Oktoberfest in Munich & The Partnach Gorge in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
This weekend in Germany was amazing! From the excitement of Oktoberfest, to the awe of Garmisch’s beauty. This tightly packed weekend began in the vibrant city of Munich during Oktoberfest, followed by a day trip to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and its breathtaking Partnach Gorge.
Munich
Day 1
Our journey started off in Florence. We took a Flixbus to Munich through the night, going through the beautiful Austrian alps, and arriving at about 10am in Munich the next day. Once we arrived, we first went to the train station to drop off our bags at the storage lockers.
The Austrian Alps
Our view from the bus as the sun was rising.
Note:
If you are planning on using the storage lockers at the Munich train station, it is packed during Oktoberfest, so get there earlier than later, and BRING COINS. You need coins to use the lockers, and there is no atm or coin machine there.
After getting our bags sorted we headed to Oktoberfest! I was pleasantly surprised that there are no tickets or entrance fee required to go to Oktoberfest. You literally just walk in, it's amazing! The moment you step inside you are greeted with a thrilling carnival atmosphere. There are rides, games, lots of food and snacks, and so many beer tents. Everyone dresses up, from toddlers to grandparents.
Pictured are Lebkuchen hearts, traditional heart shaped gingerbread cookies, covered in milk chocolate typically given to loved ones, like valentines, or worn around the neck.
Another thing that surprised me was the range of people that attended. I always thought the Oktoberfest was mostly an adult-oriented atmosphere with dancing and drinking being the majority of what the festival entails. Though, there are so many other things to do around the huge fairgrounds, as well as so many people that come as a family all dressed in full Bavarian attire.
First Oktoberfest Beer!
Of course we walked around to explore everything. There were so many things to see and do, we even rode a roller coaster. We looked in all the beer tents and I remember being amazed. The tents were enormous and there were people dancing and singing on the tables, and all over the place. Many of the tents have live bands too. There are a variety of tents to go in, some smaller than the others. If you don’t want to wait super long for a table, or the chaotic atmosphere is a little too much, there are smaller buildings to go into, still with live music and lots of beer.
Sea’s of People in the Tents
Bratwurst!
The food options and pricing was pretty great too. There were candied nuts, bratwurst, schnitzel, and so much more.
I pretty much just ate a couple bratwurst throughout the day because they were 5 euros each. We eventually found some other people in our group and got a table in one of the tents. It was so fun to see the bands and watch everyone dance. You can also hang out in all the tents for the most part, even if you don't have a table. It is still fun to walk around all of them, people watch, and dance. We left the festival around 7pm after a full day of fun.
Note:
If want to guarantee a table in one of the tents, make a reservation well in advance or arrive very early (like 5am).
Day 2
The second day we walked around Munich a bit and explored the city sights. We started by walking through a beautiful park. There is so much greenery in this city. Our first stop of the day was the famous Eisbachwelle river surfing.
Because of the way the water flows through the river, it creates a constant wave and is a popular spot for river surfers.
This was one of the coolest things we saw. We stayed for a while to watch.
Eisbachwelle river
After that we found ourselves walking through Court Garden, a beautiful garden with isles of colorful flowers. Another great thing about Munich was how safe it felt. There were so many bikes that were left on the street and sidewalk without locks or anything. The streets were beautiful and clean.
Munich
Beautiful buildings sandwiching the streets.
We finally made it to our final destination of the morning, the Rathaus-Glockenspiel at Munichs town hall, also known as The New Town Hall. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel is one of Germany's famous cuckoo clocks. It is huge, and has a lengthy 15 minute show everyday at 11am and 12pm, as well as 5pm March-October. Definitely worth checking out if you are in Munich. The clock was located in Marienplatz Square, a very cool spot with lots of shops and stunning architecture.
Rathaus-Glockenspiel Cuckoo Clock
After our sight seeing, we headed to Oktoberfest mid day. It was a bit more gloomy on Friday so it is best to have an umbrella on hand. This day at the festival was very similar to the first. We danced and drank the day away. We also checked out some more tents and had a blast!
Garmisch
Day 3
The third day of our trip we decided to leave the city to travel to Garmisch-Partenkirchen to go to the Partnach Gorge. We left Munich bright and early to make it to Garmisch in good time. We accidentally got the wrong train so we got off and eventually figured out the right one with the help of some locals and workers. Once we arrived at the correct train station there was a free shuttle to the bus stop. There was a hostel with a cute cafe so we stopped at it to have some coffee and breakfast. After making our pb & js for the day, we headed to the gorge! There is a bus from the main station that will take you to the gorge but we decided to walk.
The area we were in was not large. The walk was stunning and only about 20 minutes. The walk was through the most serene landscape. The town has classic Bavarian architecture and so many pretty colors. Surrounded by rolling hills of bright green grass, sheep and cows everywhere; it felt like the sound of music. I also remember seeing almost no people on our walk, it was very peaceful.
The Große Olympiaschanze: Olympic Ski Hill
Garmisch is also famous for its olympic stadium and ski slope from the 1936 Olympic Winter Games.
The path to the entrance of the gorge.
We arrived at the Partnach Gorge and paid the 6.50 euro entry fee. You can get your ticket ahead of time as well. If you purchase it online make sure to download it ahead of time because there is little to no service in the gorge. The walk through the gorge was absolutely gorgeous with milky blue water and towering rock walls.
The Partnach Gorge
Once we were out of the gorge there were a few paths we could take to continue hiking or turn around. We did a hike to loop around to the entrance. After our excursion, we headed back to the bus station to catch our Flixbus home. Our bus came at about 4pm and we rode it through the night again. We arrived in Florence in the middle of the nigh, taxied back to our apartment, slept for a couple hours, and headed to class bright and early on Monday!
Our weekend in Germany was amazing! I highly recommend visiting Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen if you are ever in Germany. There is still so much more to explore, I definitely want to go back one day!
