Good morning all I am making the giant step of getting married this year and am off the Berlin at the end of the month for their annual beer festival. I was hoping tht ppl who might have been before would be able to pass on some tips on where and where not to go and where we stand with dressing up as i have been told the German police can be fragile? any advice would be welcome. We fly the morning of Friday 25th and come back Tuesday 29th. Wish me luck
The Berlin Beer Festival? Never heard of it. Seems to be about the same time as the Oktoberfest down here in Munich. Anyway, congratulations to you and a long and happy life to you both.
Should be no problem with dressing up boil - it's a very tolerant place, you should see some of the outfits on CSD. Just don't come anywhere near where I live In terms of boozing I would think you have everything you need at the Beer Festival. If you fancy a change there are some nice "beach bars" along the river front. In terms of sightseeing, I would definitely recommend (in no particular order): (1) Potsdamer Platz and surrounding area including Reichstag, Branderburg Gate, Holocaust Memorial (2) Treprotwer Park - amazing Russian war memorial, also a good place for a boat trip if that takes your fancy (3) Alexanderplatz (TV tower), Museums Island, Cathedral (4) Berlin Wall memorial at Bernauer Straße (5) If you are feeling really adventurous - the palaces at Sans Soucci in Potsdam (probably best not wearing fancy dress here) (6) Topgraphy of terror - situated in the cellars of the former SS Headquarters, very chilling place http://www.topographie.de/en/ (7) Checkpoint Charlie museum (not as good as it was 20 years ago when you could still see where the wall ran, but still worth a visit) Plenty of info on google in English, I would also recommend getting a BVG ticket (tube / bus network) for your duration, makes it much easier getting around. You can get them on arrival, details here: http://www.bvg.de/en/
My experience is that lots of places in Germany have cottoned on to the beer festival idea after the success of Oktoberfest and have their own annual beer festival. The more the merrier and all that ..........
Yes, of course, we're apt to think we've got the only one down here which isn't true. Know there are Wine Fests all over the country too, they're not bad; went to one on the Mosel once (missus has wine farmer relatives there), don't remember a lot about it. God, I was plastered every bloody evening for a week!
I live near Wembley and my local pub was flooded with Bayern and Dortmund fans for the Champions league final in 2013. Boy can those lads drink
Seem to recall Chelsea fans did quite well, in that respect, in Munich a few years ago! Very well-behaved though, must say. Were complimented by the TV people here, before and after the big game. Got to give credit where credit's due, and I'm a Loftus Road fan remember!
Maybe football fans are better behaved than motor racing fans. Many moons ago I went to the Bathurst 1000 and camped on the mountain with **** loads of rev heads. Camp fires sprung up all over the place and the piss flowed like the Nile. It turned out to be a night of debauchery, a drunken, **** fest, one the good woman wouldn't let me join.
Never been to the Berlin Beer Festival but have attended similar shenanigans in Regensburg, Nurnberg, Koln and two in Munich (Spring Volksfest and the 'big daddy'. Every year I watch the TV shows on the German TV; best part is the various items 'lost' or left behind at The Oktoberfest; wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs (not mine) come to mind!!! I was meant to visit Berlin in August to complete some research which mean a great deal to me however I could not resist another trip to Koln!!
thanks guys appreciate it . What can the lads expect to pay beer wise as we are there for 3 full days almost and there wondering how much to take?
Prices not to different from UK; depends on what 'type' of establishment you are drinking. There will be 'Bavarian' bars where you can choose between a full litre or a half litre which is just less than a pint. The best half litre is Weissbier. If I recall correctly the Berliners sometimes take fruit cordial in their beer. Search out "Stav - Standige Vertretung" which is a chain of 'political' bars which serves the Kolsch from Koln.This is usually taken in 0,2 litre measures!!! You can guess that Germany, particularly Koln and Bavaria is my favourite holiday destination. In fact the only other trip I take each year is to Paris in early November for 'Le Week-End International de L'Obstacle'. This is made up of two days of the 'jumps' which is easily the standard of any two days of the Cheltenham Festival. The only difference being the entry price of six euros with free racecards!!!
Using the rough translation of 1 pint = 0.5 litre, expect to pay between 3 and 4 Euros a pint. Cheaper in the smaller "Kneipen" (bars - small, smokey, full of 50-somethings - doubt you's want to go there). The difference to the UK being that, instead of drinking Carling or some other piss with 4% alcohol, most brews here have at least 4.8% with many "normal" beers between 5% and 5.4%. Some of the special festival beers have 5.6% and upwards - to be treated with utmost respect!! The "Ständige Vertretung" to which Kenny refers is on Schiffbauerdamm, map here. Usually very busy but well worth a visit - you don't have to order beer, the waiers walk around with trays of 10 Kölsch (0.2 litre) and just give you a fresh one when they see your glass is empty - very dangerous but good fun.
I went on a stag do to the Berlin Beer Festival in August Boily. Absolutely brilliant. Spent over £1000 in four days.
- Good info and prices very reasonable in Berlin. Oktoberfest prices now sky-rocketing every year it seems. Cost this year of a 1-litre (roughly1.76 pints) Oktoberfest Maß** in the tents will be between €10.10 in the Augustiner-Festhalle, and €10.35 in the Löwenbräu-Festzelt, other brewery tents in-between these prices, all very expensive. We now make only one serious trip during the fortnight, usually go for a couple of short visits where we have genuine fish & chips and a beer, at a Hamburg-run 'stand-up' stall. Damn good, must say. **To be fair, should point out that the Oktoberfest Beers are very strong brews, the strongest being the 6.3% Vol. Alcohol in the Hofbräuhaus tent, and the lowest the 5.7% Vol. Alcohol in the Spaten tent. Many first-time visitors to the Wies'n (as it's known by locals) find this out to their cost!
During one of my last visit to the Oktoberfest when my mother was having a snooze below the statue of 'Bavaria' I found myself in this small(?) tent with all the 'Schickies' in their fancy Trachten and Dirndl. Was having quite a time to myself when I remembered that I had left 'Flo' on her todd! I should not have worried as when I returned I discovered that she was doing a roaring (free) business as a 'waker-upper' of young men of all nationalities who had decided (?) to have a mid afternoon flake out!!
Have just become 'friends' on Facebook with a guy who works for FC Bayern. On his page he states he is going to Berlin for the Britzer Oktoberfest which unfortunately lasts three days and ends just before you leave. Too bad you would have sampled a wee bit of Bavaria in Berlin!!
