Cheers to 200 years of Oktoberfest

It all began 200 years ago on a “Wiesn’’ (meadow) just outside Munich’s city walls.

When Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig and the Saxon Princess Therese held a big horse race on October 12 1810 to mark their wedding, nobody could guess that it was the foundation of what would become the world’s biggest festival on a 42-hectare site named Theresienwiese in honor of the bride.

Nowadays the Oktoberfest, which actually takes place in the middle of September, attracts about 6 million visitors every year to its holy halls, better known as beer tents. These visitors drink about 6 million liters of beer and eat nearly half a million chickens.

Naturally, there are some special events taking place to mark the 200th birthday of this popular classic.

On September 17, the day before the Oktoberfest’s official opening, a historical fair will begin in the southern part of the fair grounds. It will include vintage fairground rides, a Munich city museum exhibition tent, an animal tent from the animal welfare society, the Herzkasperl cultural tent as well as an historic beer tent.

Munich’s breweries will also serve beer specially brewed for the anniversary and every day there will be two horse races as a reminder of the origins 200 years ago.
Munich people are especially delighted that this year’s Oktoberfest will last a day longer than usual and that seats in the large central areas of the beer tents cannot be booked in advance on the last Monday (October 4).

Unfortunately, no matter how nostalgic this anniversary Oktoberfest becomes, you won’t find beer prices from 200 years ago!

More info here:
www.oktoberfest.de

Oktoberfest facts & figures – click here