Oktoberfest is the world’s most famous beer festival — but is it the best? And how does it actually compare to the alternatives, from Germany’s other folk festivals to the international events that have adopted the Oktoberfest name? Here’s an honest look at what sets Munich apart, and where else is worth considering. Is Oktoberfest…

Oktoberfest rewards people who show up prepared. The logistics are not complicated, but they trip up almost everyone the first time — wrong entrance, no cash, wrong day, no seat. These are the survival tips that make the difference between a great day and a frustrating one. Before you go 1. Book accommodation months in…

Regensburg does not try to compete with Nuremberg or Munich. It does not need to. The city’s Christmas market runs in the courtyard of a 12th-century Benedictine monastery, with a second market in the gardens of a Baroque palace, and a third along the banks of the Danube — and because it sits slightly off…

The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is the most famous Christmas market in Germany — and arguably in the world. It has been running since 1628, it draws around two million visitors every year, and it opens with a ceremony that has stayed essentially unchanged for centuries: a young woman chosen to play the Christkind (Christ Child) appears…

Rothenburg ob der Tauber looks like someone built a Christmas card and forgot to take it down. The medieval walls, half-timbered houses, and cobblestone squares that make it Germany’s best-preserved walled town become something else entirely once the Christmas market stalls go up and the snow starts to fall. It is genuinely one of the…