Germany

I went to Germany for Octoberfest. When is it a better time to visit than Octoberfest? I was able to visit for 6 days. Again, I went by myself with the tour group, EF College Break. Oktoberfest is 3 weeks. In 2016 it was from September 17th- October 3rd. I choose September 25th to September 30th. EF college had already set everything up for us for the festival. The provided us a tent, food, and two drink tickets. This is set up when you register with them. The first day was spent traveling, it took me 3 hours to get to Philly. And another 6 to Munich.

Day 2

When we first got there, our tour guide took on a walking tour of the Munich Center. The center was modern but kept its old European charm. I got a chance to eat white sausage, a pretzel, and a German beer. Everything was delicious! I even like the mustard that came with the pretzel and I normally don’t like mustard. At the restaurant, I sat outside and looked at Munich Center. This gave me the time to enjoy the Bavarian culture and get to know people in my tour group.  Munich is the capital of  Germany’s Bavarian region and it has strong ties to its folklore traditions. I saw a lot lederhosen there! Especially, since it was Octoberfest month. At night, we were able to attend a local brewery, the original Hofbrauhaus! A lot Germans feel the Hofbrauhaus is too touristy and prefer another brewery’s around Munich. However, I feel like you need to visit at least once. We had some appetizers and of course beer! I ordered a beer with lemonade, it was pretty good. Then after I got a wheat beer.

Day 3

We had a guided tour in the old town of Munich. A lot of Germany was bombed in WWII. Munich rebuilt it after the war and decided to keep Munich traditional. While Frankfurt went more modern. The old town was beautiful and I was happy to see parts that were not bombed in Munich. Interesting fact top 3 countries to visit Octoberfest are Italy, Austria, and Australia. From there we went to the Lowenbrau tent for Octoberfest.  People reserve tents months beforehand and I felt fortunate to experience it. I drank my two beers and ate lunch. After I walked around Octoberfest with other members in my tour group. Octoberfest is amazing, all age groups attend because there is something for everyone. I drank at more breweries around the festival and saw people get on rides. There was no way, I could ride rides that day.  As soon as I got back to the hostel, I crashed. Octoberfest got me that day.

Day 4

I attended a museum with 3 other people in my group. We were able to see beautiful art. Unfortunately, since we were short on time we only got to see one museum. After, we headed back to our second day of Octoberfest. That day, I only had one beer and rode the ferries wheel. The ferries wheel is the best way to get a whole view of Octoberfest. Also, That day I was able to buy some souvenirs for my friends and family. I do regret buying some souvenirs at Octoberfest because they’re way more expensive there than any of the shops. When I figured this out, I brought the rest of my gifts elsewhere. After, we rested at the hostel and watched a soccer game at a local restaurant. The game was between Germany and Spain. I feel like soccer isn’t as big in the United States as it is in other countries. I really enjoyed being able to watch soccer like how United States people watch American football. At the restaurant, I ordered a coke beer. It was very difficult to drink because it tastes horrible. Please stay away from this coke cola beer!

Day 5

We had a 2-hour drive to the beautiful Neuschwanstein Castle. It is perched in the foothills of the Alps. I think the architecture was the model for Disney’s sleeping beauty. The castle was home to a crazy king who died mysteriously. The view of the Alps and the castle was absolutely breathtaking! We had to hike to see a tour of the castle. There is a friendly way to get to the castle, however, I took the hiking way. I had no idea there were two ways to get there and regretted this way after. The positive thing was I got a workout. The hike took me to a bridge that had a beautiful of the Neuschwanstein’s Castle. I took pictures and enjoyed the view. The tour inside of the castle was short because the castle was never finished. The king died before it was ever finished. I felt the castle was way ahead of its time. The castle also had beautiful views of the alps. We had some free time before heading back to Munich. We had a meal and tried some delicious donuts. Day 5 was our last day there and we had the farewell dinner at Augustiner. It was my tour guide’s favorite brewery. Both the beer and the meal were delicious. We had an appetizer, entry, and dessert. My trip was short but I was happy to enjoy my time in Germany.