Rick Steves

Every fall, Munich throws the planet's biggest kegger – Oktoberfest. It’s a sloppy soup of locals and tourists swaying beer steins and toasting to “Gemütlichkeit,” the cozy and convivial atmosphere.

Oktoberfest dates to 1810, when the Bavarian king threw a grand public wedding reception for his son. It was such a hit that they decided to do it again the next year. And the next, and the next. More than 200 years later, it's become one of Europe's best-known festivals – a beer-fueled frenzy of music, pretzels, and amusement-park rides, with around seven million visitors consuming around seven million liters of beer every year.

From the Mayor’s ceremonial tapping of the first keg at the festival's opening until its end, the huge fairground outside Munich's city center is a slap

See Full Page