It’s that time of the year again. The 178th Oktoberfest, opened
in Munich, Germany last Saturday. The three-week long beer festival
held annually in Munich, is one of the most famous events in
Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million
people attending every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part
of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities
across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after
the Munich event.
Only beer which is brewed within the city limits of Munich is
allowed to be served in this festival. Gigantic quantities of
German beer are consumed, with almost 7 million liters served
during the 16 day festival in 2007. A liter of beer at this year's
festival costs between 8.7 and 9.2 euros. Visitors also enjoy a
wide variety of traditional fare such as roast pork, grilled ham,
and sausages along with Pretzel, as well as Bavarian delicacies as
Obatzda (a spiced cheese-butter spread) and Weisswurst (a white
sausage).
