Summer is over and you’re looking for that perfect getaway, where beer, food and entertainment are on top of your agenda. So why not head to Germany for its world-famous Oktoberfest? Happening between 16 September and 3 October 2023, you will find an array of events across the whole country, and we can offer you the perfect spot for a well-deserved sleep after all the activities.
It’s best to visit the Oktoberfest just after the first week and during the week when there might be fewer people. The afternoon usually gives you a more pleasant experience. And if you want to take in the whole experience, we recommend wearing the traditional outfit – a dirndl or a lederhosen.
A fun fact about the dirndl is the way a woman decides to wear it. If you are available and open to flirting you wear it on the left, whilst those who are married wear it on the right. It’s also quite important to wear sturdy and comfortable shows as you will be walking and standing quite a lot, getting from one event to another.
Especially for visits to the Oktoberfest at the weekends or in the evening, it is worth reserving a table in the festival tents in advance, where possible.
The world’s most famous location for the Oktoberfest is Theresienwiese in Munich. Named after Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, the wife of King Ludwig I, since 1810 – the first Oktoberfest was held on the occasion of their wedding. It is said that no one from Munich goes to the Oktoberfest. They go to the „Wiesn”. The Bavarian form of the German word „Wiese” („meadow”) has become the name of the festival for the people of Munich and Bavaria.
Our IBB Hotel Altmühltal-Eichstätt would make the perfect base if you would like to visit the Oktoberfest in Munich. Set only an hour away from Munich, you can explore the lovely region in the morning and head off to the city to take in the most popular festival and the biggest beer festival in the world in the afternoon.
And Oktoberfest activities do not only take place around Munich and in the Bavarian region. In Berlin, the capital city of Germany there will also be an array of events for the Oktoberfest. One of our favorites is the event at Alexanderplatz. The square is turned into a large festival with a festival tent, an open-air beer garden and lots of Bavarian specialities such as pork knuckle, Brez’n, roast pork and chicken and sweet treats. And if you are wearing a dirndl, at a dirndl competition, the most beautiful dirndl is chosen every evening.
Our IBB Hotel Berlin Airport is conveniently located 15 mins away from Alexanderplatz and it will give you the perfect base for exploring the different events in the city.
And when you aren’t saying cheers to good health (an Oktoberfest tradition), there’s much more to see and do than beer and bratwurst. From the history behind the beer tents, to the lavish ceremonies, what to wear and what food markets to scout out, you’re always covered. Prost!