Cut to the chase, Oktoberfest is very pricey, just like any and every huge festival that the world knows about. In this case, we decided to fly to Frankfurt and take a bus from Frankfurt to Munich to save some costs. Despite the traffic and the seven-hour bus ride instead of five, I still think it was a good idea.
Due to a delay, we arrived in Frankfurt around 10 p.m. Most of the restaurants were closed by the time we dropped our belongings off at the Frankfurt Hostel, the place we stayed for the night. Although it was late, we still wanted to do some sightseeing since we only had limited time in Frankfurt. We walked to the Eiserner Steg bridge. It is much more gorgeous at night when the lights are on. The neighborhood was very quiet.
Frankfurt is a city I have to come back for because 12 hours was just not enough to soak in the ambiance. Fall is their time of year and we could see it as we walked through the Hauptwache plaza (second photo above) that sold all kinds of alcoholic drinks and fall treats. Some places we visited in the morning were the Main Tower and Alte Oper (third picture above). At the Hauptwache plaza, we saw a farmer’s market. It was fall themed with tents for some treats and alcoholic drinks. We stopped by a stand that sold kartoffelpuffer, or potato pancakes.
They were fresh off the fryer and accompanied by applesauce. It was delicious and warmed up the stomach. I also tried some Apfelwein (Apfelwein directly translates to cider) which was sweet and yummy. After our potato pancakes, we headed to Romerberg (first picture in the row) to see the iconic row of colorful buildings. Its historic and antique architecture stands out among other towns. There was, unfortunately, an electricity outage which is why we couldn’t eat any hot foods but opted for drinks instead. My friend got the dunkel- dark beer and he loved it. I had another Apfelwein and it was great.
We then proceeded to the HBF to catch a six-hour bus ride to Munich- it wasn’t bad at all because we got to sleep on the bus. In the end, there was a lot of traffic.
The hostel I booked was A&O Munich Hackerbruecke. In all, I thought the hostel was good. My friends stayed at the A&O München Laim. Both were easily accessible to the city. If you don’t mind walking, my hostel was about a 30-minute walk to the city center and I had no problem making the walk. It’s a beautiful straight road to the center and you will find a lot of people walking on the streets as well (even at midnight). The first night we were there, we went to the Hofbrauhaus house, a popular and famous beer hall that is said to be the best (or most fun) tent at Oktoberfest. We purchased some sweet bread and beer which were great. New friends were made and I learned that this hall was the place where Hitler held the first meeting and gave a speech where he denounced Jewish people. Although Hofbrauhaus is a popular tourist attraction, it holds a dark history. I met some Germans on the trip and learned that they teach about history and make it really clear to not allow this dark history to repeat. As my history professor once said, “We must not forget, because if we forget it can happen again.”
After Hofbrauhaus, we went home and slept for a short four hours and woke up bright and early at 6:30 to get in line for Oktoberfest. The line wasn’t bad and as soon as we got in my friends and I were lucky to have found two tables for our group at Hacker Festzelt. We waited until 12 to drink beer and celebrate opening day with everyone. This hall is ranked second of the top ten best beer tents and I understand why. Its gorgeous ceiling and warm atmosphere will leave you in awe. In between my friends and I would stand up to take a stroll outside and explore the fairgrounds. My friend who is gluten-free had to go to a wine tent. Oktoberfest is a very cash-only event, so make sure to bring enough cash if you
are interested in getting many drinks and try the food (which I definitely recommend, it’s delicious). I don’t remember what tent I stopped at but I purchased a Weisswurst sandwich. I forgot to take a picture but it was warm bread with mustard and two weisswursts for only 3.50. It was absolutely delicious and something I crave
once in a while. My friends went on some rides and I went to go see the Bavarian statue that is right on the edge of the fair. To gain more energy, we went back to take a nap. For dinner, we went to the Augustiner BrauMuchen Am Pratzle for dinner. I had the sausage and potato and it was a bit salty but the veggies at the bottom evened out the taste. My friend ordered the Goulash and said it was delicious. The kitchen closes early at 10:00 p.m. so if you’re planning to come to eat, make a stop by before 10. The prices were not bad at all.
For our final day, we decided to take some time to explore Munich. I began the day by seeing the Schloss Nymphenburg Castle 🏰. For five euros you can see the inside of the castle and learn about the history of the landmark, which is absolutely gorgeous. I walked the full perimeter of the garden that sits in the back of the castle. There you can see the backside of the castle and all it has to offer. The views are gorgeous and its walkways are filled with locals going on runs. The nice breeze fall air was very nice. We then had lunch at Steinheil 16 which was delicious.
My friend took us on a history walk through the city center beginning at the Marienplatz and ending at Odeonsplatz. Munich was a gorgeous place to visit and I do recommend coming here to explore the town and not just come for Oktoberfest.