It's not quite the Oktoberfest, but Berlin's annual Biermeile really is worth a visit if you are in the capital in August. Sure, Karl Marx Allee in East Berlin is a far cry from the Theresienwiese in Munich, but if you look closely you can see a lot of similarities between the two.For instance, there's plenty of leather involved at both festivals. Lederhosen are a no go in Berlin of course, unless you want to get beaten up. Instead it's the "black leather waistcoat look" often combined with a pair of cheeky denim shorts and socks and sandals. And...the ladies aren't to be outdone. Instead of showing off their best in a Dirndl, the waitresses this year on the Biermeile were wearing the novelty nurse's outfit. Ah, the kulcha!
Food wise, both festivals lean towards the savoury more than the sweet. In Munich it's a Brezn (pretzel) and salty chicken - in Berlin an oversized, gnarled gerkin in a napkin is the snack of choice. A heavily marinated cucumber for one Euro - who could resist?
The beer is flowing from early in the day in both locations - after all, we are in Germany. The Berlin festival prides itself on presenting a range of beers from such "exotic" places as Japan, India and Vietnam as well as boutique beverages from around Germany. In Munich, the Oktoberfest is mainly used as a sales boost for the Bavarian big boys: Löwenbräu, Paulaner and Augustiner. The effect at the end of the day is the same in both cities. The tourists have just about all passed out, while the Germans just bust out to 80's rock'n'roll all night long.
But I did notice an important difference too: in Berlin you go home with some money still in your wallet.
