Munich For Dummies - Some travel tips

Munich is one of the most famous cities in Germany for many reasons and is a great place for a vacation. It is the third largest city in Germany and is home to about 1.4 million people. The city itself has a rich history that is full of cultural and traditional marks on the people and the architecture. There are still many great historical buildings standing today, as well as many great museums and art galleries. But, Munich is known the world over for it's beer, it's festivals, and it's food.

The Hofbrauhaus am Platzl, which is probably the most famous beer hall worldwide, is located in the center of the city and operates the second largest tent at Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is the most famous of Munich's attractions and goes for two full weeks, drawing millions of people. The very first Oktoberfest was held on October 12, 1810 in honor of Prince Ludwig's marriage to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The first festival was closed with a horse race, which continued on every year until it became known as Oktoberfest. Despite the name, most of the festival occurs in September, but it usually finishes on the first Sunday of October.

Of course, at Oktoberfest, the food is just as important as the beer. There are several specialties in the city that come out in full force. The weifswurste, or white sausages, are a specialty in Munich that are usually eaten only before noon, which is a tradition dating back to before there were refrigerators. These sausages are usually served with sweet mustard and a fresh pretzel. Another local specialty are leverkas, which are Bavarian baked sausage loafs that are usually served with potato salad. And of course, the schweinebraten, or pot roasted pork with knodel, which are dumplings made from potatoes and white bread, are usually one of the local favorites, especially in the winter.

But deserts are just as good, and one of the most popular ones is the apfelstrudel apple strudel with a vanilla sauce. The millirahmstrudel, which is a cream cheese strudel is a close second. Then, there are dampfrudeln, which are yeast dumplings that are served with custard and auszogene, which is a fried pastry that is shaped like a donut without a hole.

There are also many great drinks that are specialties of the country and are drank with these favorite foods. Aside from radler, which is half beer and half lemonade, Munich is famous for all of the different breweries in the city and it's famous weifsbier, or wheat beer. There are many wonderful beers that are available with or without Oktoberfest, and you can find both light and dark beer to suit your taste. One of the favorites is Starkbier, which is the strongest of the Munich beers, with 6-9% alcohol.

Close to the festival square, where Oktoberfest is held each year, are great places to stay. You can easily find private vacation rentals that is close to the square and within walking distance to the festival and other main attractions that the city has to offer. But, if you plan to go during Oktoberfest, then you need to make sure that you book your Munich vacation rental way in advance, as this is one of the most popular tourist times in the city.