Travelers are beating a path to Bavaria just now, ready to drink in Munich’s fall magic. It’s Oktoberfest, and that means barrels of beer, gobs of gemütlichkeit and a warm autumn ambiance.
Things kick off Saturday, Sept. 22 with the tapping of the first Oktoberfest beer barrel by Munich’s major. That takes place in the festival’s Schottenhamel Tent. Sunday, Sept. 23 marks the traditional costume parade through the streets of Munich itself.
Oktoberfest’s menu is an autumn amalgam of suds and suckling pigs. The best of the latter is prepared in a classic Bavarian manner – slathered in malt beer sauce with plenty of potato salad. It’s served up lukewarm, the better to savor the traditional flavor.
Bavaria’s big on families. Take the kids to the Augustiner-Festhalle Tent Tuesday, Sept. 25 or Tuesday, Oct. 4. That’s where the festivities are geared around them. Rides and shows are discounted then.
This year’s Oktoberfest pays particular attention to kids, laying on a game aimed at chronicling the more than two centuries of Oktoberfest history that’s to be had.
The Hippodrom is a huge draw during Oktoberfest, a sleek, stylish hangout geared for the young and single. Celebrities tend to visit from time to time, and the gravitational pull of the place is centered around a stylish sekt – a sparkling wine bar.
Something edgier still? October is the month for Halloween, and the season isn’t lost on the locals. Head to Edmund Heckl’s Shocker and pay a visit to a haunted bathroom.
Munich is marvelously accessible via nonstop air from North America. According to OAG Delta offers Atlanta flights to Munich, Lufthansa fields Boston flights to Munich as well as Charlotte flights to Munich. United and Lufthansa both loft Chicago flights to Munich. Lufthansa offers Los Angeles flights to Munich and Montreal flights to Munich. Lufthansa and United field Newark flights to Munich, while Lufthansa also makes the trip from JFK. US Airways makes the run from its Philadelphia hub. Lufthansa offers San Francisco flights to Munich. Air Canada makes the 4,116-mile journey from Toronto, as does Air Transat. And from Dulles International both United and Air Canada offer Washington, D.C. flights to Munich.
(Image: sanfamedia.com)
