Bavarian BistroBavaria, explained. Served warm.

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A personal recommendation of all things Bavarian, for non-Germans

Bavaria, explained. Served warm.

What a Maß is, why the Weißwurst skin comes off, which beer hall is worth your one evening, and how to throw an Oktoberfest at home without a Bavarian rolling her eyes.

Throw an OktoberfestThe plan, the menu for twelve, the beer from US shelves, costumes honestly rated Go to MunichOktoberfest without a reservation, the Hofbräuhaus question, Bavaria by train

Start here

FoodWeißwurst: How to Eat Bavaria’s White Sausage (Skin, Mustard and the Noon Rule) BeerIs the Hofbräuhaus Worth It? An Honest Look at Munich’s Most Famous Beer Hall OktoberfestOktoberfest Without a Reservation: How the Unreserved Seats Work and When to Show Up FoodReal Bavarian Pretzels at Home: Lye or Baking Soda?

Resi says

I never much cared for beer. My drink at the Wiesn and in every beer garden was a Radler, half beer and half lemon soda, which looks like the real thing and lets you remember the evening. What goes in must come out, and I have seen many a visitor forget to budget for the toilet line. This site is everything else I would tell you before you go, or before you cook.

Resi Zauber, a Northern Light, who lived in Munich for many years

The sections

FoodEvery dish as Bavaria eats it, and what to cook at home. BeerStyles, halls, gardens, the rules locals know. OktoberfestDates, tents, reservations, what to wear, what it costs. PartyThrow an Oktoberfest at home without a Bavarian rolling her eyes. MunichThe judgement questions: worth it, or Berlin, Dachau guided or alone. BavariaDay trips from Munich by train and a week without a car. Pantry and toolsWhere to buy it in North America, and which tools matter. Trachten and customsDirndl, lederhosen, the Bavarian year, the words.

Tours worth the money

The tours the guides recommend, each for a stated reason. Prices are Viator's, with the date they were checked.

All tours and tickets

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