Munich, Germany

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Ah Munich, has there ever been a city more fond of it's beer? Probably; but few drink it as enthusiastically and with as much style. It should go without saying at if you should find yourself in Munich at the end of September, you are obligated to attend Oktoberfest.

Historically, this festival is a king's wedding party which got out of hand and somehow endured to this day. It was at some point held in October, but moved earlier in the year to take advantage of the good weather. The beer stein is 1L and will cost you roughly 10 euro including tip.

The trickiest part in all this is getting involved in the festival. It is free to enter, and you must acquire a seat before you can be served any beer. To obtain a seat, you can go one of a few routes: you can come in at opening and secure a table having others join you, or come in later and join others, or join a tour group and have them figure it out for you. All work quite well so long as you're adventurous enough.

The best beer around is known as Augustiner Brau, though the others are just as delicious. I would recommend trying the Hefeweizen as well. Whichever beer you drink, take care to moderate yourself, as German beer is exceptionally strong and surprisingly smooth. Note that it is brewed at an even higher alcohol percentage for the festival.

If you've had enough of the festival but are still in the mood for beer, venture to any of the local beer halls. They are significantly cheaper and are a nice way to experience the usual beer culture outside of the festival.

At some point, you may find yourself sober enough to realize there is more to the city than the festival and the beer halls. At such a time I would recommend taking any of the tours that are running in Munich, or simply wonder around. There is a great deal of history here, as well as some impressive architecture and interesting museums.

If you truly have a good deal of time to spend, go to the Deutsches museum. It is without a doubt the largest and most impressive museum I've been to. You can spend a day here from opening to closing visiting the exhibits at a brisk pace, and still not see everything.