Munich and Oktoberfest 2026

I get a standing invitation to come to Oktoberfest in Munich every year.  My good friend Tobias has a way to get a table reserved for him and his friends.  Since I was coming to Europe this year I thought I'd make a stop in Munich before going on to Sicily.  I was lucky to find a Business Class "open-jaw" ticket with Turkish Airlines at a very good price.  I fly from JFK airport in NYC to Istanbul to Munich on the outbound and Palermo to Istanbul to JFK on the inbound.  In between my stay in Munich, including a short visit to Salzburg, and Sicily, I was able to schedule a few days in Naples.  I've always wanted to see Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast so this is the best opportunity for me to do so.  I will write about that trip in my next post.

When I landed in Munich on a late Tuesday evening I had already planned on the trip to Salzburg, which I wrote in my previous post.  Upon my return from Salzburg, after a few hours rest, Tobias and his wife, Christine, and I went straight to Theresienwiese, the area in Munich where Oktoberfest is held.  There was a large crowd on the train and walking towards the fairgrounds.

Tobias, Christine and I

Large crowds outside the beer tent

The official Oktoberfest actually starts in September.  Why?  Years ago they said it was too cold in October so they start in September, and overflow into October.  The day I attended in late September was a beautiful warm day.  We walked around the fairgrounds before going into the tent where we have a table reserved.  It's not easy to get a table.  You can come early and get into a tent but if you are not sitting at a table you won't be served beer.  Through some connections Tobias was able to get a table in one of the tents.  There are about 10 big tents, each holding about 8,000 happy beer drinkers.  Each tent is sponsored by a beer company.  There is a lot of 1-liter mugs of beer sold.  I was told that each tent can generate about 4 million euros a night!  One liter of beer costs about 16 euros.

Our waitress delivering beer

Happy friends!

Drinking and Singing

Fans sining "Sweet Caroline"

Everyone had a glorious time.  Who wouldn't?  After all the beer and a rousing atmosphere you can't help but be happy and singing.  The band was playing very loud music.  As the night goes on the music gets louder and at a higher tempo.  I was waiting for the song that will get everyone singing - "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond.  For some reason this song became the most popular song at Oktoberfest.  Every Oktoberfest I attended in the past, this song will get some to jump on the table and start singing and dancing.  Maybe it's because of its catchy tune and easy sing along tune.  Like many baseball games in the US this song has become the anthem of many public events.  Neil Diamond is sitting happily at home collecting royalties.

I have been to Munich several times but I have mostly gone around the Marienplatz area where there is a big pedestrian mall and in the middle of it all is the well-known and popular Glockenspiel.  

The Glockenspiel in Marienplatz

This time I asked my friend Tobias to show me around the downtown area.  We expanded my previous knowledge of the area and walked by many places I have never seen before.  

Munich Cathedral

Statue of a famous person

An important residence

In the morning we also visited the Lustheim Palace.  It is a beautiful setting for a palace.  It was not busy in the morning but as we were leaving in the afternoon more visitors, including a wedding party showed up.

Lustheim Palace

Another view

We had some refreshments in a beer garden.  I was surprised that the Germans like mackerel.  They eat it barbequed.  Most Americans said that mackerels are too oily, which is exactly why the Germans like it.  Like salmon and sardines, oily fish are healthy.  Mackerels are included in that category.

BBQing mackerels

On Sunday we were invited to lunch with Christine's brother at a small town a few miles away.  There was  a farmers' market going on. 

A German band 

Two women entertaining visitors 

Kids' performance

Our table of friends

It was a wonderful and short visit to Munich.  I feel so lucky to know someone and get invited to Oktoberfest every year.  I will be back!

Salzburg

 Salzburg was not on my itinerary. 

Just before I arrived in Munich I texted my friend what he was planning to do after I arrived.  He said he won't be able to take time off and will be very busy.  He will be going to Heidelberg.  I told him I was thinking of going to Salzburg or Berlin.  He said Salzburg would fit nicely into my schedule.

So I started checking train schedules and asked ChatGPT for a recommended 3-day itinerary and hotel.  There are several trains that stops in Salzburg.  I picked one that is during off-peak and priced lower.  I looked for hotels in the Old Town area and decided on one that is nearby, the Allsadt Salzburg Hofwirt.  I found that hotels in the Old Town area are expensive.  For a simple room I paid more than €300 a night.  Location! Location! Location!

The train ride was smooth.  I walked from my friend Tobias' house to the Daglfing station, about 10 minutes.  I have been to this station many times - to go to and from the airport and to other parts of Munich.  The S8 train went from Daglfing to Munich Hauptbahnhof.  Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) means Main or Central Station.  Every city in Europe has one.  I found Platform 11 and waited for the train that will go to Salzburg. The ride took less than 2 hours, going through the beautiful German and part of Austrian countryside.  Everything was still very green, even though it's already fall.  Like everywhere Europe is feeling the impact of Global warming.

At the Salzburg Hbf I asked the information office for directions to the Hotel Hofwirt, and was told to take the No. 2 bus.  I bought a 1-day ticket and it took about 15 minutes to get to the hotel.

It took a long time to check in to the hotel.  The process was very slow and my room was not ready.  So I had to walk around Salzburg with my backpack.

A view of Old Town 

A pedestrian mall

This is where it started

Sunset over the river

I came back to the hotel for a short rest and that evening set out to look for a well-known restaurant that was highly recommended.  It's called Zirkelwirt, a restaurant that has been around for 400 years.  The food is traditional Austrian and the prices are not very high.

The menu cover

The entrees

Roast Pork with sauerkraut 

The waiter highly recommended the roast pork.  It was delicious.

There were a lot of activities going on in the old town.  There seems to be some kind of festival with a big tent for some traditional Austrian music.

Band playing Austrian music

While walking back to the hotel I met a street singer by the name of Kang.  We chatted and very soon attracted a large crowd of young Austrians who had been at the festival.  We started singing together and soon his guitar case was filled with donations.

Kang with a couple of fans

It was recommended that I buy the Salzburg Card, which allows me to visit most of the attractions in Salzburg for free.  The next morning the first place visited was the Hellbrunn Palace.  I hopped on bus 25 for a 20-minute bus to Hellbrunn.  

Hellbrunn Palace

The famous Trick Fountains was about to be opened so I decided to go there.  Water fountains are hidden in strategic locations so that it'd spray at unexpected moments at the visitors.   Markus Sittikus von Hohenems, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, built the palace and the trick fountains to amuse his visitors.

All the trick fountains at the garden

I took the bus back to Old Town and found Mozart's birthplace and museum.  It was enlightening learning about this prodigy and music genius.

One of Mozart's old violin

A portrait

Another highly-recommended tourist spot is the Mönchsberg.  It is one of five mountains in the city of Salzburg.  I took a funicular to the top of the mountain and was rewarded with a beautiful view of the city.  There were also exhibits explaining  other uses of the mountain top.

A View from the top

Since I was in the Old Town (Allstadt) I also visited the Dom Zu Salzburg or the Salzburg Cathedral.

Salzburg Cathedral

I missed other attractions since I have limited time.  The Salzburg Museum was closed.  I visited the Mirabell Gardens the day before but I wasn't impressed by it.

That evening I took a walk to Old Town again and watched a band playing lively Austrian music.

A lively local band

It was a short but beautiful 3-day visit to Salzburg.  I took the train back to Munich and that afternoon I was ready to go to Oktoberfest!