The honest self-care

The Oktoberfest in Munich has nothing in common with honest bavarian culture. It’s expensive, overcrowded with drunk misbehaving tourists and the fashion is awful.

An hour away a small town called Straubing is the the place to go. The folk festival called Gäubodenfest is what people here live for.

Why the Gäubodenfest is better than the Oktoberfest

First of all, there are hardly any tourists here. The people who attend the festival are all from the surrounding area, so real Bavarians.

You can already tell by the way they dress. A neat and chic traditional costume is mandatory. People would be embarrassed to walk around in a cheap dirndl. People prepare for it weeks in advance. Many treat themselves to a new outfit every year.

In Munich, people go to the Oktoberfest to get drunk. Especially Americans and Asians (sorry) underestimate German beer and lie under the bench after a short time. You have to expect someone to throw up in your lap at any time. Security is busy throughout preventing brawls. The Gäubodenfest is not (only) about drinking, but about seeing and being seen.

Since the Oktoberfest is the most famous festival in Bavaria, it is also overcrowded beyond measure.

To get a seat in a beer tent, you have to reserve a spot for a fortune. Or you have to get up really early. Early means that as the beer tents open at 9 a.m. you need to stand in line from 5 a.m. in the moring.

And if you are lucky enough to get a seat in a beer tent at the Oktoberfest, you have to hold it. You can’t get up and walk a lap around the fairground. Otherwise you’ll lose your place very quickly.

In Straubing, you don’t have to make a reservation to get a seat in a beer tent. You go there and choose a place that you like. You can sit, walk and sit again if you like to. This simple.

Where to get a traditional costume in Straubing

In the Straubing are it is very common to walk around in a traditional costume in daily life. For weddings, public events, birthdays or a summer evening people love to wear their Dirndl and Lederhosen. So if you don’t know where to buy a Dirndl or Lederhosen, definetely choose Straubing over Munich.

There are many stores in Straubing that specialize in traditional costumes. The special thing is that each specializes in a particular style. You can choose between a store for

• high fashion dirndls and leather pants for several hundred euros
• fancy costumes that are colorful and flashy
• simple Waschdirndl for work
• cheaper dirndl for younger people

The saleswomen will not dare to give you a bad advice. They want you to leave their store looking good. In addition, almost every store has its own seamstress, because a dirndl must be adjusted again after purchase to fit perfectly.

Leave a comment if you are interested in details!

There is an after party after the Gäubodenfest

At 12.30 p.m. the Gäubodenvolksfest closes. This is the start for the after party. In munich when the Oktoberfest closes at night, nobody can party anymore. People are so drunk they are just lying around literally everywhere. It is pretty disgusting.

In Straubing there are many places so going clubbing after the Gäubodenfest is the thing to do. Everyone is in a good mood, friendly, everyone is dancing.

At Oktoberfest locals usually go only one day. After this one day you are too exhausted and broke. In Straubing the locals take a vacation leave here, as they plan to celebrate for 11 days. At this time, many businesses and craftsmen are also closed, because they are at the folk festival. Everyone knows that.

The Gäubodenfest is more affordable than the Oktoberfest

If you visit the Oktoberfest as a tourist, you have to expect to pay an outrageously expensive price for an overnight stay. Even hostel beds then cost several hundred euros. What for, when you sleep drunk in the park anyway?

In Straubing during the Gäubodenfest it is not a problem to find a place to stay overnight. Of course, it costs a bit more than usual, but it is affordable.

Local bavarian food

Straubing is located in the so-called Gäuboden. The Danube valley is known for its agricultural products. There is a lot of organic farming and it is important to the farmers that their products are of excellent quality. Because here they know each other by name.

Only a few minutes walk from the Volksfest you will find numerous pubs and restaurants where you can eat very well without spending a fortune like in Munich.

Funfair rides at the Gäubodenfest

At Oktoberfest, no one really cares about the rides anymore. But Straubing has a traditional area in addition to the new, fast, high rides. Everything looks like painted, the decoration is very loving and traditional. Here it is not about passing a test of courage but to dive into the good old days.

The Gäubodenfest takes place in summer

The Oktobefest lasts two weeks and takes place from mid-September to early October. If you are lucky, the weather is still good. But mostly it often rains and it starts getting cold. People either choose to freeze and present their traditional costume or they put on a rain jacket. That’s why many people prefer staying in the beer tents. But as mentioned above, this is expensive, noisy and the air is bad.

The Gäubodenfest as an alternative to the Oktoberfest takes place in August. During the day you might sweat if you wear a tight dirndl, but you will experience wonderful summer nights.

Only a few go home by taxi. Most people cycle or walk as they want to have a drink. I had this wonderful view on my walk home!!

If your accomondation is not in the city and you have somebody who is willing to drice, it’s very ease to get a parking spot (which is for free!) in a walkable distance to the festival.

Fun historical facts about the german folkl festivals

• In 1960 a beer would cost 2,2 DM (= 1,20 €) which was considered as expensive.
• People did not buy whole roasted chicken. They would bring along their own chicken (dead OR alive) to the barbecue station and pay only for the chicken to be roasted.
• At the Oktoberfest you are still allowed to bring your own fish and have it roasted even in 2023.