Cannstatter Wasen, Stuttgart. Photo: © Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH, Jean-Claude Winkler
Top ten beer festivals that rival Munich’s Oktoberfest From Saturday 21 September to 6 October this year, Munich will hold its worldrenowned Oktoberfest once again. More than six million visitors from all over the world will flock to the city’s Theresienwiese area to eat wurst, enjoy some fun rides and to celebrate German beer – and plenty of it, at that! But did you know that there are plenty of other beer festivals and Oktoberfest alternatives all over the DACH region to consider?
While Munich’s Oktoberfest is undoubtedly the best-known one, others around the territories impress just as much. Discover Germany takes a look at the DACH region’s top ten beer festivals that can rival Munich’s huge Oktoberfest.
TEXT: NANE STEINHOFF
1) Straubing’s Gäubodenvolkfest
When millions of people indulge in German beer tradition and put their finest ‘trachten’ (lederhosen for the men and dirndls for the women) on, it’s undoubtedly Oktoberfest time: during which days and nights are spent eating pretzels, washing them down with booze, and dancing in giant festival tents. However, while Oktoberfest is a huge 32 | Issue 78 | September 2019
spectacle not to be missed, even if just once in your lifetime, the sheer numbers of visitors and waiting times might be a turn-off for some people. That doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy some proper Oktoberfest time, though, as there are plenty of other beer festivals all across the DACH region well worth considering.
If you want to head to Bavaria, due to the theory that Bavarians just simply do beer festivals better, but think that the Oktoberfest might be a bit too crowded for you, why not head to the state’s second-largest folk festival, instead? It’s slightly less crowded and is held in summer – therefore guaranteeing warm temperatures and good weather. We are talking about the ‘Gäubodenvolksfest’ in