We skipped classes on Friday to take a 9 hour train from Florence to Munich. It actually went by really fast and I got to see northern Italy and Austria on the way. I planned on reading my book for literature class but I could not keep my eyes off the window. Austria was so cool to see because it is exactly what I would have imagined, almost like the Austria part of Epcot! I was loving every second of it. When we got off the train, we were more than ready to get to our hostel, but before that we found the best thing we have seen since being in Europe.... a STARBUCKS. Emily had tears in her eyes she was so excited. We ran in there so fast it wasn't even funny. It was nice to have a regular latte from Starbucks, and it tasted exactly the same. We couldn't have been happier.
On the walk to our hostel, we were extremely nervous about what to expect. Usually before booking a hostel, we do a lot of research into the location, reviews, and other important facts. Since hostels for Oktoberfest are filled months in advance, we booked the first one we found and did not do much of a background check, the CVJM/YMCA Muenchen. Lucky for us, the hostel was only five minutes walking distance from the train station and was SO incredibly nice. Maybe we thought this because we expected the worst, but we had three person rooms, free breakfast, and a really nice lobby. It was comforting when there was a Bible Study going on as we were checking in...
After we were extremely relieved about our hostel, we headed to one of the most famous beer halls in Munich, the Hofbrauhaus. This place is famous for its beer and fun atmosphere and is located right in the center of Munich, and close to our hostel. When you get there, there is a long line out the door. Every so often they let a bunch of people in and you just have to shove your way in. Being the New Yorker that I am, I grabbed Carolyn's hand and pushed my way through the crowd and got us in on the first shot. Score! Then it is just a free for all to find a table and we just sat down with some fellow Americans and ordered some beer called Radler, which is like half beer and half lemonade. It sounds lame now, but when I continue and tell you about all the beer I drank the next day, you will understand. I also order schnitzel. I was kind of nervous to order something I wasn't sure of, but I wanted to experience as much of Germany that I could, and it turned out to be a great decision and I loved it! The Hofbrauhaus was full of excitement and it was a little taste of what we would experience the next day, but on a MUCH larger scale.
We started out the 'Big Day' at 6am. While at the Hofbrauhaus, we met some veteran Oktoberfest-goers, who told us if you don't have a reservation at the tent, that it is NECESSARY to wake up early and wait in line at the tents because if you do not have a table, you cannot get served any beer. They also gave us tent recommendations as to where the most fun tents were, and we took their advice to heart. We then got ready, ate breakfast, and walked about ten minutes to the festival. Another thing that was really lucky about our hostel was its location. Some people were paying twice as much as we were and staying 45 minutes outside the city. We were right in the center of the city and walking distance to Oktoberfest. We couldn't have been luckier!
When we got there, Oktoberfest was nothing that I had expected. The tents weren't 'tents', but huge buildings that get re-built every year for this three-week festival. There were also rides like roller coasters, ferris wheels, and swings. There were also food stands and games. We decided to go to the Lowenbrau tent, based on what people had said the night before. It was a really fun and young atmosphere and less touristy than other tents. We got there around 7am, and were one of the first people in line. We had to stand in line for 2 hours, because the doors didn't open until 9am. We then talked to people in line and tried to keep ourselves occupied. When 9am came, there were two doors to the tent that could be open, and OF COURSE the other door opened and people stampeded into the tent. Ours was still closed and everyone was fighting for the doors to open. When they finally did, it was a mad rush to find a table. When we got in, the tables were already filled. We were on the verge of tears because we thought we woke up for nothing and that our experience was ruined, until out of the blue, a beer maiden came up to us and asked how many. When we told her six people she said, "Follow me," and brought us to a table and started yelling at these girls to get up in German. Finally, they moved, and we miraculously got a table! We couldn't stop laughing because there was no reason for her to do this. We were seated next to a group of young Germans who spoke English and were a lot of fun. We then tipped her 5 euro each and continued to wait 3 more hours until 12pm when the beer would officially be served.
At 12pm, the mayor of Munich officially taps the keg, and all the tents can serve the official Oktoberfest brew. Because we tipped our beer maiden, we were the first table in the place to get beer! Us, a group of American girls. I am sure everyone in the place was hating us, but we were thrilled. The beer is served in these huge steins that holds more than 2 beers. They are massive, and pretty heavy to lift, but definitely part of the German culture.
After the beer was served the fun began. The band started playing music and people began to dance on tables, start chants, and sing songs. The place goes absolutely nuts, especially at certain songs. For some reasons, Germans LOVE the songs 'Hey Baby,' 'Seven Nation Army,' and any Beatles song. There were also a few typical German songs that we quickly learned. Chelsea and I even started a 'Hey Baby' chant. It was probably the most fun I have ever had in my life. It is hard to explain exactly what it was like, so I am going to post a YouTube video to watch so everyone can get the gist of it! This is also the tent I was in. Oktoberfest Video.
The beer maidens carry about 8 steins at a time, and these German women are HUGE women. They are also wearing the typical dresses that German women wear. And the beer maidens were not the only one in tradition German clothes. EVERYONE is wearing it. This really surprised me because I thought it was a cliche, but women were wearing the dresses, and the guys suspenders and long shorts. It was really funny and I loved seeing people walking around in it.
Also, there were maidens walking around with big baskets of HUGE pretzels. We took advantage of this and ate a numerous amount of pretzels. I can't even count how many we had. It was well worth it... A day of carbs!
We stayed until about 5pm, which is a lot longer than we expected. We left the tents, went on a few rides, and then headed back to the hostel after a long, but extremely fun day! My roommates and I were talking about how we would now go back in a heartbeat. Sometimes when you experience something as crazy as that, you never want to do it again and it was fun while it lasted. This, however, was so fun that I would go back in a heartbeat. I am jealous of everyone who is going this weekend!
The next day we watched the official Oktoberfest parade, which had family members of the beer companies, kegs, and traditional German dress. It was so cool to see. We accidentally ran into the parade when trying to make our way to Marienplatz and the Glockenspiel and take in the other sights of Munich. At the top of the hour, figures come out and dance for about 10 minutes.
While we were watching this, a woman came up to us and offered a bike tour to us called Mike's Bike Tour. It is a four hour bike ride around the city of Munich. We figured it was a great way to see the city without walking around with a map. This bike tour ended up being awesome. We saw so many things that we wouldn't have thought to go see, and we were riding bikes while doing it which made us all so happy. In the middle of the tour, they brought us to the English gardens. Inside the gardens, there is the second largest outdoor beer garden with Hofbrau beer. It was so cool and completely outdoors. Once again, you get served beer in huge steins, have traditional German food, and take in the sun. Why don't they have this in America? We had so much fun and it was the best thing we could have done to see the city.
We then went back to Oktoberfest to kill time before our 9:15pm overnight train. We went to the Hacker tent this time and sat outside. It was a lot more relaxed outside than on the first day, but still fun nonetheless. The overnight train was also a lot better than we expected. We got beds and were able to sleep. Italian classes were canceled the next day so we were able to sleep until 12pm. Perfect.
All in all, this was a GREAT weekend and Oktoberfest is recommended to anyone going to Europe!
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