Amazing Autumn Experiences

Fall is not the end of exciting travel, it’s only the beginning!  This time of year offers a buffet of festivals, including Oktoberfest, the biggest of them all, annually enjoyed by over 6 million people!  The festival started over 200 years ago, in October of 1810, as a week-long celebration in honor of Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.  Over the years this custom became an annual tradition, evolving into a bigger and longer event, which is why Oktoberfest starts in September.  The festival only begins after the official gun salute followed by the mayor shouting “O’ zapft is!” (It’s tapped!) and offering the first glass of delicious beer to the state President of Bavaria.

Oktoberfest is now a celebration of Bavarian traditions, so the only beers you’ll find there are the carefully selected, best ales brewed within the city limits of Munich.  This beer is brewed specifically for the Oktoberfest, and it’s made extra strong - rumor has it that 1 mug of Oktoberfest beer is equal to 8 shots of Schnapps, so you’ll need to pace yourself! Millions of gallons of beer are consumed in almost 20 different mega-beer tents, including the famous Hofbräu-Festhalle tent that seats almost 11,000 people!

There is a lot more than beer to be had at Oktoberfest, wine is also on offer as well as an insurmountable assortment of delicious Bavarian eats.  Sink your teeth into roast chicken, roast duck, Schweinhaxe (roast pork knuckle) and Schweinsbraten (pork roast), either by themselves or paired with a traditional apple and onion Sauerkraut. If you only have room for a couple of wurst, put the Weißwurst and Currywurst at the top of the list.   For lighter fare, try the tasty Laugenbrezel (soft pretzels), Obatzda (beer and cheese dip), Rotkohl (sweet and sour red cabbage)  Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes), Schaales (potato pancakes) and savory flammkuchen, the Bavarian version of pizza.  When you’re ready for dessert, Gebrannte Mandeln (roasted almonds) make a great snack, followed by Kaiserschmarrn, which can only be described as a sweet, warm hug for your mouth!  All the tasty Bavarian goodies are an ideal way to pace your beer intake and the perfect excuse to eat, drink and make merry!

In between the eating and drinking there is entertainment everywhere, from thrill rides, roller coasters, log flumes, and the iconic 164-foot-tall Risenrad Ferris Wheel.  If you’d rather stay firmly planted on the ground the fair offers a full complement of live entertainment including a flea circus, street performers, musicians, and the Budenstrassa, popular for its food stalls, souvenir stands, and games of chance.

When it comes to winefests, Germany saves the biggest and best fests for last. The Bad Dürkheim Wurstmarkt, an event whose name literally translates to “sausage market” is in fact a an uncompromising celebration of the other famous item produced there – wine!  It’s the biggest wine festival in the world in fact, welcoming over 600,000 visitors a year, with origins stretching back six centuries.  Local and not to be missed if you are a fest fanatic! Another popular event, dripping with wine and amazing eats is the Bernkastel-Kues Winefest.  Here you can enjoy award winning Risling wines paired with a crispy, savory bacon and Schaales (potato pancakes), Räuchenlaachs (freshly wood-smoked salmon) and assortment of other amazing eats. Also on offer is a riverside amusement park, Arts and Crafts Fair and live entertainment.