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Travel, Art &
Gastronomy
of Munich
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By Pablo Maes G.
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München, die Stadt der Biere! Immer!
Munich, Ciudad de las cervezas!Siempre!
Munich, the city of Beers! Always!
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You race a mob of lads in leather shorts to find a seat in the packed, wooden tent. A busty barmaid whams down an enormous glass of beer. You drink to the cry of Prost! and get ready to do it again. Then you stroll outside and jump on the roller-coaster. You’re pushed, pulled, stretched and slammed and decide this would have been a better idea before the beer!
Feeling hungry now? Nothing a plate of pork knuckles wouldn’t fix. Easy to fill your belly here, if you’ve got the coin for it. The sun goes down and you head back inside. You start swinging your drink and singing along to the sound of oom-pah music. Soon you’re dancing on the benches with a dozen friendly locals…
Munich’s Oktoberfest originated in 1810 as a horse race to celebrate the Royal Wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. But everyone apparently enjoyed the drinking a lot more, and had such a great time they decided to do it all again the following year.
The horse race is now part of history but the beer certainly isn’t and neither are those willing to drink it. Oktoberfest (with a k, not Octoberfest) is officially the world’s biggest party drawing about six million visitors a year to southern Germany.
Cafe am Beethovenplatz
The action takes place on Munich’s fairgrounds, (offically called the Theresienwiese, informally, d'Wiesn), south-west of the city’s Main Train Station.
Oktoberfest 2009 started on Saturday, September 19 and finished on Sunday, October 4. There’s often a mad rush to find a seat before the beer starts flowing at 10am (9am on weekends). There’s a costume parade and a gay party on the first Sunday. Weekdays are much quieter than weekends, especially around lunchtime.
Most of the drinking is done in the 14 big beer “tents” - actually big wooden halls. You can reserve tables through www.oktoberfest.de but most sell out months in advance.
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The festivities officially start in the Schottenhamel tent and often reach their rowdiest in the Hacker (Heaven of Bavaria). The bright red Hippodrom tent near the main entrance can’t be missed: It’s the place to see and be seen among Munich’s hipper, younger, set.
The Hofbräu tent is famed for pulling far more tourists than locals, the Augustiner might be the best for Bavarian authenticity and the Löwenbräu becomes a good option when everywhere else is full.
Beer! The amber fluid is served exclusively in one litre glass mugs, called Maß (mass) that cost about €8.60. The beer is slowly brewed through the summer and packs a six-percent alcoholic punch. For a change, try the beery-lemonade mixture called Radler, or head out to the wine tent.
Food is everywhere at Oktoberfest Munich. Popular picks are grilled chicken (Hendl), pork knuckles (Schweinshaxe) and giant pretzels (Breze). The huge hearts half the girls hang around their necks are made of gingerbread. For the daring there’s the Ox (Osche).
Despite all its automobile industry sophistication, Munich retains a touch of provincialism that visitors find charming. The people’s attitude is one of live-and-let-live – and Müncheners will be the first to admit that their ‘metropolis’ is little more than a Weltdorf, a world village. During Oktoberfest representatives of the entire planet turn out to toast the town….I wasn’t the exception.
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Pablo's Arts & Gastronomic Itinerary (Munich) |
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| Day 1 |
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| As soon as I arrived into Munich I headed to climb the tower of Peterkirche for the magnificent view of the Old Town in Munich. The tower is open from 9:00 till 19:00 but morning would be preferable time to do it because Peterkirche is south-east of Marienplatz and Frauenkirche. Shopping and Suivenier hunting was fun after that… |
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Day 2 |
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Breakfast at Café am Beethovenplatz is a super relaxed café with a musical theme has high ceilings, chandeliers and a cultivated atmosphere. The breakfast selections are named after famous composers; meals are accompanied by live jazz or classical music. ….hurry quick to “Radius Tours & Bike Rental” free “Munich Highlights Walk”.
The meeting point is at 10:00 at the Radius Tours office in the central train station (= Hauptbahnhof) or 10:45 , 11:45 at the Marienplatz (look out for the Radius Free Tour sign). I hope that during this tour you will be at the right time in front of Glockenspiel (11:00, 12:00 or 17:00) to be delighted by the figurines dancing to the chimes of carillon. This tour takes you everywhere you have to be in the City….it is a very informative and refreshing bike ride. |
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Day 4 |
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| Oktoberfest!!! Be there before 4PM. |
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| Day 5 |
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| Visit to the Deutsches Museum (Technology Museum). It is very big and very interesting museum and you could easily spent there whole day. The meeting point is at 13:15 in the Entrance Hall at the information desk. Then, go to Cafe Luitpold Palmengarten (Brienner Strasse 11). After visiting Deutsches Museum and taking a break we could go to Alte Pinothek (Art Museum) depending on time and energy. It is open till 20:00 on Tuesdays. After full day of visiting Art in Munich we can go to Hofbräuhaus for the rest of the evening. There is music every night and traditional Bavarian food and of course more beer…if tour Oktoberfest wasn’t enough…The other option is Weißes Bräuhaus, I am told. It will be a very long day and I just hope you can accomplish my very ambitious plan. If not, you will have a reason to come back to Munich and see the sights you didn't have time to see yet. |
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Day 6 |
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| on for our next trip! |
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Now, go ahead and enjoy one beer!
Jetzt, gehen Sie vor, ein Bier genießen!
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Pablo Maes is the Director of Catering for the InterContinental Hotel in Miami.
He has a Degree in Hospitality Management and a Masters in Culinary Arts. |
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