Bavaria: Events

In February, Fasching (Carnival) festivities, involving street parades, balls, stage shows and other well-lubricated events, are held before Lent. Munich's Oktoberfest is an unapologetic assault on health and decorum. Incomparable Bavarian brews, the smell of oxen roasting on a spit, and the roar of more than six million people combine to push an entire city into sensory overload.

Christkindlmarkt (Christmas markets) run throughout Bavaria, starting in late November and ending around 23 December. The ones in Munich and Nuremberg are the best known and biggest, but those in Regensburg, Bamberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and countless other towns and villages are just as charming. Bamberg also has the added bonus of a beautiful Krippenweg , a series of large-scale nativity scenes.