The Hungarian Girl » Germany

Oktoberfest celebrates 200 years in 2010

The Hungarian Girl — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 19:45:23 +0000

Oktoberfest celebrated its 200^th anniversary in 2010 and we were there to enjoy in the festivities. Here are some highlight photos of the event that year.

Vistiors walking along the street of Wirtsbudenstrabe, where the beer tents and rides are located.

Women selling giant pretzels outside of a beer tent.

In front of the Löwenbräu beer tent. Löwenbräu means "lion's brew".

Lebkuchen hearts at a market stall. These decorative cookies are meant to be given to a loved one and usually have special messages written on them such as Ich liebe dich" (I love you) and "Du bist mein Liebling" (You are my favorite).

The Hippodrome beer tent, which first opened in 1902. It became the first Oktoberfest beer tent to offer amusement along with food and drink.

A beer carousel which is almost as popular as some of the beer tents. The carousel moves at a nice slow pace with the bar in the center.

Toys given out as prizes. Carnival booths were first introduced into the festival in 1816.

Guys dressed in lederhosen having a good time in front of the Hippodrom beer tent.

Visitors drinking at the Schottenhamel beer tent. This is where the traditional Anstich (ceremonial opening of the first beer barrel of the festival) is performed by the city's mayor.

An older woman enjoying her beer at the Schottenhamel beer tent.

A woman dances with her young daughter at the Schottenhamel beer tent. People of all ages come to the festival.

Roast pork with cucumber potato salad.

White sausages which are a specialty of Munich.

A food vendor preparing steckerlfisch (fish on a stick).

Older couples dancing to traditional Bavarian folk music.

Teenagers wearing traditional Bavarian attire at an equestrian performance.

A brave visitor on a thrill ride.

Bavarian men in traditional attire with alphorns.

Amateur horse racing at the track, which was brought back this year in honor of the 200th anniversary celebrations.

The Almabtrieb: An Alpine Tradition

The Hungarian Girl — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 04:04:25 +0000

Holy cow! It's the Almabtrieb, an annual festival that celebrates the arrival of the autumn season. Herds of cows are led down from the mountain pasture and are paraded through the village.

It’s not too often that someone can say the phrase “til the cows come home” and mean it. But in the alpine regions of Europe, during the autumn season, this is exactly what takes place.

The Almabtrieb is a pastoral custom which involves herds of cows that are decorated with colorful headdresses and bells being led to their stables for the winter.

Each summer farmers graze their cattle at high altitudes. However, this can be a risky venture as the cows could get injured by falling down or even get struck by lighting. Thus, when summer in the Alps goes well, it’s a parade-worthy achievement. The Almabtrieb means a successful summer with no loss of livestock and a thank you to God. Everyone in the village comes to celebrate with music, food, and drinks. The custom is still widely practised in many farming communities and attracts many tourists each year.

So if you’re interested in witnessing this unique cultural event then you’ll want to go the Almabtrieb on your next visit to Europe.

Tokaji Wine: Fame, Fate, Tradition

Oktoberfest celebrates 200 years

The Hungarian Girl — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:02:51 +0000

Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair, with some six million people attending every year. The festival traces its roots back to 1810 when the citizens of Bavaria came together to honor the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

On October 12, 1810, the townspeople of Munich came together to honor the marriage of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.

The following day, celebrations continued with various activities, including concerts, parties, balls, and even a horse race. It was so spectacular and intense that the royals of Bavaria decided to hold another event a year later. Eventually, it was agreed that Oktoberfest would become an annual event which was prolonged and moved forward into September for better weather conditions.

Oktoberfest is now the world’s largest fair with over six million people attending every year. It consists of 30 different tents across the grounds of Theresienwiese Park, each specializing in different beers, food and music.

This year Oktoberfest will mark 200 years since it first began as a royal wedding celebration. Officially Oktoberfest has only taken place 176 times due to cancellations from wars and conflicts. However, organizers still consider this to be an important year and have arranged for some special activities including extending the festival by a day at opening and closing.

Events include a historic reconstruction of the original festival using an antique Oktoberfest tent and exhibition of historical fun fair attractions. Traditional horse races will be held daily twice a day. The last time a horse race occurred was in 1938, after which it was cancelled for political reasons.

The city of Munich will also host a special tribute of its own. The Oktoberfest-Exhibition at the City Museum of Munich will showcase the history of Oktoberfest from its origins as Bavarian celebration with royal overtones to the world’s largest beer and folk festival from July 9 through the end of October. Approximately 800 artifacts are on display including those that were directly involved in the original festivities at one time or another.

Visitors can also purchase an official 200 year jubilee stein handmade by the company Rastal. It features image of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen along with the “Muenchner Kindl” (the coat of arms of Munich). The stein can be purchased from the official Oktoberfest website.

This year’s festivities will run from Friday, September 17th through Monday, October 4th. The official tapping of the first beer barrel will be celebrated on Saturday 18th at noon. Admission to the event is free.

So get ready for two weeks of thigh-slapping-om-pah-pah-merriment!

Top 10 beer festivals in Germany

The Hungarian Girl — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:12:57 +0000

Germany has several large and well-known beer festivals. The most popular is the Munich Oktoberfest which is the world’s largest fair attracting over six million people each year.

A visit to Germany is incomplete without going to an authentic German beer festival.

Here are the top 10 beer festivals that will have you saying “Prost!”

10) Hanover Schützenfest

The world’s biggest marksman’s festival is celebrated every year in Hannover. It combines a fair with shooting matches among members of the local marksmen’s association, various rides and inns, and lively entertainment. The highlight of Hanover Schützenfest is the 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) long Parade of the Marksmen which is is the longest parade in Europe if not the world. Of course, there’s also lot’s of beer!

9) Munich’s Frühlingfest

For anyone who wants to get as close as possible to Oktoberfest while traveling Germany without really being there will find that Munich’s Frühlingfest (Spring Festival) is the ideal choice. This beer festival is a miniature version of Oktoberfest even held on the same fair grounds, called the Theresienwiese in Munich. Beer tents, carnival rides, and oompah-music bands playing traditional German songs set the scene for this lively festival.

8 ) Munich’s Starkbierzeit

Munich’s Starkbierzeit also reffered to as “strong beer time” is exactly as the title suggests. Every year in early spring local breweries produce their strongest beers. The festival’s roots go back to the Paulaner monks who, according to legend, began making an extra-strength beer to sustain themselves during their Lenten fast. The festival is an excellent showcase of Bavaria’s distinctive culture and traditions.

7) Kulmbacher Bierfest

Unlike other festivals, the Kulmbacher Bierfest is exclusively dedicated to beer. The town is the proud home of four breweries that each put up a huge pavilion in the town center to sell their special beers. A variety of typical Franconian food is also available.

6) Barthelmarkt

The Barthelmarkt occurs in Manching near Ingolstadt on the last weekend of August. Though first mentioned in 1354, its roots can be traced back as early as to the first century BC, when the Romans established a cattle market in the area. The name “Barthelmarkt” stems from St. Bartholomew, the patron saint of the local church.

5) Gäubodenvolksfest

Founded in 1812 as an agricultural gathering of the people in the Danube region, the Gäubodenvolksfest is a modern and family friendly festival. Beers from the Straubing-Bogen region are served, and on the first day there is a “bierprobe” meaning “tasting of the beer”, with a parade of 2,000 participants in traditional Bavarian costumes and on horse carriages and wagons.

4) International Berlin Beer Festival

Usually held on the first weekend of August annually, the festival takes place on the Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin Friedrichshain. The city’s “beer mile” stretches 2.2 km from Frankfurter Tor to Strausberger Platz which organisers claim makes it the world’s longest beer garden. One million visitors attend the International Berlin Beer Festival each year. For anyone seeking to sample a variety of beers will appreciate it’s selection of 2,000 varieties representing 85 countries with a focus on smaller, private breweries.

3) Bremen Freimarkt

First held in 1035, Bremen Freimarkt is the oldest fair in Germany. With more than four million visitors each year, it is also considered to be the biggest festival in Northern Germany. The festival offers a number of beer tents, amusement rides, and entertainment. An annual highlight is the “Freimarktsumzug” (Free Fair Procession) held on the second Saturday of the festival.

2) Cannstatter Volksfest

In terms of size, the Cannstatter Volksfest also known as Stuttgart Beer Festival is second-only to the Oktoberfest in Munich. It began in 1818 as a harvest festival following a famine and has since been taking place at the end of September every year. The fun-filled festival features beer tents, fairground rides, fireworks, a market and much more.

1) Munich’s Oktoberfest

Nothing compares to Munich’s Oktoberfest at least in size and attendance. It is the world’s largest fair with over six million visitors a year. So, if your looking for an excuse to celebrate with beer…this is the place to be!

Trabant Tours: Nostalgic Sightseeing in Central and Eastern Europe

The Hungarian Girl — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:56:56 +0000

The Trabant 601 has become an iconic tourist attraction throughout the former communist states.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and what better way to go sightseeing around where the wall once stood than in a Trabant. Besides the many events and activities celebrating its infamous destruction, there is a unique phenomenon taking place in the region – the popularity of Trabant tours.

The Trabant was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau from between 1957 to 1991. The ”people’s car” with its two-stroke engine, famously known for its flimsy workmanship has become an icon of the past Communist era and the latest tourist attraction. Times sure have changed for this little car! Once scoffed at, it’s now trendy to drive. It’s become such a sensation that even Former Bulgarian foreign minister Solomon Passy made a point of taking visiting dignitaries, including the late pope John Paul II, for a spin in his Trabant. The nostalgic car was also featured in the 2003 international hit film “Good Bye Lenin“, which was a political comedy about the transformation of East Germany.

Now you can drive one yourself. Trabant tours are widely available throughout all of Central and Eastern Europe including in Germany where you can rent one from tour companies like “Trabi-Safari“ and drive through places like former East Berlin to see past communist landmarks.

In Budapest, “Rent a Trabant” offers eager tourists the option to drive a Trabant on a closed circuit track or engage in a Trabant treasure hunt through the city streets.

So, if you’re looking for a unique way to tour the region while learning about its turbulant past, you might consider throwing modern day driving sensibilities to the wind and instead rent a Trabant. Below is a listing of various Trabant tours throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

Happy motoring comrades!

Germany

Event & Touring AG
Trabant tours available in Berlin, Leipzig, Mühlanger, Müritz, and Greifswald.
http://www.trabant-mieten.de

Trabi-Safari
Offers daily Trabant tours in Berlin and Dresden.
http://cms.trabi-safari.de/opencms/opencms/trabi-safari/en/_main/home/

Hungary

Rent a Trabant
Tour company specializing in Trabant tours and rentals in Budapest.
http://www.rentatrabant.com

Poland

Cracow City Tours
Young tour company offering a variety of trips including 2 to 4 hour Trabant tours in Cracow.
http://www.cracowcitytours.pl

Crazy Guides
Specializes in “Communist tours” throughout Poland.
http://www.crazyguides.com/cars/

Ukraine

GoEast
Various adventure tours available in Kiev.

http://www.goeast.com.ua

German Beer Guide

The Hungarian Girl — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:27:31 +0000

Germany currently ranks as the 3rd largest consumers of beer per capita just after the Czech Republic and Ireland.

There’s no doubt that Germans love their beer!

The history of German beer dates back to the beginnings of the country when monks began to experiment with brewing around 1000 A.D. Eventually, brewing became very profitable for the monks and the country’s leaders began to implement laws surrounding the production of beer.

Today, there are over 1,300 breweries across the country along with more than 5,000 kinds of beer varieties. As well, Germany currently ranks as the 3rd largest consumers of beer per capita just after the Czech Republic and Ireland.

So if you’re interested in finding out more about German beers, here’s a brief guide to getting you started.

Prost!

Reinheitsgebot

The Reinheitsgebot also known as the “German Beer Purity Law” or the “Bavarian Purity Law” is a regulation on the production of beer in Germany. The Reinheitsgebot dates back to 1516 and is the oldest food regulation in the world. In the original text, the only ingredients that could be used in the production of beer were water, barley and hops. However, in recent years some breweries have decided to include other ingredients in their production as well.

Beer Styles & Varieties

The following below is a list of the most common German beer styles and varieties:

Altbier: A strong, dark, top fermented hoppy beer brewed around Düsseldorf and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Berliner Weisse: A pale, very sour wheat beer brewed in the city of Berlin. It’s often served with fruit syrup.

Bockbier: Originally drunk by monks during the Lenten fast to assist in providing more protein and calories. Bockbier is an amber, heavy-bodied, bitter-sweet lager. It can have an alcohol content of up to 16% making it stronger than many wines.

Dortmunder: A full-bodied, moderately hopped beer of at least 5% alcohol by volume. The beer originated in Germany’s steel and coal district along the River Ruhr in the 19th century.

Dunkel: A dark, sweet beer containing roasted malt flavors. Dunkel is the German word for “dark.”

Helles: A full-bodied, bottom fermented, pale lager from Munich.

Oktoberfestbier: A well-aged, stronger lager brewed in March for consumption during and around Oktoberfest time.

Pilsner: One of the most well-known types of German beer, pilsner is a light-colored lager. It accounts for two-thirds of the German beer market share.

Märzen: Medium to full body texture with a malty flavor. Märzen can vary greatly in color from pale to dark varieties.

Schwarzbier: A bottom-fermented dark lager with chocolate or coffee flavor.

Spezial: A pale, full, bitter-sweet and delicately hopped lager.

Famous Brands and Breweries

There are over 1,300 different types of breweries across the country. The following is a list of the most famous brands and breweries:

Augustiner Bräu – Established in 1328, Augustiner Bräu is Munich’s oldest independent brewery and produces some of its most popular brands of beer.

Beck’s Brewery - The famous Beck’s beer is brewed on the riverbanks in Bremen, in the North of Germany. Slightly bitter and known around the world, Beck’s and its local version Haake Beck’s have been crafted since 1879.

Bitburger Brewery – The Bitburger Brewery is known internationally for its Premium Beer brewed according to the German Purity Law of 1516. Its popular, dry-finished, hoppy taste has secured Bitburger’s Premium Beer the position as Germany’s no. 1 draught beer.

Krombacher Brewery – The Krombacher Brewery was founded in 1803 by Bernhard Schadeberg and has continued to be in the hands of the Schadeberg family for generations. The company produces the most consumed Pilsener within Germany.

Warsteiner Brewery – Germany’s largest privately owned brewery dating back to 1753. It’s most popular brand of beer is Warsteiner Premium Verum.

Weihenstephan Brewery – The oldest working brewery in the world dating back to 1040 AD.

Beer Festivals

Germany has several large and well-known beer festivals. The most popular is the Munich Oktoberfestwhich is the world’s largest fair and has over six million people attending each year. Many other places in Germany and around the world have similar events called Oktoberfest, which were founded by German immigrants or their descendants.

The 2nd largest beer festival in Germany is the Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart. In recent years, it’s popularity has increased and so too have the amount of people from around the world visiting the festival.

Beer boots range in size from a shot glass up to several liters.

Just for fun!

Germans may take brewing very seriously but they also like to have a lot of fun. Did you know the ”Beer Boot” is a uniquely German invention? Some believe the Beer Boot was originally invented in the 14 century where soldiers would pass around a leather boot filled with beer before engaging their enemy in battle.

In Deutschland they are called Bierstiefel and these boots are popular with tourists in Bavaria and Munich in particular. Beer boots have became increasingly popular in North America after being featured in Hollywood films and television shows.