs and pretzels. Oktoberfest is a celebration of freedom and intemperance, and attendees need to forget about calories and figure, because this is the world's greatest beer festival.

It is held in Munich in the second half of September - early October under the auspices of the city municipality. Only six breweries in Munich have the right to supply beer to Oktoberfest, supplying special "festival" beer that meets the requirements of the "Beer Purity Law" of 1516. Outside Oktoberfest, this beer is referred to as "March", its strength is about 6%.

History of Oktoberfest

The festival was first held on October 12, 1810. On this day, the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghaus took place. The prince decided to celebrate this event with a grand celebration for the Bavarians. The festivities took place outside the city limits on the field, which has since become known as Teresa's meadow. More than 40 thousand people took part in the celebration. On Teresa's Meadow (in everyday life just Meadow) Oktoberfest is still taking place. According to other sources, the first festival took place on October 17, when horse races were held in honor of the wedding.

The festivities were so successful that Ludwig decided to hold them annually. In 1811, during the festivities, an agricultural exhibition was held, which became a tradition of the festival. True, now it is carried out at 4 years. 1813 had to be skipped because Europe was at war with Napoleon, but already in 1814 the festival resumed. Beer comes to the fore more and more - the participants of the holiday report a lot of beer tents set up on the Meadow.

At first, the holiday was an event held by the royal family in private. In 1819, the prince transferred the organizational functions to the Munich municipality. And in 1850, Oktoberfest acquired its symbol - a statue of Bavaria, installed on the Meadow.

The holiday was celebrated almost every year; only such serious disasters as wars or epidemics could prevent it. In 1872, due to weather conditions, it was decided to postpone the festival to an earlier date, and in 1904 they finally decided on the timing of the celebration of Oktoberfest - the holiday was held from the 3rd Saturday of September to the 1st Sunday of October.

Little by little Oktoberfest took on its current form. In 1881 fried chicken appeared, in 1892 - liter glass mugs. Previously, the tents had bowling alleys, dance floors and other objects of the "entertainment industry", but at the end of the 19th century they were moved outside, as the tents became crowded.

The twentieth century began difficult for Oktoberfest. Before the First World War, the festival was at the peak of popularity - so, in 1913, a record was set for the capacity of the beer pavilion - 12,000 seats. But then for many years they had to forget about the holiday - during the war it was not held at all, and after it ended, a severe crisis did not allow organizing a truly mass celebration. The Nazis who came to power gave the festival their own symbols, banned a number of rides, and with the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the festival again disappeared from the calendar. Only 10 years later, the Munich authorities revived the Oktoberfest in its original form.

Main events of the festival

Since 1887, the holiday has been opened with a procession of the owners of beer pavilions. The procession is led by the Munich child, the symbol of the city, accompanied by the mayor of the Bavarian capital. They sit on a decorated team, followed by elegant carts of tent owners with their families, accompanied by their orchestras. The carts are drawn by horses and buffaloes. Each owner carries a barrel of his signature beer, which he will pour at Oktoberfest. The owners of the rides are also indispensable participants in the procession.

The route of the procession passes through the central streets of the city and ends at Teresa's meadow. The procession is a very impressive sight. It lasts about an hour and usually has about 1000 participants. The streets along which the cortege moves are filled with many thousands of Munich residents and guests of the city, there is a live broadcast about this event on television, in which many famous personalities of Germany and Europe always take part.

After the procession arrives at Lug at noon, the culminating event of the opening day of the festival takes place - the uncorking of the first barrel. This honorable duty is performed by the mayor of the city, who must drive the tap into the barrel with a wooden mallet. Having driven in the tap, the chief burgomaster proclaims - “Uncorked!” At this moment, 12 rifle volleys are fired from the steps of the pedestal of the statue of Bavaria. This is a signal for the opening of the holiday - now the owners of the tents can start selling beer. And the first mug is traditionally offered to the Prime Minister of Bavaria.

Every year there are many bets on how many blows the mayor will take to open the barrel. It has its own records and anti-records. The record holder is Christian Ude, who in 2006 had one hit. At the end of the line of mayors is Thomas Wimmer, who in 1950 was only lucky on his 19th attempt.

The oldest tradition of Oktoberfest is the costumed parade, which was held for the first time in 1835, on the 25th wedding anniversary of the founders of Oktoberfest, Ludwig and Teresa. This event became an annual event in 1950. This is perhaps the most impressive event of the festival, taking place on the first Sunday of Oktoberfest. At 10 o'clock in the morning, the procession, numbering 8-9 thousand participants, sets off from the Bavarian Landtag to Theresa Meadow. The length of the route is about 7 km.

The traditional Munich child leads the procession, accompanied by representatives of the Munich municipality and the government of Bavaria. They are followed by over forty wagons and carriages, teams of beer pavilion owners, orchestras and delegations of various historical and ethnographic communities, shooting associations, etc. They gather from all over Western Europe. All of them are dressed in their unique national and corporate clothes. When looking at this large-scale, noisy, unimaginably colorful and colorful spectacle, a comparison with the famous Brazilian carnival involuntarily suggests itself.

How is Oktoberfest

As attractive as the festive events are, they are not the main part of the Oktoberfest. The true atmosphere of the holiday can be felt only by communicating with its participants in Teresa's Meadow. It is impossible to convey in words this infectious reckless fun that reigns in and around the beer tents, with indispensable drunken fraternization in different languages, choral singing, dancing on the table and plentiful beer libations.

The main objects of the festival "architecture" are, of course, the famous beer tents. They belong to six Munich breweries, whose names are brands known to beer lovers around the world. These are Augustiner, Paulaner, Löwenbrau, Franciscaner, Hofbrau and Hacker-Pschorr. In total, the festival usually has 14 large (up to 10 thousand seats) and 15-20 small (less than 1000) pavilions. They are not able to accommodate everyone, so beer lawns are equipped next to the pavilions, where tables are also set.

Beer at Oktoberfest can only be drunk at tables, which are always sorely lacking, so the queues for tents are huge. The drink is served exclusively in liter mugs, so neither a Russian lover of half-liter containers, nor an Englishman who is used to pints has a chance to get their favorite volume from colorful waitresses.

The waitresses themselves are one of a kind symbols of Oktoberfest. They are always very cute and dressed in national Bavarian costumes. At the same time, they are professionals in their field. The regulars of the festival talk about a certain Anita Schwartz, who managed to carry 19 mugs for 40 meters without spilling a drop.

Served snacks are very tasty and high in calories. These are traditional sausages and sausages, fried chicken, beef and pork dishes, baked trout, salted pretzels, and for lovers - a variety of sweets.
Beer is definitely the king of the festival. During the two weeks of the holiday, up to a third of all the beer produced in Munich in a year is drunk. In addition to beer, special tents offer guests juices, young wine of various varieties, strong drinks and much more.

The festival has a whole amusement park with swings, carousels, roller coasters, bungee rides and a Ferris wheel. Many festival guests spend the whole day here without having tasted beer. Recently, "children's days" have been established, when the cafe has a children's menu, and discounts are provided on the rides. Various competitions, performances by amateur orchestras, costume shows, etc. are held, so even the most notorious teetotaler will not get bored at Oktoberfest.

The glory of Oktoberfest has long crossed national borders and acquired a global scale. Every third inhabitant of Germany has visited the festival at least once, and the record was set in 1985 - 7.5 million guests. None of the festivities in the world gathered more participants. So it is worth coming here at least once to see that this fame is well deserved.

Oktoberfest is the largest national festival in the world, and many associate Germany or beer with this holiday. Oktoberfest has been held for more than 200 years, and each time at the end of September, millions of people flock to it - both locals and tourists. All of them come to enjoy the Bavarian culture and an integral part of the festival - beer. The traditions of Bavarian culture are well traced throughout the entire sixteen-day festival, from the procession on the first day of the holiday to food, drinks and national clothes.

In this list you will find everything you would like to know about Oktoberfest - and, according to , this post will be especially useful for those who, for some reason, have not yet been to this holiday, but are definitely planning to in the future! Raise your glasses and say "Prost!" - and start our list of the 25 most interesting facts about Oktoberfest.

25. History of Oktoberfest

Delving into the history of this great holiday, it should be noted that the first Oktoberfest in Munich took place on October 12, 1810, on the occasion of the marriage between the heir to the crown, Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburhausen. All residents of Munich were invited to the celebration, which took place in a field on the outskirts of the city.

24. No longer a wedding, but still a holiday

Despite the fact that no royal wedding was celebrated the following year, the locals of Munich were looking forward to some other big event. Therefore, they organized mass celebrations, where an agricultural exhibition was also held, and children's attractions and beer shops were brought (which has now become the hallmark of the festival).

23. The holiday never ends

wolfworld via Flickr

Oktoberfest has been held annually since 1810, except for 24 years, when it was canceled due to cholera epidemics or periods of war.

22. Traditional clothing at Oktoberfest

The expression "dress to impress" is a catchphrase for many Oktoberfest fans. The men are usually dressed in leather shorts with suspenders, a white shirt, stockings and traditional boots. Bavarian women, in turn, wear a dress with a narrow bodice, short sleeves, a low neckline, a wide skirt and an apron.

21. Oktoberfest isn't really a national German holiday.

Although for most people Oktoberfest is the epitome of all of Germany, in reality it represents only a small part of German culture: it only features the traditions of southeastern Bavaria. Other lands also hold their own folk festivals, but these are less well known than Oktoberfest. For example, he advises visiting the Freimarkt in Bremen or the Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart.

20. When is Oktoberfest held?

jasonparis via Flickr

Many tourists come to Munich throughout October (without first reading our list of Oktoberfest facts) and leave a little disappointed because all they see is the usual number of Germans drinking beer somewhere in a bar. The thing is that Oktoberfest is actually held in September and ends on the first Sunday of October. And why? Yes, because at this time it is simply warmer! ;)

19. Who gets the first glass of beer?

Oktoberfest details: when is the first glass of beer drunk? The beer festival does not start until the procession of farmers and brewers has passed. The mayor of Munich is leading the parade, and it is he who must uncork the first barrel of beer in the Schotenhamel tent. Then the mayor will shout: "O" zapft is!

18. The emergence of beer halls

jasonparis via Flickr

The scale of the festival for more than two hundred years of its existence has increased several times, while for the first time the famous beer halls were rented in 1896 (with the support of the largest Bavarian breweries). Before that, you could taste beer in small beer stalls that were scattered throughout the city.

17. Oktoberfest isn't just for beer lovers.

It's hard enough to understand why, but every year at Oktoberfest a tent is set up with ... wine. There are the best varieties of Bavarian wine, which even the French can appreciate!

16. Who comes to Oktoberfest?

There is a stereotype that the international fame of Oktoberfest repels Germans themselves from attending their national holiday. However, this is absolutely not the case: about 70% of the festival participants are residents of the closest lands to Bavaria, another 15% come from other parts of Germany, and only 15% are tourists from Europe, the USA and other countries.

15. What do the locals call Oktoberfest?

acren23 via Flickr

A lesser-known fact about the festival: the people of Munich don't call it Oktoberfest! From them you will most likely hear the Vizn holiday, which comes from the name of the field where the festival was first held. This course, named after Princess Teresa, Teresenwiesn (meaning "Teresa's Meadows") is still the site of the Oktoberfet.

14. The festival is so big that it has its own post office.

Organized especially for the festival (they even have their own stamps designed), the Oktoberfest post office opens every year so festival goers can send souvenirs and postcards to their friends and family. About 130,000 parcels and postcards are sent from this post every year.

13. Number of Oktoberfest visitors

Let's face it - although Oktoberfest offers a lot of entertainment and attractions for children, the main reason why such a huge number of people come here is beer. Every year this festival attracts at least 5-7 million people to have a good time in Theresenwiese in Munich.

12. Traditional Bavarian music

You can get into the spirit and mood of Oktoberfest while away from the holiday, just by listening to traditional Bavarian wind music, known as Blasmusik. The most famous German folklore compositions are the songs “In München steht ein Hofbräuhaus”, “Marmor, Stein und Eisen bricht” and “Viva Colonia”.

11. Tents at Oktoberfest

Of course, now Oktoberfest has beer stalls and halls made of wood and steel, which is not as romantic as it used to be, especially since they are assembled and dismantled every year for the festival. However, traditional tents are also retained, and the largest of them, the Hofbräu-Festzelt, can accommodate up to 10,000 visitors, with 6,000 seats inside.

10. Oktoberfest is a celebration for everyone - rich and poor alike

Although only Oktoberfest fans wear leather shorts and knee-highs, the traditional Bavarian hat - Tirolerhüte - can be seen on almost everyone. In the old days, it was believed that the more goat hair patches on a headdress, the richer its owner. However, nowadays such hats are only worn during the festival.

9. How much does it cost to get to Oktoberfest?

One of the best things about Oktoberfest is that it's completely free to attend! Well, sort of. You can get to the territory of the festival or to any beer tent for free. The only advice is to go there early in the morning or book your place in advance - because they fill up at lightning speed.

8. Drink, drink, but don't get drunk!

Due to the festival atmosphere and the beer flowing, it's very easy to lose control and drink too much. Every year, about 600-800 people end up in hospitals due to alcohol poisoning.

7 Famous Oktoberfest Workers

In our list of interesting facts about Oktoberfest, you will also read about... a genius. Now Oktoberfest organizers are proud and brag about the fact that Albert Einstein once worked at the festival. The German genius worked as an electrician and beer tent construction worker in the late 19th century.

6. What kind of beer do they drink at Oktoberfest?

Ah, that sacred elixir - beer. The Germans are very fond of their beer, and the Bavarians are no exception. Both lager and Märzenbier - all Oktoberfest beers are stronger (6-7%) than many other German beers.

5. Expensive beer

By the way, speaking of beer, a natural question arises: how much does it cost at Oktoberfest? Much more than you might think. One mug of beer in 2011 cost around 8.70-9.20 euros! That's over $10 a glass! (And, as you can imagine, prices go up every year). At the same time, despite such a high price tag, approximately 6 million liters of beer are drunk at each Oktoberfest (!).

4 Oktoberfest glass: Maß

So, although a glass of beer - there it is called Maßkrug - seems quite expensive, the following fact will reassure you a little: the glasses there are liter. Therefore, for a pint of beer (about half a liter), you will pay about 4.50-5 euros. Doesn't sound so scary now, does it?) Maß glasses are made of glass (unlike the beer steins that are usually sold), and you really will get a full mug filled to the brim. Each glass belongs to a brewery, and they take very serious care to ensure that someone does not inadvertently take it away ;). Therefore, if you want to buy such a mug as a souvenir, you should look for it somewhere in the stalls in the area.

3. Oktoberfest food

5chw4r7 via Flickr

Well, we drank a glass of beer on an empty stomach and that - already drunk, right? Therefore, so that you do not feel bad, go better for traditional food at Oktoberfest. Be sure to try Hendl (fried chicken) - it is included in almost all menus. In addition, Bratwurst (pork sausage), Schweinshaxen (pork knuckle) and Steckerlfisch (fried fish on a stick) will win you over with their taste. And once you've tasted it, you'll never forget Brezn - warm and delicious German pretzels. Despite the fact that the famous appetizer at the festival is sausages, in fact, much more is eaten there - fried chicken - almost half a million kilograms at each festival.

2. The best souvenirs are free

Glass goblets are so popular with tourists that in 2010 alone, over 130,000 beer mugs were confiscated by security guards from patrons trying to take the memento away for free ;).

1.How to get a seat at Oktoberfest?

If you are going to visit Oktoberfest next year, be sure to book your seats in advance! In order to book a place in the hotel and at the tables, you should contact one of the owners of beer tents (at the same time, you expect at least 10 people to sit at one table). Some groups book the same tables year after year, further reducing your chances of finding suitable seats. Therefore, it is recommended that you take care of this as early as possible!

Oktoberfest is the most popular and massive folk festival in the world. Every year, with the advent of autumn, millions of people visit the southeastern part of Bavaria. It is there, in the city of Munich, that the festival will be held in the next couple of weeks. The whirlwind of great mood and unrestrained fun, music and dancing will absorb you.

Tons of fried chicken and Bavarian sausages, fish and pretzels, washed down with an unrealistic number of liters of beer. Those who come here should forget about diets and proper lifestyle for a while because Oktoberfest is the largest beer festival in the world.

As soon as the celebration of the next Oktoberfest comes to an end, preparations for the new Festival of the next year immediately begin. Oktoberfest is a Munich creation, its duration is two to three weeks. The third Saturday in September is traditionally considered the start of Oktoberfest, and Oktoberfest ends on the first Sunday in October. But if Sunday falls on the 1st or 2nd, then the holiday will be extended until October 3 (Day of German Unity). In 2019, the Oktoberfest celebration will last 15 days, from September 21 to October 6.

Beer, for the celebration of Oktoberfest, can produce and supply only six Munich breweries. This beer complies with the requirements of the "Beer Purity Law" issued in 1516. This law prescribes the composition of beer, which must consist of three components: barley, hops and water. In non-holiday times, this beer is called “March” and its strength reaches 6%.

History of the Oktoberfest Beer Festival

October 12, 1810 is considered the date of the origin of Oktoberfest. This is the wedding day of the Bavarian Prince Ludwig with Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghaus. The celebration was decided to be held outside the city in the field. Since that time, this place has been called Teresa's Meadow, and now Oktoberfest is celebrated there. On October 17, 1810, horse races were held in this meadow, and now there are disputes about which date is considered the beginning of Oktoberfest.

The idea of ​​celebrating Oktoberfest was in the spirit of the Bavarian population and it was decided to hold an exhibition of agriculture here a year later, which has become a tradition for Oktoberfest. It is still held during Oktoberfest to this day, although now not every year, but once every four years. In 1811, the first shops selling beer were opened. In 1813, they decided not to hold Oktoberfest because of hostilities with Napoleon. Until 1819, the organizational issues related to the celebration of Oktoberfest were dealt with privately, but it was in this year that the city council became responsible for holding Oktoberfest and decided to make Oktoberfest an annual holiday. In August 1850, a bronze statue of "Bavaria" was erected on Teresa's meadow. In 1872, the dates for the celebration of Oktoberfest changed. It was decided to move most of the festival to the month of September due to better weather conditions. And since 1904, its terms have been finally established and are not subject to change.

Gradually, various components were added to the celebration of the festival, thanks to which the familiar image of modern Oktoberfest is formed in our minds. Since 1881, during the beer festival, fried chicken appeared on sale, and since 1892, glass beer mugs have replaced clay mugs used until then. In the same years, the owners of beer tents began to get rid of the entertainment components inside the tents. Dancing scenes with attractions migrated to the street, thereby adding additional benches and tables for customers. In 1886, Oktoberfest was electrified. According to one well-known German newspaper "AZ", it was Albert Einstein who screwed in the first light bulbs in Michael Schottenhamel's beer tent.

Prior to the outbreak of the First World War, the festival became increasingly popular. In 1910, the centennial anniversary was marked by the sale of more than a million liters of beer, and in 1913, the Oktoberfest was marked by the erection of a beer tent for a record 12,000 seats. Subsequently, the festival was not remembered for many years, first the war, and then the post-war crisis. When the Nazis came to power, the celebration of Oktoberfest underwent significant changes and only 1949 brought the revival of the old Oktoberfest.

Beer Festival Events

Procession of owners of beer tents

The festive procession of the owners of beer tents traditionally marks the beginning of the Oktoberfest celebration since 1887. A young girl holding a bell in a black and yellow hoodie is the symbol of Munich, called the "Munchner Kindi" and, together with the mayor, is at the head of the festive procession. They ride on a festive wagon, followed by the owners of the Oktoberfest beer tents. They are carrying barrels of beer, which will be sold. Musicians also take part in the Oktoberfest procession, who will later delight the ears of visitors to beer tents. The Oktoberfest procession originates in the center of Munich and moves to the end point - Teresa Meadow. The duration of the festive procession is about an hour. More than a thousand people are accomplices of the procession. The streets are crowded with Munich residents and tourists, there is a television broadcast.

How to open the first barrel of beer

Upon the arrival of all members of the festive procession at their destination at noon, the main event of the first day of the festival takes place - driving a tap into the first barrel of beer. This obligation was entrusted to the Bavarian mayors in 1950 and is carried out by them to this day. Every year, the people of Bavaria look forward to this moment and often make bets on the number of strokes the mayor will need to open the barrel. The record in this case was set in 2006 by the then mayor Christian Ude, he needed only one blow, but the anti-record in this case belongs to the discoverer Thomas Wimmer, whose barrel took as many as 19 blows! Having driven in the tap, the mayor exclaims “Uncorked!”, followed by 12 signal shots, which serve as a signal for the owners of all beer tents to start trading. The first mug of beer is poured at Oktoberfest for the Bavarian Prime Minister.

Oktoberfest costume procession

Costume procession, another of the oldest Oktoberfest customs. For the first time, this event was held in honor of the 25th anniversary of the marriage of Ludwig and Teresa. Since 1950, no Oktoberfest has been complete without it. The second day of the festival was the day of the costume procession. The starting point of the procession is the building of the Bavarian Parliament, and the procession ends on the Teresa meadow. The procession usually involves 8,000 participants who dress in national and historical costumes. A Munich child is invariably at the head of the demonstration, accompanied by authorized representatives of the Bavarian government. Following is a procession consisting of forty ornately decorated wagons, musical ensembles, all kinds of communities of folk costumes, shooting societies. Recently, representatives from various European countries have often joined them.

How is Oktoberfest

No matter how interesting the festive events are, the very juice of this whole event can be felt only in the crowd of celebrating people. During the Oktoberfest celebrations, all roads lead to Teresa Meadow. It is unlikely that it will be possible to convey in words this feeling of undivided joy, reckless fun, with indispensable attributes in the form of vocal accompaniment distributed from all sides in various languages ​​or sensual dances on the table, seasoned with inexhaustible beer libations.

Oktoberfest beer tents

The most important attributes of Oktoberfest are the world-famous Munich beer tents. Their owners are six world-famous Munich breweries: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr and Löwenbräu. The total number of beer tents installed on the meadow during the festival reaches 32. Of these, with a capacity of up to 10,000 people - 14 tents and with a capacity of up to 1,000 people - 18 tents. Beer in Teresa Meadow is sold only in tents, which are constantly crowded and before you can quench your thirst you will have to stand in line. Beer mugs there are the same size - a liter. You need to be prepared for this in advance, you will not be able to get standard half a liter there.

Oktoberfest waitress girls

A beautiful, young, buxom girl, dressed in a national Bavarian costume, she has an incredible number of mugs of beer in her hands, and a cheerful smile on her face. It is this picture that most likely pops up in the head of a person who has never been to Oktoberfest. In fact, there are more men than women as waiters at Oktoberfest. And there is a rational explanation for this, carrying huge trays of food or a dozen liter mugs at a time requires endurance and strength. But even if a waiter in a female form approaches your table, it is not a fact that she will be young and beautiful. Working at the Oktoberfest is very lucrative and the chance to meet a waitress “well over 30” is growing every year. But of course there is always a chance that you will be served by a young and smiling waitress!

Food and drink

The key drink of Oktoberfest is beer, which is specially prepared for this holiday. This beer contains less gases in its composition (compared to regular), but it has a slightly higher alcohol content (5.8% -6.3%). But besides beer, there is an opportunity to enjoy the taste of other drinks. Walking through the meadow, you will definitely see a tent selling Munich wine. There is always the opportunity to drink stronger alcoholic drinks and those that do not contain alcohol at all.

It is not possible to visit Oktoberfest and not enjoy traditional Bavarian snacks. You should definitely try Hendl (fried chicken). It is she who is most eaten during the passage of Oktoberfest. Bratwurst (pork sausage) and Schweinshaxen (pork knuckle) will be appreciated by pork lovers. Steckerlfisch (fried fish on a stick) is a traditional beer snack. Weisswurst (white Bavarian sausages), Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Brezel (pretzel) and many other goodies will not leave anyone indifferent.

Attractions, Oktoberfest for families

During the “Beer Festival” on the territory of Teresa Meadow, there is a huge amount of entertainment for visitors from the old carousels, which have been delighting Oktoberfest guests for 80 years, to modern attractions. Tuesday is considered the "family" day of Oktoberfest. On this day, food, drinks and attractions delight visitors with children with their prices. On the territory of the festival there is also a “family square” equipped with carousels for the youngest guests and a cafe with children's menus.

Where is Oktoberfest held besides Munich?

• The Cannstatter Volksfest, or Stuttgart October Festival, ranks second in the world in terms of scope, this type of celebration. You can visit it when you arrive in the city of Stuttgart in the month of October, and be surprised at its scope, as more than 4.5 million people visit it every year.
• In the Federal Republic of Germany, cities such as Hörn with the Kranger Kirmes holiday - Fair Week and Bremen with its own - Bremer Freimarkt gather about 4.4 million people during their festivities, Düsseldorf is slightly inferior to them with the fair - Gröste Kirmes am Rhein, which they visit 4.3 million people.
• Oktoberfest is celebrated not only in Germany. In Canada, in the city of Kitchener, Oktoberfest is also celebrated, its average attendance is about 800 thousand people.
• In the south of Brazil, in a town called Blumenau, there is also a tradition to celebrate their Oktoberfest. About 650 thousand people gather on the streets of the city.
• In the United States of America, Oktoberfests are celebrated in many cities. For example, more than 500 thousand Americans visit Cincinnati annually during the festival, and almost 200 visit the city of Tulsa.
• In the capital of the Russian Federation, a large number of institutions hold a kind of Oktoberfest.
• The fame of Oktoberfest has acquired a global scale for a very long time. Every third inhabitant of Germany at least once, but was at Oktoberfest. 1985 brought an attendance record for Oktoberfest, with over 7.5 million visitors that year. There is no other party in the world like it, which could boast the same number of people. That is why the Beer Festival – Oktoberfest 2017 should not pass you by!

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