The Complete Guide to Munich Springfest

Springfest. Fruhlingsfest. “Mini Oktoberfest.” No matter what you call it, this springtime beer festival is filled with delicious beer, traditional Bavarian foods, and fun. Though this Munich festival is not as well known or as large as Oktoberfest, but it is certainly worth a trip (find my complete guide on Oktoberfest here). Naturally, I was excited to return to Munich for Springfest’s opening weekend and to discover for myself what this mini Oktoberfest had to offer. Spoiler alert: I was not disappointed.

Springfest & Oktoberfest: What’s The Difference?

Springfest is essentially the smaller version of Oktoberfest. While both festivals contain the same elements-beer, food, attractions, and are held in the same place (Munich’s Theresienwiese),  Springfest is notably smaller. Oktoberfest has over 7 million visitors, consuming over 6 million liters of beer, and around 14 large beer tents holding as many as 10,000 people each, while Springfest “only” receives tens of thousands of visitors. To get a feel for the insanity that is Oktoberfest, read my post 49 Thoughts You Had During Oktoberfest.

What To Wear

Though it is not a necessity to wear traditional clothing, if you have the money in your budget, I highly recommend it. Not only will you get great photos and an awesome souvenir, but you will be fully immersing yourself in this cultural experience. If you are not planning on purchasing traditional clothing, do not, I repeat, DO NOT purchase a costume dirndl or lederhosen. You will stand out, you will look (and feel) ridiculous, and you will most likely offend locals by unintentionally mocking Bavarian culture.

Men:

The traditional outfit for men are lederhosen, which are embroidered leather breeches, paired with a checkered shirt, boots, socks, and sometimes even a hat. Men can expect to spend around 100 Euro for a quality pair.

Women: 

Traditional Bavarian attire for women is called a is called a dirndl, and is generally a three part set (that can be purchased separately) made up of a short blouse, corset-like fitted top and attached skirt, and an apron. On my first trip to Munich I purchased a cute dirndl for about 50 Euro, however, on this trip I spent a lot more and purchased a gorgeous dirndl I am totally in love with (but my bank account isn’t). I wore my dirndl with a DIY dollar store flower crown (instructions here) and leather flats, and felt like a Bavarian princess all day. I even got spoken to in German by locals! Worth it.

Tying the knot: The way you tie your apron indicates your relationship status! Knots tied on the left let everyone know you are single, knots to the right indicate that you are in a relationship, while front and center symbolizes virginity, and a knot at the back indicates that you are a widow.

The Springfest Beer Tents

This year, Springfest, or Fruhlingsfest, as it’s called by locals, features two large beer halls, the Bayernland tent, which serves Augustiner beer and Hippodrom where festival goers enjoy Spaten beer. Each tent serves only one type of beer, so don’t expect to be able to order different kinds. I can promise you both are delicious!

I spent the majority of my time at the Bayernland tent consuming Augustiner beer, which gets its name from the Augustinian monks that used to brew the beer. I particularly liked the tent’s white and blue interior-(the colors of Bavaria) showing off Munich’s pride in being a Bavarian state.

Avoiding Lines

Take note: just because Springfest is a mini version of Oktoberfest does not mean there won’t be any lines. One of the great things about Springfest is that it feels like Oktoberfest, which means they scale down the number of tents so that the beer halls are filled and loaded with the same electric atmosphere you find in a crowded 10,000 person beer hall at Oktoberfest. To avoid lines and ensure you get a spot at a table, I recommend showing up to the festival early with a group of friends and staying in the beer hall until you are ready to leave the festival.

Festival Food & Drink

Once you are inside a beer hall you must be sitting down at a table to order. Every once in a while servers in traditional dress will come by to take orders for everything from beer to local specialties. A stein, or liter, of beet costs around 12 Euro with tip (and you will want to tip to keep your server coming back!) Once your beer arrives, be sure to clink your glasses and shout “Prost!”.

The food inside the tents is amazing, I highly recommend the pretzels, pork knuckle, and half chicken, but truthfully you can’t go wrong! If you decide to leave the tent, have no fear, there are plenty of stalls outside selling a variety of delicious foods.

Other Attractions

Need a break from drinking? Simply step out of the beer hall (if you manage to squeeze your way through the crowded tent) and look around.

Fair games, fun houses, carnival rides, a ferris wheel with incredible views of the festival, a beer garden, its all here. My personal favorite are the swings!

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Prost! Have you been to Springfest or Oktoberfest? What are your thoughts on these beer festivals? Comment below!