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Explore the Beer Tents of Oktoberfest
Tent #1: The Hippodrom
"One of the hottest tents at the Wiesn," notes flickr user beketchai. "This tent gets packed at opening time, so it's hard to find a seat."
FAST FACTS:
FAST FACTS:
- Capacity: 4,200 (3,200 inside, 1,000 outside)
- Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
- Website: www.hippodrom-oktoberfest.de
Gallery: The Hippodrom - Munich, Germany Oktoberfest
Tent #2: Armbrustschützen
This tent is all about hunting and visitors can sit in the themed boxes (pheasants or badgers) and admire the hunters' trophies," according to Bayern.by's Oktoberfest guide.
FAST FACTS:
FAST FACTS:
- Capacity: 5,830 people inside, 1,600 outside.
- Brewery: Paulaner
- Website: www.armbrustschuetzenzelt.de
Tent #3: Hofbräu
"The proprietors Margot and Günter Steinberg know how to treat their guests well. It is not uncommon to already find Maß glasses being raised to toasts and guests rocking back and forth to the music at midday. This is not least because Hofbräu guests come from all over the world," according to the official Oktoberfest website. "Americans and Austrians feel especially happy here."
FAST FACTS
FAST FACTS
- Capacity: 6,896 people inside, 3,022 outside.
- Brewery: Hofbräu München
- Website: www.hb-festzelt.de
Tent #4: Hacker
"The slogan is integral to the Hacker-Festzelt philosophy: when surrounded by clouds and stars with a cold Maß (liter of beer) in the hand, you may feel as though you are truly in a 'Bavarian Heaven'."
FAST FACTS
FAST FACTS
- Capacity: 9,300
- Brewery: Hacker-Pschorr
- Website: www.hacker-festzelt.de
Tent #5: Schottenhamel
The biggest and most important tent of the fest: Schottenhamel. "On the opening day of the Wiesn, at 12 pm on the dot, the mayor of Munich, Christian Ude will tap the first keg and call out 'O'zapft is!' confirming that the tapping was successful. It is only after this that all other tents may begin to serve beer," according to the official Oktoberfest website.
FAST FACTS
FAST FACTS
- Capacity: 10,000 (6,000 inside, 4,000 outside)
- Brewery: Spaten-Franziskaner-Bräu
- Website: www.festzelt.schottenhamel.de
Gallery: Schottenhamel -- Munich, Germany Oktoberfest
Tent #6: Winzerer Fähndl
"This tent is noted for its huge tower, with a Maß of Paulaner beer sitting atop it," according to Wikipedia.
FAST FACTS
FAST FACTS
- Capacity: 8,450 inside, 2,450 outside.
- Brewery: Paulaner
"One thing, which has made this tent world-famous, is the sucking pig prepared in an authentic Bavarian manner in malt beer sauce and served with coleslaw. It is even served in the traditional "lukewarm" Bavarian manner and will melt in your mouth! Enjoy your meal." -- Official Oktoberfest website.
FAST FACTS:
FAST FACTS:
- Capacity: 4,442
- Brewery: Löwenbräu
Filed under: Festivals and Events, Food and Drink, Nightlife
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Anthony Tedesco Sep 22nd 2007 5:55PM
Hi,
First of all, it's a SUCKLING PIG, not a Sucking Pig that the Schuetzen Fest Zelt prepares and in Bavarian Dialect it's called a Spofackl - high German is Spann Ferkel. It is EXCELLENT!!!
The last time I lived in Germany from 10/1983 -
08/2005, I was at the Oktoberfest almost every weekend of every year starting in 1984. I always went to the same Tent - HACKER FEST ZELT and sit near SCHENKE DREI, that's tap # 3 back in the right corner NOT FAR from the Bathrooms!!!
Since 9/11/2001 the Oktoberfest has changed dramatically. The tents are fuller and if you aren't there when they open you might have a hard time finding a seat, ESPECIALLY if you are with a group. If you get there before they open, go to the entrances on the sides that are the furthest back. Less people there than in the front and then run like HELL to get a seat when the doors open. That means between 0730 - 0800 on the weekends and an hour later during the week.
During the week there is a lot of reserved seating for Companies so look for signs that say -
VON DER RESERVIERUNG AUSGESCHLOSSEN which means you can sit there and don't have to worry about someone from a company coming along and making you leave. Reserved tables are marked on the ends with a sheet of paper and the company's name.
They have RESERVED SEATING called BOXEN, but they have to be reserved during the first months of the year. Sometimes if there aren't a lot of people in a Reserved Box, they will let you sit there, but ask first!!!
Once the tents fill to capacity, they lock the doors and only let people in as people leave, so if you get there in the afternoon or sometimes even late morning, especially on the weekends, and want to stroll through every tent to take a look at them, snap some pictures, you might be disappointed coming upon a bunch of locked doors and never see the inside of any of the tents, which are well worth seeing.
I found a hotel with reasonable rates just 5 MINUTES WALKING DISTANCE, (a little longer on the return trip)from the Oktoberfest Grounds and right next to, well actually, on top of the subway at
Goethe Platz. It's called the Garagen Hotel, Lindwurm Strasse 20 - 30 and their phone number is 089-5442440 or from the States 011-49-89-5442440. It sits back off the street. Elke and Willi Schrall are the real nice folks that own the hotel and it comes with Breakfast. Very Modern!! Tell them Tony Tedesco said HELLO and SERVUS if you stop by there.
I don't miss the Oktoberfest the way it is now. I miss it the way it was before 9/11/2001. Now, if you leave the tent you'll never make it back in, so no stroll in the FRESH AIR to clear your head after 4 or five liters of beer, go for a walk for an hour or two around the grounds (knowing your friends are saving your part of the bench)and grab something to eat at my FAVORITE FOOD STAND - ZIMMERMANS'S, on the corner where the LOEWENBRAEU TENT is with the big ROARING LION. Good food and good folks who I have known for over 20 years. You can tell them Tony Tedesco said HELLO and SERVUS also!!!!!!!!!!
I usually had 10 liters of beer every day, going on each Friday and Saturday and I was about 8.9 on the Richter Scale when I left the Tent. I would drive home on Sunday. 60 liters of beer in 6 days plus whatever I drank at home.
HAVE A GREAT TIME IF YOU GO THERE AND DON'T SIT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE BATHROOM OR THE TAP!!! I used to sit in what I called the Bermuda Triangle, where the Tap and the Bathroom were all within 50 to 100 feet away from my table!!! We did lose a few people over the years!!!
I spent 34 years of my life in Germany as an Army Brat, in the Army and working for the Army as a Civilian. It's just not what it used to be. Too much complaining by the Germans about EVERYTHING, but if you're a tourist and don't understand it, you're better off!!! ENJOY IT. I went to the University of Maryland in Munich my Freshman Year 1972 - 1973 and the exchange rate was about 3.60 German Marks to the Dollar and a liter of beer cost a buck.
Go see the Hofbraeuhaus, a huge Beer Hall, in the evening when the band is there, around the corner from Marien Platz where the Glockenspiel is and walking distance from the Oktoberfest Grounds!!! One of my favorite places in the WORLD!!!
If I can provide you with any other information, please email me at
AnthonyJPTedesco@aol.com
and put Oktoberfest as the subject so it doesn't get sucked up by my SPAM FILTER!!!
I do have one connection that has reserved tables and might have one open - FOR A PRICE - almost every day so maybe I can help!!!
TAKE CARE AND ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TONY TEDESCO