Oktoberfest
 

Has anyone been or is going? A bunch of us are planning on going next year so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or recommendations on hotels, places/beer to check out, etc.

Oktoberfest in Munich is actually held during the last two weeks of September, the last day usually around the first of October.

The largest biergarten is the one at the Hofbräuhaus, though there are several others nearby. Beer is mostly served in 1-liter mugs, called a Mass (Maß). Book any hotel rooms early! Best bet is to take public transportation, as motor vehicle traffic is going to be a mess!

More info on Oktoberfest: http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/index.php

More info on München (Munich):
http://www.muenchen.de/home/60093/Homepage.html

Ein Prosit, ein Prosit, der Gemütchlichkeit... eins, zwei, drei, vier... g'suffa!

I will be making several trips down to OKC's Bricktown during this time period. Mostly to Tapwerks, my beloved bar with 100+ beers on tap and hundreds more in bottles.

Ask adpi*nurse! She's stationed in Germany right now, and probably has some great ideas!

I've been to Munchen during Oktoberfest in the past....it's nice. Personally, I love Oktoberfest in Obersdorf and other mountain villages like Obersalzburg. To me, it's more of a personal community thing. I love the bier, wursts, the drunk german girls and the drinking games u play while drinking the german bier. Another good place in Germany to check out during Oktoberfest is in Nordhausen and Sonderhausen. They are two villages smack dab in the middle of Germany in the state of Thuringia. The villages are about 30 minutes drive apart.

One notorious fact about Nordhausen: it used to be the site of the Mittelwerke where V-1 cruise missiles and V-2 rockets (V- Vergeltungswaffen (Reprisal Weapon))were built inside an abandoned salt mine, using slave labor from the nearby Dora concentration camp. The remains of the Mittelwerke and the Dora camp are now a memorial to the Holocaust.

The former Dachau concentration camp is north of Munich. Visiting either site (or any former concentration camp) is NOT for the faint of heart, even after 60 years have passed.

Types of beer you should try...
 

Most of the beer sold during Oktoberfest is what's known as Märzenbier (literally "March Beer"), as this type of beer is brewed traditionally in March and served during Oktoberfest. The mayor of Munich traditionally taps the first keg of Märzenbier on the first day of the fest. Unlike lager or pilsener beer, Oktoberfest beer is darker and stronger.

A lighter beer (traditionally served in summer) is actually a mix of beer and lemonade and called a Rädlermaß (literally 'cyclists' liter'). Pretty refreshing on a hot day.

If you wanna get snockered quickly, avoid the EKU Kulminator Doppelbock - it's got about 11-12% alcohol content. As it is, the large quantities sold in liters is probably enough to waste the average American, since German beer has a higher alcohol content than American pisswater, which rarely reaches above 4% alcohol content.

Don't forget that in Germany, there are hundreds of regional breweries. A few enjoy national and international distribution, but many only exist within a limited range of the brewery. Back when I was in the Air Force stationed in Germany, the local beer was Bitburger Premium Pils. (Thank God I can get it here in the States!)

And I still have my Spaten Brau 1 liter mug to this day! Prost!

Being of German background, I am interested in all things related to German culture. (I wasnt raised around it, was raised very 'American' and am trying to learn about my culture and heritage). I'd love to go to Germany someday, especially during Oktoberfest.

For now, I have to settle for Wursfest in New Braunfels. Its an ok substitution, for now.

Obersdorf, Nordhausen and Sonderhausen are the 3 cities in Germany where my relatives came from/still live today. The rest are from Sweden.

Ever thought about taking a german humanities course? It'll show you another side of our culture you probably wouldn't see learning on your own. It might have been one of my favorite courses I've ever taken.

If you don't want to go as far as Germany, you can always come to Kitchener-Waterloo's Oktoberfest celebration. It's the largest outside of Germany I believe. KW has a huge German population (even today) so there is no lack of Germans at this festival too! http://www.oktoberfest.ca/

However, if you are going to Germany, I've heard great things about Oktoberfest in Munich from friends.

You'd have thought they woudl have offered it here, considering this area was setteled by Germans. I guess they just expect that everyone grew up with it, so why bother. Good idea tho. Thanks.