Brats, wieners, wurst. Whatever you call them, sausages are a German staple, especially at any festival or market. If you’re new in town, you might find yourself staring at the options and thinking, “Why is that sausage white? Sausage isn’t white. And why is that one almost black?
Hours of sight-seeing have made you ravenous, so you’ve taken a break to down some pommes frites and a foamy beverage. But you’re not in France-- you’re in Belgium, where the locals still dispute the origin of “French” fries and crafting beer is a fine art, hundreds of years in the making.
It was a decision Europe and much of the world was waiting for: would Germany cancel the world’s largest beer festival? Bavarian leaders made the decision today to cancel the 187th year of Oktoberfest.
Ah, spring! The days are growing longer, and the first timid buds of the season, from daffodils to almond blossoms, begin to appear. Things to make us happy this month include Germany’s wonderful Easter markets.
Anytime someone finds out I live in Germany, they assume I travel every single weekend, dine nightly on schnitzel in a castle while drinking Bier in a Dirndl seven nights a week. One of those is correct.
Dating back to the 12th century, Belgian beers have left their culinary mark. Initially brewed with a low-alcohol content, beer was once used as a safer alternative to the country’s available drinking water supply.
Autumn is my favorite time of year in Deutschland. The seasonal specialties in restaurants around town are to die for; trees turn from green to gold to burgundy; and beer and wine flow freely at lively festivals nearly every weekend.
It’s officially beer fest season! Oktoberfest may be just a few weeks away, but there are still a number of ways to celebrate. If you want a different kind of beer experience, consider taking a trip to the home of one of Germany’s favorite beers, the Krombacher Brauerei.
Already know which beer fest you're going to this fall? Now you need to think about what you're going to wear. Join the fun and go traditional — "Dirndls" and "Lederhosen" are the preferred beer fest outfits.
Dirndls
Every year, 600,000 visitors from all over the globe flock to Munich for the world’s largest and most well-known beer fest … if you plan to attend Oktoberfest this year or have a friend who is, here’s what you need to know to stay safe.
1. Establish a meeting point.
Munich’s Oktoberfest is the epitome of German beer festivals. Considered the largest fair in the world, 6 million people are drawn to the Bavarian capital every fall from all over the globe. But popularity isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
Kleinbrauermarkt / Brewer’s Market
May 3-5, Ulm
Some 14 regional brewers adhering to traditional methods showcase their potent wares next door to Ulm’s towering cathedral.
