Frühlingsfest: Disneyland for Adults

After my 10-day spring break, I actually needed a break! I spent the following weekend in Barcelona. I used my time to explore the wonderful city I’ve been so lucky to live in these past four months. As hard as it is for me to admit this, my semester in Barcelona is basically over. Because my program is coming to an immediate hault, I wanted my last weekend abroad (with all my friends) to be the best yet. Unlike most of my trips this semester, where I toured cities to see historic sites and soak up different cultures, this past weekend was solely devoted to drinking and enjoying time with all my friends before we leave Europe and disperse amongst various states all over the country. With that in mind, this past weekend I celebrated FRÜHLINGSFEST -- referred to as Springfest by most Americans -- in Munich, Germany.

1 Litre of Beer, Please.

For those who have never heard of Frühlingsfest (it’s okay – most haven’t): imagine OKTOBERFEST, then shrink it. Like its fall counterpart, Frühlingsfest is a weekend devoted to endless beer drinking and having a good time. And that we did! I traveled to Munich with my usual traveling buddy, Shannon, and then we met up with friends from other cities in Europe. We arrived Thursday night...starving. We planned to grab dinner at AUGISTINER KELLER, but because it was later than we expected, we instead ate a pretzel (or two) and drank a few beers.



Friday, Shannon and I met up with friends who were also in Munich for the festival. We started our day at AUGUSTINER-BRÄUSTUBEN, a well-known beer hall. Once here the beer drinking began. I usually stuck to wheat beer the whole weekend, but because Munich is known for the RADLER, a beer-based drink mixed with lemonade, I had to try it. Not my favorite, a little too sweet, but something I’m glad I can say I tried. After this beer hall, we made our way on over to THERESIENWEISE , the official, open grounds where both, Oktoberfest and Frühlingfest, take place. As we arrived, I began looking around; it reminded me so much of a county fair. Hotdog vendors were scattered around, thee was cotton candy, a ferris wheel, and tons of more rides! The major difference between most county fairs and this festival though was the two massive beer tents situated on the grounds. We finally made it over to the first tent, HIPPODROM; it’s not one of the bigger beer halls, but it’s a popular one among the international crowd who invade the festival. The day flew by! When it was over, we we’re ready to do it all over again on Saturday. 

Enjoying ourselves at Frühlingsfest

On Saturday, we tried to explore Munich a little bit. We decided to grab lunch at the infamous HOFBRÄUHAUS, one of Munich’s oldest beer halls. We ate more pretzels and I even ate a Brautworst! This is huge – because I don’t eat meat! I thought, “When in Munich,” and knew I had to try one. It wasn’t bad, but I still prefer not to eat meat. After lunch and a few beers, we headed over to the festival, this time hitting up the Augustiner Brau München tent. This tent was filled to the brim with people and beer! When we were done with the tent, we decided to check out some of the rides in the festival. Saturday went by so fast, but was such a fun day! Needless to say, it was an amazing last weekend abroad!

Shannon, Me, and Alex in Munich

If I didn't have a few (read: 3) finals, tomorrow, I'd post much more! I'll be posting in the next day or two because my program is ending this Thursday and will finally be returning to the good ole' US of A!




Prost (means cheers!)