Our student Ambassador Ricarda Pietschmann has shared with us her experience at Oktoberfest. Discover her wonderful trip to Munich
One thing Les Roches certainly allows all of us to do, is travel. The best part is that you will probably always explore a new city, country or even continent with an expert originating from the location. That way you actually aren’t the “typical tourist” but have the opportunity to experience the simple pleasures of life from a local’s perspective.
Well, this time it’s my turn and I invite you all to Munich during the best time of the year – Oktoberfest!
A festival that starts in September but calls itself Oktoberfest – trust me the surprises don’t stop there! It’s THE beer festival and is being imitated all around the world – the list is endless and even motivates Russians in Moscow to switch their vodka against a pint of beer for a period of three weeks. Yet, surely no imitation outshines the true original – with approximately 42 hectares the area offers 16 large beer-tents, that can accommodate up to 11,000 visitors each. The visitors have increased to 5,9 million in 2015 with a beer consumption of 7,5 million liters in just 17 days. Did you know that Bavarians actually don’t classify beer as alcohol? Here we treat it as an essential staple food to our everyday diet.
It’s 4pm and we are being picked up by the pre-reserved taxi (busy periods – make sure you call in advance otherwise you’ll have the pleasure of standing in a crammed train with hundreds of other visitors).
- 4:45pm – We are in front of the Ochsenbraterei tent and are ready to drink.
- 5:10pm – It took us a while to find the right table and order, but its finally here – the very first liter of beer.
- 7pm – 2 liters later… What next? Well, of course Bavarian’s aren’t just famous for their beer but also for their rich, doughy and filling dishes. It surely is going to be a light weekend!
- We continue drinking, singing and socializing. The live band plays a combination of English and German songs (check out this link for a playlist and maybe even practice for next year: http://www.oktoberfest-songs.com/sitemap.html).
- 10:30pm – Thirty minutes till closing and surely we still want to experience some rides. Off we go – bumper cars, roller coasters, name it – Oktoberfest has it all.
- And for those who aren’t tired, Munich’s nightlife is booming especially at this time of the year. We are headed to P1 Club and look forward to finishing the night with a full Bavarian breakfast in the early morning hours.
- And don’t worry about still wearing your “Dirndl” or “Lederhosen” the next day, as the traditional clothes can be worn year-round, all throughout Bavaria, no matter if you are going to a theater performance or dinner – with this sort of costume your always suitably dressed.
As we say, “nach der Wiesn ist vor der Wiesn” – after Oktoberfest is before Oktoberfest!
See you all there next year – Cheers!
