Foods that Visitors Need to Try
Wherever visitors end up, they can expect table service and a feast of local cuisine. Spit-roasted chickens, roasted ham hock, cheesy noodle bowls (Käsespätzle), and a galaxy of sausage varieties are all available – tempting visitors at every turn.
Pork lovers will adore Schweinebraten, which involves roasting pork with rich beer sauces. There are marinated fish skewers (Steckerlfisch). And, above all, there are pretzels. Known as Brezel in Bavaria, pretzels are present everywhere, often in gigantic forms. There's no better way to complement a giant Krug of beer.
How to Enjoy the Festival With Kids
If this makes Munich's premier festival sound like a completely adult event, don't worry. While there's certainly a lot of adult fun to be had, the festival has become a hugely popular one with families as well.
One reason is that admission to the festival grounds is completely free, as is admission to all of the tents. There's no pressure to stay in one place. Families can roam through tents, fairgrounds, playgrounds, music spaces, and markets at their leisure. Everything is laid-back and there's hardly ever any trouble.
The fairground remains a major attraction, offering more than 80 rides, from roller coasters to bumper cars. And children are welcome in the beer tents as well, where the atmosphere is almost always friendly and good-natured.
Experience Germany's Carnival
German festivals aren't all about beer tents and Lederhosen. The country also has a lively carnival tradition, and it includes some unmissable events.
Known as Fasching or Karneval in German, carnival celebrates the beginning of Lent, and it does so in style. In Braunschweig, locals scare away the devil on carnival Sunday, while Berlin uses Fasching as an excuse for a massive spring-time party. Just stay clear if you are afraid of clowns, who tend to take center stage.
In Cologne, you might find comedy orators giving Buttenreden (barrel speeches), you'll definitely find huge street parties, along with the spectacular Rose Monday parade. And in Düsseldorf, you can watch the city's women symbolically "storm" the town hall on Women's Carnival Day in late February. There are distinctive events in February and March across Germany, so check event listings near you.
A Country that Loves Music Festivals
Finally, Germans simply love gathering to hear live music. And we don't mean Oompah bands and David Hasselhoff (although for sure, the Hoff gathers crowds wherever he goes). Germany actually hosts some of Europe's premier music events.
For example, Bayreuth's Wagner Festival is world famous, and its performances of the Ring Cycle or Tannhauser are unforgettable.
On a completely different note, Rock am Ring brings metalheads from across Europe to Mendig in June, while techno fans flock to Lärz in August and September for the epic Fusion Festival - held at a disused airfield. And for pure dance music bliss, Frankfurt's Commerzbank Arena is the place to be when World Club Dome hits the town in June.
That's not all. From Indie events like Hurricane and Southside Festival, all styles of music have their own unique events in a country that adores live music.