Oktoberfest and Beer Culture

The Oktoberfest is the world's largest folk festival, drawing millions to Munich each autumn to vast tents where litre steins of beer are hoisted amid brass bands, roast chicken and dirndls and lederhosen. Beyond the festival, Bavaria's beer culture runs deep and year-round, in leafy beer gardens, historic halls and centuries-old breweries, a cheerful, sociable tradition at the heart of southern German life.

What's there

• The beer tents - the vast Oktoberfest tents of brass bands and litre steins.
• The traditional dress - the dirndls and lederhosen worn by revellers.
• The beer gardens - the leafy year-round beer gardens of Munich.
• The funfair - the rides and stalls of the festival grounds.

When to go

The Oktoberfest runs from mid-September to the first weekend of October, despite its name; beer gardens are best from May to September. Book accommodation far ahead for the festival, when Munich fills up.

Good to know

During the Oktoberfest the city is mobbed, accommodation scarce and expensive, and the tents so full that reservations are near-essential for a table. It is a boisterous drinking festival, not for everyone. The year-round beer gardens offer the culture in a calmer form.

Nearby

Munich's Marienplatz and the Alps are nearby; the festival is at the Theresienwiese grounds.