Every year in early fall, more than six million people enter a large field in Munich as part of Germany's official Oktoberfest celebration. The two week plus event is one of the most popular destinations and is said to be the largest fair in the world.
Here are five interesting facts you might not know about Munich's Oktoberfest.
1. It was originally a wedding celebration. In October of 1810, King Ludwig I married Princess Therese of Saxe-Hidburghausen. After, a big party was held, and all Munich citizens were invited to attend.
2. The start was moved to September. In 1819, the city assumed responsibility for the event. They decided to stretch it out to the roughly two-week period we have today, and it was moved forward to coincide with warmer, September weather.
3. People don't "go to Oktoberfest." Named after Therese, the bride in the 1810 wedding, the festival is held in a massive, 4.5 million-square-foot field named the Theresienwiese, or "Therese's field." Locally, this is referred to as the Wies'n. Tents are built and deconstructed every year, and two other events, one in spring and one in winter, also take place on the Wies'n. "Would you like to go to the Wies'n tonight?"
4. O'zapft is! Translation? It is tapped! Oktoberfest has begun. At noon on the first Saturday of the event, the mayor of Munich taps the first keg in the Schottenhamel, Oktoberfest's largest tent with a capacity for 10,000 people.
5. It's not just about the beer. While beer from Munich's "big six" breweries is certainly important, tents are also known for their amazing food, ranging from the ox dishes served in the Ochsenbraterei to the fish-on-a-stick at the Fischer-Vroni. If you're not hungry or thirsty, you can always enjoy the amusement rides, games, and fair attractions at Oktoberfest. Prost!
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