Germany’s 5 Top Festivals

   September 4, 2019 ,   Cruise Industry

Germany’s festivals are renowned as being among the largest and loudest in the entire world. There are millions of people that band together in order to celebrate food, beer, culture and a whole lot more. During the annual holidays, numerous cities turn festive. They come alive with street parades, costumes and vibrant markets.

It is difficult to name the top festivals in Germany because there are so many that are simply incredible. However, the website HiVino.travel considers the following as being the top ones, those that you should seriously consider being a part of.

Munich – Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest in Munich is practically the ultimate celebration of music, culture and beer-related to the Bavarian lifestyle. This is the most iconic Volkfest of Germany, attracting millions of tourists to Munich to enjoy Bavarian food, parades, beer and live bands. 

The festival is 3 weeks long and starts with a huge parade of floats, carriages and people that wear traditional costumes. Hundreds of tents sell gallons of beers from local breweries, all while traditional Bavarian music is heard everywhere. You can even enjoy fairground rides like miniature trains, merry-go-rounds and Ferris wheels.

Hamburg – Reeperbahn Festival

This really large music festival offers you over 350 live concerts. If you are a music fan, you can visit and enjoy numerous genres. You can also hear some up-and-coming musicians that come from all around the world to play. 

Reeperbahn Festival lasts 4 days and is held in September. During that time, besides the already mentioned concerts, you can also enjoy film screenings, conferences and art exhibitions. Even the underground clubs participate, together with the more important buildings in the city, like the St. Pauli Cathedral and the Imperial Theatre.

Cologne – Karneval

During February, head over to Cologne to dress up in some really wacky costumes and enjoy the most colorful festival in the country. It lasts almost a week and is held in February. The very first day features a morning lively street parade where people dress up and there is always loud music heard from breweries and pubs. If you visit during Karneval, you should expect live performances, dances and a whole lot of traditional music. Also, during the night, there are parties held at all of the city’s hot spots.

Cologne (Koln, Germany)

Stuttgart – Cannstatter Volksfest

The festival lasts between late September and mid-October and is quite family-friendly. As most of the large festivals in the country, a huge street parade starts it with locals in costumes, marching bands and brewery wagons. 

Cannstatter Volksfest is quite similar to Oktoberfest. There are many fairground attractions present, including roller coasters, haunted houses and many Ferris wheels. Street food is easy to find and there are many beer tents to visit to try some of the local brews.

Bad Durkheim – Wurstmarkt

The last festival we have to mention is held on the first and third weekends of September. It allows you to enjoy German wines and sausages from all around the country. Over half a million people visit every year for some wurst and wine. 

Wurstmarkt is a festival with a huge history, one that dates back to the twelfth century. Nowadays, celebrations are similar to a fair, with food stalls, fireworks, wine halls and carnival rides.