Crafted and perfected over many centuries, Germany is a world leader when it comes to high quality beer. Brewed under very strict laws, German Beer must only contain malt, hops, yeast and water. Equally, Germany is a world leader when it comes to celebrating, any excuse will do, and one of the best ways to celebrate is to visit an authentic German Beer Festival.

Each beer festival will have huge beer tents, idyllic beer gardens and light hearted entertainment with typical Bavarian oompah or local brass bands. Some landlords even lay on international rock and pop stars to attract more visitors.

It doesn't need many words to describe the world biggest beer festival. Millions of visitors troop to the "Wies'n" to gather a seat in the huge beer tents and to enjoy a stein of strong, dark beer. Accompanied by oompah music, people from all over the world dancing together on the wooden tables and experience the Bavarian lifestyle. In 2011 the Oktoberfest will take place from 17th September to the 3rd October.

From 23rd September to 9th October Europe's biggest fun fair festival attract millions of visitors to Stuttgart. As Germany's second largest beer festival it provides two weeks of fun with oompah bands in traditional costume inside the marquees and fairground attractions outside.

The world's biggest marksman's festival is celebrated every year in Hannover. In 2011 it will take place from 1st to 10th July and combines a local fair with shooting matches among members of the local marksmen's association, a 12km long Marksmen's Parade and uncountable rides and inns. But this event would not be the same without its huge beer tents, oompah bands and long party nights. A unique event, which you should not miss.

If you want to experience a traditional Bavarian Beer Festival, with Oompah Band processions, locals dressed in Lederhosen and beautiful Bavarian costumes, you should head to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Located south of Munich, near the Austrian border, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is shadowed by Germany's highest mountain and is only a stone throw away to some of Bavaria's most popular attractions, like the fairy tale castle at Neuschwanstein or the Passion Play town of Oberammergau.

Before 1935 Garmisch-Partenkirchen actually used to be two villages, separated by a small river. Today competition between the two towns is still ripe, although now joined together they still have two market squares and celebrate two separate Beer Festivals.

The Garmischer Festwoche is held for just over a week, from the 30.7.2011 to 07.8.2011 and immediately afterwards the Partenkirchner Festwoche takes place from the 06.08.2011 to 15.08.2011.

A beer festival with a 250 year old tradition is celebrated every year for 12 days around Pentecost and attracts more than one million visitors.

Under the splendid old, chestnut trees decorated with lanterns, the thirsty festival guests can enjoy cool beer out of steins, typical Franconian beer mugs. Franconian dishes, like fried sausages or the wellknown Breze (pretzel), will be served as well as many international dishes.

Erlangen is the No.1 city of export beer even before Munich and Kulmbach and already 250 years ago the inhabitants knew how to enjoy a cool and fresh beer from the cellars of Erlanger Castle Hill, which were used by the local breweries to store their beer.

The Bergkirchweih is open daily from 10 am to 11 pm. On Sundays and public holidays, the visitors can have the traditional brunch at 9:30 am. And even after 11 pm Erlangen does not rest, then the party will go on in pubs and restaurants in the downtown of Erlangen. In 2011 the festival will take place from 19th to 30th May.

The traditional beer mile in the centre of Berlin is going to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors from 5th to 7th August 2011 with the slogan "beer land Belgium offers the very best" and is putting the German neighbour country into the focus of its attention.

Belgian people are beer lovers just like Germans and the variety of Belgian beer delicacies is outstanding. But next to Belgium breweries, 86 countries are going to present more than 1800 beer specialities. The special thing about this mega-event is its unique blend of culture and entertainment. There will be 18 stages with live music and 20 beer regions selling culinary specialities on the festival ground.

Called as Munich's secret beer festival in March, the Starkbierfest is focussed on the Paulaner Keller (traditional Bavarian brewery) and takes place again from March 12 to March 21, 2011.

Starkbier is a strong beer which is consumed in Germany during Lent. The "strength" of the beer is not referring to the alcohol content, instead it describes the concentration of dissolved solids: the starch, sugars, proteins and minerals. Nevertheless the alcohol levels are indeed higher. There are two types of Starkbier: Bockbier and Dopplebock. A Bockbier is 7% whilst the Doppelbock is 7.5%. This is in comparison to the 5% for a normal beer.

This traditional public fair takes place every year during the last week in July in Forchheim on the "cellar-hill" close to Bamberg and Nuremberg. The exact dates for 2011 are 23rd July to 1st August.

Up to 500,000 visitors are attracted to the cellar-hill during the ten days of the festival, where you find over 20 great beer gardens offering 30,000 seats. Through the fact that there are no beer tents, a unique atmosphere will be created. You can drink your beer, eat your sausage and watch the vary entertainment program in the middle of the forest.

A traditional festival in the North of Bavaria, where the master brewer brew the beer with a secret formula just for this week in the year.

Accompanied by a parade and an enjoyable entertainment program this beer festival is perfect for people who don't want to sit with hundred thousand people together in a beer tent, but want to experience how the original Bavarians celebrate and enjoy their beer. In 2011 it will take place from 30th July to 7th August.

Every 2 years the Gambrinusfest is commemorate in honor of the inventor of the classical art of beer brewing. It is the biggest beer festival in Rhineland-Palatinate and from 2nd to 5th of June 2011 it will attract visitors from the whole region again.

Similiar to the Oktoberfest in Munich, but in a much smaller dimension, the Herbstfest (autumn festival) in Rosenheim offers a mix of funfair and beer festival. The typical Bavarian dresses are important part of this traditional festival as well as the famous oompah music. In 2011 the Rosenheimer Herbstfest takes place from 27th August to 12th September.

Annually the international beer (exchange) festival is held in 9 German cities. At each beer festival you can sample up to 1.000 different types of beer, including beers from over 75 countries. The Bierbörse is centred all around beer and everything that comes with it. There is no other event like it and it is the only event where you can taste any kind of beer imaginable, from all parts of the world. All 9 events are free, with no entrance fees!

LEIPZIG
The Battle of Leipzig monument
17.6. - 19.6.2011

VIERSEN-DÜLKEN
City centre 
15.7. - 17.7.2011

MAINZ
Rhine bank at the Town hall
08.7. - 10.7.2011

BONN
Leisure park Rheinaue
22.7. - 24.7.2011

DÜSSELDORF - BENRATH
Pedestrian zone
29.7. - 31.7.2011

LEVERKUSEN - OPLADEN
An der Schusterinsel
12.8. - 15.8.2011

DORSTEN
City Centre
19.8. - 21.8.2011

DORMAGEN
Pedestrian Zone
26.8 - 28.8.2011

KARLSRUHE
City centre, castle square
02.9. - 04.9.2011