Doc's Wanderings: Oktoberfest

When I was sixteen I spent a summer exchange program in Germany. One of the regions of Germany that I did not have a chance to see was Bavaria including Munich (Munchen). Since then, I have always had a desire to make it back. Munich is only a 2.5 hour flight from Madrid, so I planned a visit and invited friends from the United States to meet me. One of my best friends Mark met me in Munich for a week of touring and enjoying the festivities of Oktoberfest. Lara, two of Marks friend (Tony and Amanda) as well as two of the students (Kelly and Chelsea) made the trip.

We spent several days enjoying the sights of Munich including the Marienplatz, Rathaus-Glokenspiel, Freidnsengel, Frauenkirche, The Haufbrau House, Bavarai Statue, as well as the Bavarian culture. Marionplatz was the home to the 11th century corn and salt markets. Today the square is the most popular meeting place for tourists from all over the world and is the symbolic centre of the city.

The Fridensengel (angel of peace) is a glittering gold monument originating from 1899 and is a representation of the Greek goddess Nike. It was build in remembrance of the peace treaty of Versailles in 1871 to give thanks to the Bavarian army.

The Haufbrau House is one of the most famous bier gardens in all of Germany and it known to have inspired a world wide famous song, with the phrase "oans, zwoa, g'suffa" ( "one, two, chug"). Another interesting fact is that Hitler hosted one of his first political rallies at The Haufbrau House.

If you know me at all, you know how much I enjoy food - here are a couple pictures of the amazing German fare.

Munich is also the home to Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest dates back to 1810 and originated as a wedding celebration between Crown Prince Ludwig (who later became King Ludwig I of Bavaria) to Princess Theresa of Saxony –Hildburghausen. It is a 16 day festival and is host to over 6 million people each year.

The beer of Oktoberfest is brewed by Munich’s six major breweries (Spaten, Löwenbräu, Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr). The beer is brought in by horse drawn carriage and is served in fourteen beer tents with a total capacity of 100,000. The beer served is a specially brewed for this festival and is classified as a pale lager.