(content by Cris A)
The world’s largest beer festival is in Munich, Germany. It is locally-known as Wiesen. The festival serves over 6 million liters of the world’s best beer to more than 6 million visitors.
This tradition started over 200 years ago. Dubbed as Oktoberfest, it has grown tremendously over the years.
However, aside from this one in Munich, there is also the Cannstatter Volksfest. This festival is called the Stuttgart Beer Festival. Stuttgart is the capital of Germany’s Baden Württemberg state. This state is famous for its big castle. It is home to Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. And of course, it is widely popular because of the big beer festival.
The Stuttgart Beer Festival 2021 will happen on September 24th to October 10th, 2021. The Stuttgart Oktoberfest is a more affordable experience. But it is still considered to be the world’s second-biggest beer festival. The Stuttgart Beer festival serves about 4 million visitors.
So if this is something that may interest you, here’s the ultimate guide to help you plan that perfect trip to Stuttgart Oktoberfest.
What to Wear
You can wear anything! There is no dress code. So come in your comfy outfit. Or you can even opt to wear a fancy outfit to stand out.
Belongings to Bring
Carry as few belongings as you can. You don’t want to risk losing a bag when you become drunk! Just carry your important belongings like phone, wallet, and maybe personal necessities. Be careful with your belongings. You never know, there might be some pickpockets lurking around.
Oh, another important reminder is not to bring any bottles with you. These will only be confiscated at the door.
Cash to Bring
Everything there is expensive! So bring extra cash. It may also be hard to find an ATM so make sure you are prepared to spend.
Booking through Hotels
To better ensure entry, you can try booking through your hotel. Some hotels and guesthouses arrange for these along with transportation. It is less hassle for you to book through your hotels but may be costlier.
Learning German Language
Being a popular festival around the world, there are many tourists. You can be fine conversing with many people in English. But if you wish to talk to more locals, it will be great to learn some German words. After all, you would be in Germany! It will be fun to know a new language! Here are words you can memorize and their meanings:
Drink up – G-suffa!
Thank you – Vielen Dank
Can I see the menu please? – Die Speisekarte bitte
Another beer please – Noch ein Bier bitte
Cheers! – Prost!
Taking Photos
It will be terrible to end up drunk without any clear photos as a souvenir of this great experience. So a useful tip, take pictures early on in the night! Take as many pictures as you can. Savor the memory and the experience!
Socializing
This occasion calls for socializing and interaction. Come on, it’s a beer festival! How often do you get to attend such a huge event with tourists all over the world! Who knows you might pick a friend from another side of the world! Or perhaps a lover?
Not Allowed
You can’t take beer mugs out. That is a criminal offense! You will pay a heavy fine for doing so. You can buy mugs as souvenirs. You can’t stand or dance on tables too. Smoking is also not allowed inside the tents.
Enjoying the Moment
Drink different types of beer. As long as you know your limits in drinking beer, you should be fine. Some of the drinks though are really strong. So if you don’t want to pass out early in the night, take a bit of caution. Pace your drinking. To have a break, talk with your friends or meet new ones from another country! This way you can last through the whole night till wee hours of the morning to enjoy the whole experience.
Otherwise, if you are not sure you won’t be drunk, make sure somebody from your group won’t be too drunk. At least you still have somebody to help you navigate back to your hotel.
Food
It’s not just the beer. Food is great at the Oktoberfest! There are so many choices to try. Generally, they are all of good quality and very delicious. The presentation of food is awesome too. So do try different dishes. If this is your first time in Germany, be adventurous and try a range of delicacies.
Journey back to Hotel
Hopefully, somebody from your group is still sober by the time you guys decide to go back. If you are not sure you can get back to the hotel sober enough, better be prepared. You should have a calling card from your hotel to show to the taxi driver. Ensure you still have money left in your pocket to go back to your hotel. Remember to be safe as you walk or ride back. Try to focus on the roads or on the people you encounter. If you are driving, all the more that you can’t be drunk!
We hope these tips help you plan your trip to Stuttgart’s Beer Festival. We are truly excited for you to plan for this next great adventure. Enjoy the beer! Live for the moment. Meet new friends. And lastly, go home with so much fun and memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience!
