Back to: Festivals in Germany: Food, Music, Beer, Wine
Beer Festivals in Germany
Looking at Germany‘s long beer brewing tradition and its place and status in the world market it is obvious that Germany has also the (best) beer festivals in the world, among them the Munich Oktoberfest, which is the largest in the world with ca. 6 million visitors in two weeks.
Let’s take a look at the other major beer and entertainment festivals in Germany:
Bremer Freimarkt in Bremen
The largest festival in Northern Germany. Here you can enjoy lots of traditional food and beer.
Runs approx. 2 weeks starting mid of October.
Location: “Bremer Freimarkt” takes place on the Bürgerweide in Bremen. Opening hours: daily from 1 pm to 11 pm , Friday and Saturday until midnight.
Stuttgart Beer Festival: Cannstatter Wasen
Stuttgart Beer Festival, held at the end of September, attracts more than five million visitors each year, making it Germany‘s second biggest beer festival after the Munich Oktoberfest.
The two week festival was first held in 1818 following a famine and its centerpiece is a 24-metre fruit column.
“Bierbörse” in Bonn, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Leipzig and many other places
The Bonn event takes place in July and visitors get a chance to check out more than 600 beers from about 90 brewers. 200.000 visitors are expected to enjoy the beer and great entertainment program.
Visit their website to find out about the schedule for the other cities.
The “Bierfestival” in Berlin
Only a short 3-4 day event early August but with 800.000 visitors not really a small event. The famous Karl-Marx-Allee bears on a 2 km (1.25 mi) the nickname “longest beer garden in the world”.
Opening hours: noon to 10 pm or midnight. On the weekend it opens already at 10 am.
In 2008 approx. 260 breweries from 86 countries offered 1,800 beer specialties in all their diversity.
Strong Beer Season in Munich: walk up to the Nockherberg
“Starkbierzeit” (strong beer season), that’s how it is called in German, is a ca. 4 week event during Lent after the carnival (Fasching) ends. The Paulaner Brewery Wirtshaus on the Nockherberg (a very small hill in Munich) celebrates the official opening. with many prominent. Strong beer season is also celebrated in many other beer halls (… actually in all beer halls) in Munich. See also Best Beer Places / Beer in Munich
Please find more information in our Munich City Portal: Munich
Oktoberfest Munich
Please find more information here: Oktoberfest in Munich
