German beer festival – why wait until Oktoberfest?

If you’re already getting itchy feet for this year’s Oktoberfest, then maybe Germany‘s second largest beer festival will fill the interim for you. The annual Bergkirchweih festival – also known as ‘the Berg’ – takes place in Erlanger in southern Germany. This year it will run from 1st to 12th June 2006. This event has been running since 1755 and has less of the tourist craze that surrounds Oktoberfest, so makes for a more authentic experience of Bavarian culture.