Theresienwiese — Original Oktoberfest Secret

Your journey begins on the Theresienwiese, the historic site where the first Oktoberfest was celebrated on October 17, 1810. This 42-hectare meadow, named in honor of your future Braut, Princess Therese, is the beating heart of Bavarian tradition. Observe the Bavaria-Statue, solemnly inaugurated on October 29, 1850, a colossal work by Ludwig Michael Schwanthaler symbolizing Bavaria and dominating the Festplatz. From its height of 18.52 m (including 5.65 m for the head alone), this 87-ton bronze goddess, set on a 19 m diameter base, has seen the city of Munich progressively acquire the land from 1824 to secure this place of festivities.

Continue towards the Ruhmeshalle, built between 1847 and 1853 on the adjacent Theresienhöhe, a 66 m diameter edifice capable of accommodating 9000 people. Inaugurated in 1853 by yourself, King Ludwig I, this hall is dedicated to honoring illustrious Bavarian figures, closely linked to the Wiesn festivities. Its ribbed cast-iron dome, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, testifies to your cultural vision for Munich. Nearby, St. Ludwig Kirche, a Catholic church built between 1829 and 1844 by Friedrich von Gärtner in a Neo-Romanesque style, is another landmark of your reign. Dedicated to Saint Louis of France, its interior frescoes, completed in 1840 by Wilhelm von Kaulbach, and the height of its dome (71 m) reflect the cultural projects you funded after 1810.

The path then leads you to the Augustiner-Keller, located about 1 km from the Theresienwiese via Arnulfstraße. This historic brewery, founded in 1328 by Augustiner-Bräu, is a place of Bavarian brewing tradition where beer has been served in Maßkrug since the 19th century. Its capacity for several thousand people in the biergarten evokes the Wiesn bierzelten, and reminds you of the importance of beer in Munich's culture. Here you perceive the essence of Oktoberfest, far beyond the initial Pferderennen, as an event rooted in the identity of Munich – Weltstadt mit Herz.

Explore the Deutsches Brauerei-Museum, opened in 1985 in the former brewing hall of the Staatliches Hofbräuhaus, 1.2 km from the Theresienwiese. This museum houses a collection of over 1200 objects, chronicling 2000 years of brewing history, including a 1730 still and an 1850 brewing vat. It is located near the Viktualienmarkt, an emblematic place of Munich life. The museum offers you an insight into the brewing secrets of the original Oktoberfest, a heritage that, like the Theresienwiese historischer Festplatz seit 1810, is a pillar of Bavarian culture and a Denkmalgeschützt Bayerisches Landesdenkmalamt.

This journey through Munich will have revealed the layers of history that made Oktoberfest much more than a mere celebration. From the royal Hochzeit of 1810 to the architectural development under Ludwig I, every monument like the Bavaria-Statue Monument historique 1850 and the Ruhmeshalle, as well as every brewing institution, has contributed to forging Bavaria's identity. You leave with an intimate understanding of this event, now recognized as Oktoberfest UNESCO Immateriel Kultur Patrimonium 2023, and the constant efforts to preserve its heritage through sites like the Theresienwiese and St. Ludwig.