It is not so long until the 5th season will be inaugurated in Munich. The Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest folk festival in the world. It has been held since 1810 on the Theresienwiese in the Bavarian capital Munich. The City of Munich is the organiser. Some Munich breweries brew a special beer for the Oktoberfest, which must have an original wort of at least 3.5% and contain about 5.8 to 6.4 percent alcohol by volume. The Oktoberfest generates an average of one billion Euro in sales during the two weeks.

The first Oktoberfest

On the occasion of the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese on 2 October 1810, numerous private and public celebrations were held in Munich, including a horse race on 7 October. The Oktoberfest dates back to that time.

The Oktoberfest today

During the last decades, the Oktoberfest has attracted millions of visitors every year. The guests come more and more from abroad, mainly from Italy, the USA, Japan and Australia. In recent years, there has been a trend towards wearing traditional costumes: many Oktoberfest visitors come in Lederhosen or Dirndl dresses.  Here is a little “guide” for all those who are not from Munich.

1.It’s called Wiesn

and not Wiesen (meadows), Wies’n, beer festival or the like. Oktoberfest would be fine in emergency cases, but generally we say Wiesn.

2.Do not even try to drive there by car.

There is no parking, and at no time are the police checks more frequent than during these two weeks. Going by taxi is fine, coming back we would take the train as getting a taxi can be a real feat.

3.Costumes should be worn!

With jeans and T-shirt, you immediately exclude yourself as a tourist. Costumes are worn all day during the Oktoberfest, which means also in clubs. You actually draw attention to yourself if you dress “normally”. Incidentally, there is also a lot to consider with the costumes:

How to wear: Dirndl dresses. Firstly: There are no possibilities of ordering a dirndl dress at a carnival shop. Australians may not have another option, but you certainly do. A dirndl dress should be at least knee length, the apron in no case longer than the dirndl skirt.  The apron knotted on the left means you are single, tied on the right means married and in the centre – you would rather leave it –  A blouse under the dirndl is compulsory. In terms of colour, there are no restrictions, a good fit is of course desirable.

How to wear: Lederhosn. Lederhosen trousers should also be made of leather. Made of cotton or jeans they just look fit for a carnival. Lederhosen are combined with a white and blue chequered shirt and the best would be with haferl shoes and stockings. For tips on where to buy the best costume, our team is at your disposal.

4.It’s called Mass

And we do not mean “Maaas”, as you can actually see from the spelling. The “a” is pronounced briefly and the “s” is sharp. And while we’re at it: You should say Brezn and not Bretzel or pretzels.

5.Where can I book a cheap hotel room?

There are not any. During the Oktoberfest, all hotels are certainly twice as expensive as usual, and now probably as good as fully booked. However, from next year, there is a perfect alternative, namely our TIMEHOUSE. You can already book your room with us for the 5th season 2019.

Your TIMEHOUSE team wishes you a peaceful Oktoberfest!