The Waldfest happens around the Tegernsee area during the summer and is a great way to spend a day…read moreor evening in the countryside. It changes locations for a 3 week period and is held in villages around the Tegernsee. The one we went to was in Ostin and it was my first time ever at a Waldfest. It was organized on the village grounds amongst the trees and farmland. The location was idyllic and almost everyone was dressed in traditional wear. They charge a small entry fee of €2 and the beer is cheaper than most places in Munich. There were plenty of food stalls and the food was quite good. Hearty Bavarian meals and desserts. There was a guy walking around with a basket of schnapps and you could have one or two of those after your meal. This one served Maxlrainer beer which is one of my favourites from around the area. The band was belting out tunes and it was wonderful to see the sunset with Maß in hand ;-)) I will definitely come back again with friends next year. It's a wonderful experience and done beautifully. It was not overcrowded and everyone was in a good mood and enjoying themselves. A great way to discover the amazing Bavarian countryside :-))

You're in Garmisch! What's not to love about this quaint market. Ice rink, glu-wein, hot chocolate,…read morebratwurst and more. Picturesque views all around. Truly magical.

It's small but quite fun and has very good food…read more This Christmas market is pretty small but makes up for it with the novelty factor of being medieval themed, and with having some of the better food options of the different Christmas markets we've tried. You can also get some flaming mulled wine (Feuerzangenbowle). In all, definitely a market you should check out, and there are plenty of shops and sights in the area in case you want to do something else before or after.

This is my absolute favourite Christmas market in Munich. It's not very big but done beautifully…read moreand is completely different to all the other markets in town for one main reason - it's medieval style. Traditional craftsmen selling everything from hand made glass ornaments trough to cross bows, swords, shields and so on. Everyone working at the market is dressed in medieval costumes and all the food is cooked over wood fire and the dishes are also old medieval delicacies. The place is packed with people so you need to be patient. The food stalls are packed and you can expect line ups on weekends. This is an extremely popular market with the locals and you will feel it the moment you step in. I would come here everyday if I could. One of the most beautifully done markets in my opinion :-))

This pre-Oktoberfest is set in the charming city of Rosenheim - where there are relatively few…read moretourists - offering a more authentic cultural festival experience. Lots of rides and attractions - fantastic Bavarian food, and multiple options for seating in festival beer tents. We sat in a more upscale timber "tent" with a great band playing an eclectic mix of traditional Bavarian music and rock anthems. We ate, drank and danced all night. Would highly recommend. This pre-Oktoberfest is set in the charming city of Rosenheim - where there are relatively few tourists - offering a more authentic cultural festival experience. Lots of rides and attractions - fantastic Bavarian food, and multiple options for seating in festival beer tents. We sat in a more upscale timber "tent" with a great band playing an eclectic mix of traditional Bavarian music and rock anthems. We ate, drank and danced all night. Would highly recommend.

This is your classic Bavarian beer fest. Authentic and locally-based, with rides and amusements,…read moreBavarian food and music, real Bavarians wearing their Dirndls and Lederhosen -- and of course - lots of beer! While Oktoberfest is an over-commercialized 'Disney World' experience, Herbstfest still remains the real deal.

A fabulous festival in the outskirts of Munich. I call it a mini Oktoberfest without the huge…read morecrowds :-) I must admit I really enjoyed the atmosphere, Festbier and the food was excellent. It was a rainy day and we decided to drop in and check it out. I only heard about this recently from friends and, going on a not so busy day, was a great idea. We parked about 50m from the festival and it cost €2.80 for 4 hours :-)) There are a number of rides, game stalls for kids and adults. Lots of small food places selling the usual festival fare commonly seen throughout Bavaria like candied nuts, chocolate coated fruits, Brezen, sausages and so on. There are also three or four beer tents with a capacity of not more than a few hundred people and one big one with the Bavarian band and so on. They also had a couple of cocktail bars around just to make it a bit more interesting. We ended up in the big tent and they served a darker festbier which was really nice. The food here was also excellent and service quick. We had taken friends that had arrived from Australia here and they loved it too. I specially loved the Schwineshaxe....tender meat and crispy cracking...yummmm :-) I would happily come back here next year. The festival runs for about 2 weeks during this time of year.

There wasn't much going on when we visited this small Christmas Market tucked away inside the…read moreChinese Gardens. It was cold, rainy and windy that day, but that didn't stop the crowds at the Marienplatz Market. I'm guessing it's because this one takes a bit of effort to get to, maybe? At any rate, it wasn't very crowded, so it didn't take long for us to get through the stalls, perusing crafts, food and drinks. The only form of shelter was underneath the Chinese Tower, and it was, of course, crowded that day. We were able to find a couple of seats at one of the long tables near the entrance, but we didn't stay there long. Maybe I expected too much from this one, but it wasn't as impressive as we'd hoped it would be. There weren't many stalls, and the offerings seemed to be the same as what we could get at Marienplatz. With the rain and cold, and having to slog through the mud, we didn't stay very long. We did two passes through the market itself, then briefly considered stopping at the restaurant, before making our way back out to head back to Marienplatz for lunch. I'm glad we went, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back.

A small but lovely Christmas market located in the Englishgarten :-) if you are looking for…read moresomething away from the hustle and bustle of the city this is not a bad choice. There are quite a few stalls selling food, mulled wine, decorations and gift items. There is also a nice children's area with rides and play areas. It is not as busy as the markets in the city and you can enjoy a nice evening or afternoon walking around without being pushed around specially on a weekend :-)

My wife and I started a 39 day European trip in Munich. Day 1 was a castle tour to Schloss…read moreNeuschwanstein and sister castle. We met our group tour (through Viatour), a short walk from the hotel and began the journey here. The ride over was a history trip learning all about the idea, turning into the dream. Here is a small piece from Google: " Neuschwanstein was built for the Bavarian king Ludwig II (1845 - 1886); it was begun in 1868 but never fully completed. The king saw his castle as a monument to the culture and concept of monarchy prevailing in the Middle Ages, which he greatly admired and wanted to recreate." He grew up across the way in the "yellow castle." His vision was amazing. I was a little surprised to read the 2 and 3 star reviews. Everything about this tour went well. Our guide took us through the castle and we visited about six rooms. He explained everything and happily took questions. I was happy that this castle lasted through the war and if you see the movie; "The Monuments Men," they show all the stolen artwork that they found here. I was told that it was approximately 8,000 boxes. I walked up, which was a little long and some people take a horse and carriage up then walk the rest of the way. We wound up taking that horse and carriage ride down. We also stopped for a sausage and beer at one point before getting back on the bus. All in all... an amazing experience. KUDOs to the team at Schloss Neuschwanstein.

My wife and I were on a five day trip to Munich and took a day trip to the castle via Radius tours…read more They were a great tour group and the bus ride was great with the freeway with no speed limits with Porsches flying by us and the countryside with lots of mustard growing. The castle is beautiful and you can go to a high bridge. The tour guide was a little robotic, but nice enough. The tour is about thirty minutes and the views are spectacular. A few castles are nearby to look at as well. Check out Mary's Bridge. It was WAY high up but with nice and high railing, I am afraid of heights but I wasn't bothered. Lots of people on it though.