Day 6: Munich - Oktoberfest

Now that the whole team is in Europe, we set off to explore what Munich has to offer. The plan for the day is to visit the Duetsches Museum in the morning and then go to Oktoberfest!

 The first challenge for the group was to buy our Munich transit passes at one of the automated machines. Apparently, it takes 5 people to figure it out...

So, how do we purchase tickets?

Today we need only ride the S3 S-Bahn line.  Exiting at Isartor station we walked the short distance to the museum.   Like the museums in Berlin, this museum is also on an island. The Deutches Museum celebrates the achievements of Germans in technology and science.   I was surprised to see the wide variety of German inventions.  I was especially interested in the German mathematicians Leibniz and Gauss.  The German Enigma machine was the best cryptographic machine in the world of its time.  German mining plays a large role in its history and technological achievements.  The German people are very proud of their contributions.  This museum explains the German work ethic.

The Isar River near the museum

Main Entrance

A World War I German Fokker Triplane

German stained glass

The German Enigma Machine

A view from the rooftop

Auditorium has statues of famous German scientists and inventors

We next walked to the old city and visited Marienplatz.  After some shopping for souvenirs, we took the U3 to the Oktoberfest site and followed the crowds of men in lederhosen and women in dirndls. In fact, Warren got in the spirit and purchased some lederhosen!

A gate into the old town of Munich

Fountain in Gartnerplatz

Gasthaus beside fountain

Pedestrian streets in old town

The group in Marienplatz

Warren rocking the lederhosen

It is hard to describe the scope and atmosphere of Oktoberfest to people who have never been here. Marilyn and I, as graduates of the University of Waterloo, participated in Oktoberfest but that is a pale comparison to the original here in Munich.   Oktoberfest only allows beer brewed by breweries in Munich to be sold.  You buy 1 liter glasses that cost 11 euros.  Each beer company has large pavilions that hold about 5000 people.  There were at least 10 pavilions! We wandered around to get our bearings and it took tours of 2 pavilions before we found a seat in the beergarten outside Lowenbrau pavilion.  Getting a seat inside is nearly impossible so we settled for a table outside where we enjoyed the fine fall afternoon.  We met Klaus and Christine who were locals and a couple from Batavia NY.   It's easy to make friends at Oktoberfest!

One of the Oktoberfest pavilions

Carl and Marilyn trying not to get lost in the crowds

The pavilions are all decorated in the colours of the brewery

The group enjoys some Bavarian fare and beer

Pretzels are a staple of Bavarian fare

Pavilions have towers so people can find them

The Pschorr pavilion

Couldn't find a table in the Braurosl pavilion either

 We wanted to get inside a pavilion and it took many attempts before we got a table in the Spatan pavilion in the upper level. The band played continuously and EVERYONE signs along and dances on the benches. Many of the songs we did not know but we joined in for favourites like Ein Prosit and Sweet Caroline.

A view of the party atmosphere inside the Spatan pavilion

Marilyn has found "her people".

A view in the distance of the party on the main floor

Check out the sounds of Oktoberfest as we sing along to Sweet Caroline...

After dark Oktoberfest is like the CNE with lights and rides.

The weary, slightly drunk, group awaits their train back to Unterhaching

After it got dark we had had enough so we walked back to the Hauptbanhof to take the S3 back to Unterhaching. An incredible experience!  Everyone who has some German blood, and people like me who enjoy German culture, should visit Oktoberfest in Munich.