How to survive Oktoberfest
Since Louis of Bavaria decided to celebrate his wedding with Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen with a nineteenth-century rave and beer On a vacant lot on the outskirts of Munich, every October Munich revises its Catholic and class norms.
Rich and poor, soccer players and dosmileuristas and locals and foreigners share a wooden table, unpredictable conversations and excessive revelry in a party that, for the people of Munich, is like our Christmas dinner: there is no law or limits.
So, if you have decided to live what may be one of the most surprising experiences in Germany from the point of view anthropological and idiosyncratic , you just have to strictly follow the following tips so as not to sin as foreigners.
Otherwise, you will end up surrounded by Italians at the door of the Hofbräu tent begging for access. And there's nothing worse than that.
It is important to understand that Oktoberfest is the Bavarian version of the April Fair.
OUTFIT AND PREVIEW
If you have arrived in Munich and have found decent accommodation (hotels do not usually go below €250 per night), the only thing you have to worry about are the following points:
1. Pay mode: must understand that the Oktoberfest it is still the natural evolution of a great beer garden popular that has gone haywire. That is here technology is conspicuous by its absence and it is not advisable to go with the credit card in hand. In addition, it must be taken into account that in Germany the tax pressure on bars is lower, hence hoteliers prefer cash to plastic.
two. Budget: Here the beer is ordered by the litre. There are no rods, no doubles or bullshit for prudes. If you want a white with lemon, stay in your neighborhood. The price of each liter is never less than €11, so the calculation is easy as long as you are able to predict your ability to gobble it up. Of course, a little optimism does not hurt.
3. Don't dress up, dress up: it is important to understand that Oktoberfest is the Bavarian version of the April Fair . Every self-respecting Munich resident attends this event perfectly dressed in regional costumes that are surprising for their variety of designs and their price. This information is important to understand that it is not convenient to go to a Chinese to buy a Tyrolean costume to blend in. Not that they're going to take it badly, but ridicule can be tremendous because the difference is obvious.
Bavarian still life on the occasion of Oktoberfest
Four. Dress code for them : the relatively simple. It only consists of leather pants called lederhosen that cost more than a night in a hotel, a plaid shirt, long white socks and shoes. At least, the joke costs a few €600 . Of course, the best thing is that there is uniformity here and, whatever your social status, folkloric exhibitionism is shared. And when in doubt, just look at the Bayern Munich players. A Year after year they continue to be the true influencers of the Wiese.
5. Dress code for them: traditional dress or dirndl It has an acceptance that goes beyond respect for tradition. Apparently, it is perfect to enhance feminine physical attributes and hide supposed "imperfections". And, furthermore, as it has an unusual chromatic variety in local fashion, there is no such sense of homogeneity.
6. Accessories: There are two types of accessories (one recommended and the other not so much). The first is to wear one of those extraperlo fanny packs so that, in case of carrying dirndl (them) or lederhosen (them), the payment is expedited. The second is the Tyrolean hat with feathers, for which you must follow the same recommendations as in point 3.
7. Schedule : on weekdays everything comes to life in the afterwork hours, that is, from 17:00 . Keep in mind that many companies make their hours more flexible during these weeks to encourage attendance at the party, while others directly they rent a table (or a tent) to reward their employees , so you shouldn't get distracted. On weekend, the ideal is to be there around 12:00 noon to avoid the crowds in the afternoons.
8. Forget the nutritionist: it is advisable to approach a day at Oktoberfest with a very full stomach. The best thing for these cases is to fill up on pizza and, if the cravings for beer appear, have a Paulaner for breakfast, which is the one that feeds the most because it is wheat.
WELCOME TO WIESE
9. Denomination : although the esplanade is known as Theresienwiese in honor of that woman whose wedding started all this, almost everyone knows it as wise (meadow) so if you dare to ask in German, it is best to opt for this shortened term to start off on the right foot.
10. That meadow is far away : not so much in terms of distance as in concept. What was once a long open field where fairs and even horse races were held (a tradition linked to Oktoberfest until 1960), now it is a barren esplanade of whitish soil from which, like mushrooms, tents, ferris wheels and stalls appear . It may seem like a seedy big town party, but this is Bavaria and things are serious.
This is your goal at Oktoberfest: toast
eleven. Access : only catches near, near, a called metro stop, of course, Theresienwiese , which usually brings together the entire populace. However, that is not Sun at Christmas.
12. Map: you will not need it because it is very easy to navigate. The Oktoberfest consists of a long street lined with tents . The rest is accessory, although the carnival infrastructure of roller coasters, Ferris wheels, attractions and food stalls from all over the world does not cease to attract attention. Although his colorinchis and his musician fascinate, we must not lose the north or forget that what is cool is under the big tarps.
13. Traditional area: It must be taken into account that, in the redoubt near the bus stop, Pocci Strasse (next station nearby) , there is a space for those who live this festival in a deeply rooted way. Here everything folklore is enhanced and rises to the Olympus of routine in a series of tents and bars that celebrate this festival as it used to be. An idea that is not exclusive, but informative, and that was launched in 2010 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of this event.
LITER IN LITER
14. type of beer Although it may not seem like it, there is a rule. So that the despiporre was not anthological or caused an unnecessary baby boom nine months later, Louis of Bavaria He celebrated his wedding only with beer that complied with the Purity Law of 1516, that did not exceed 6º of alcohol and that was only produced within the limits of the city of Munich.
These requirements are followed to the letter today (although there are beers that are fermented in neighboring municipalities), which has the consequence that There are 'only' 14 large carp with barley juices of this type.
fifteen. Choose tent: There are three types of beer tents. On the one hand, there are the most valued, which are those that have the best reputation, product and atmosphere, as is the case with the Augustine . Then, those that are middle class, with a nice, young-posh and good-natured atmosphere, as is the case with the Löwenbräu . And then there are the low cost as Hofbräu , a magnet for disoriented tourists that is best avoided.
16. know how to drink : There is a feature that makes Oktoberfest a wonderful party: its unexpected civility. Here you come to enjoy this drink and it is necessarily done sitting at one of those endless wooden tables where the hours pass. This limits the capacity and the party is made as pleasant and social as possible for all audiences.
17. The casting: the only complex process in the Wiese is to enter a tent. If you don't have a reserved table, the casting begins. The normal thing is to crowd in front of the door of the same with a thirsty face and wait for one of the waiters to choose you and make you pass the rope that limits access. Here the boys have an advantage because waiters go on commission and they prefer to choose thirsty throats avid for fermented barley to obtain greater profitability.
18. Make friends with the waiter : in any process, both at the entrance and during the day, the best thing is to take care of the being that, jug in hand, will supply you without rest or mercy. They are skillful professionals, smart and always appear when they sense that the eyes of the parishioners already see the bottom of the jars.
19. Eat like a Ba(r)aro: In addition to the constant rhythm of beer mugs, other deities appear from time to time carrying food that help them endure without fainting. It is good not to ignore them and, from time to time, mix the toast with bites of pretzels, hot dogs (with bratwurst , of course) and other forceful preparations.
twenty. And when the sun goes down... One of the most unexpected mutations of the Oktoberfest is that, when the night appears, people lose their decency, commercial music appears and they start dancing openly. The most normal thing is to end up jumping on the tables where you used to support the jugs while you risk your life. And it is that in the Wiese There are almost more patients treated for falls than for poisoning.
twenty-one. It's only 12 at night : and in your life you will have run the biggest party. The most advisable thing is not to continue the spree, sleep and get up the next day with a Paulaner on the table ready for breakfast. The loop begins.