Originally posted by: Perknose
Oktoberfest truly sucks. It's overcrowded and overhyped, and exists in ugly tents surrounded by macadam and East Bumfuck level carney attractions. Tempers flare, people are rude, the whole thing can really suck.
Instead, just walk into the Englischer Garten, the park that runs right through Munchen, and go to the outdoor Biergarten. There'll often be an oompah band playing in the Chinesischer Turm (Chineese pagoda} built by Mad King Willy. After a couple of beers that seems just about right.
Plenty of large picnic tables in a nice, relaxed, green and roomy outdoor setting, and reasonably priced Mass (liters) of beer or radlers (half beer, half lemonade, like a shandy), sold alongside huge soft pretzels. You can sit down next ot and meet real, regular Germans and not foam flecked tourists. Street muscians like Jamaican steel drum groups will sometimes waft through as well.
Wander about 200 yards down and accross the now stream sized Isar River and you'll come to the Monopteros, an open Greek columned circular structure on a hill (also plopped there by Ludwig II) On the side of the hill sit freaks more or less openly smoking dope and playing guitar. In the Summer, German women will take off their tops and sun by the Isar, without shame or gawking, and the good burgers stroll by sticking to the path with their pure bred dogs. Nobody gets in anyone else's business.
Munich is Germany's biggest kleine dorf, a big city with down home coziness and charm.
Monopteros.
Chinesischer Turm.
Biergarten by the Chinesischer Turm.
Roving beer drinker's review.