Off to the Wiesn! Five reasons to celebrate Oktoberfest in Seefeld

Traditionally, on the middle of the three Wiesn weekends, tens of thousands of Birra fans storm the Munich Theresienwiese. At least until 2019. In 2020, the "Italian Weekend" gets canceled, and our hot-blooded friends stay over the Brenner. However, anyone who still wants to experience Dolce Vita without virus frustration can find by far the most beautiful sun terrace in Seefeld. The Golden October, with its clear mountain air and mild evenings, is the perfect time for a leisurely weekend getaway. Because even in Seefeld, one can really go steep: for example, to the 2374-meter-high Reither Spitze.

Seefeld's alternative program to the Oktoberfest focuses on a healthy mind in a healthy body. The sporty sun plateau above Innsbruck is known for its decathlete mentality. On day one: e-biking, hiking, golfing, playing tennis, and swimming. And on day two: enjoying the hot tub, hydrotherapy, sauna, getting massages, and napping. Instead of getting wasted at the Oktoberfest, one takes a big sip from the fountain of youth in Seefeld in autumn 2020. And instead of splashing around in the lukewarm lake under the beer bench, one prefers to sit comfortably in the "Beer-Bath-Tub." Found at Hotel Diana.

At the Wies’n, only one person has the license for the first (and second, and often third) strike: the current Lord Mayor. Anyone who, as a mere beer tourist, wants to tap a keg and shout "O’zapft is!" will be taken out by security faster than they can burp. Quite different at the alternative Oktoberfest in Seefeld: here, self-tapping is explicitly welcome. Not in the hellish chaos of the beer tent, but in the heavenly Hotel Klosterbräu. More precisely: in the wellness area with the promising name "Sündenkeller". Here, you can pour yourself a cool lager after the sauna at the tap. Without security.

If that isn’t enough: the Hotel Klosterbräu also has its own brewed champagne beer. The best way to try it is during the beer tasting & brewing course in the traditional brewery cellar.

To be honest: Most Wiesnhits have to be drunk beautifully. At the Oktoberfest around Seefeld, however, the delicate little eardrums are rocked like in a hammock, rather than being hammered on with a hammer and anvil. Three audio samples from the new summer edition of "Sound of Seefeld": Gentle bubbling from the source of the beloved Isar. A woodpecker drums through the forest. And the evening harmony of church bell ringing, cricket chirping, and cowbell clanging. Any Wiesn band can pack it up. Available on Spotify & Co or here.

What definitely does not work in the beer tent: arriving the day before to avoid standing in line. What definitely works in Seefeld: simply arriving a day earlier and departing a day later to turn a quick trip to the mountain sunshine into a relaxing midweek getaway. Without being stuck in traffic. After all, both body and mind need a certain amount of time to throw everyday stress overboard. The higher you ascend, the further down chaos and coronavirus rubbish stay. Tip: a hearty white sausage breakfast at the Rosshütte – 1760 meters above everything! This is available at the Panoramarestaurant Rosshütte daily between 8:30 and 11 am. There is also a daily white sausage breakfast with a fantastic view at the Hochegg Alm, which is located further down. And for those who want to really enjoy what a white sausage breakfast is all about – sitting together in a cozy round and cheerfully toasting – should definitely visit Törggelen in the Ropferstub’m. Here you can enjoy pork roast & dumplings instead of white sausage & pretzels and new wine instead of a pint of beer, but the coziness remains exactly the same.