People drinking beer at Steinbach Brewery beer cellar at the Bergkirchweih beer festival, Erlangen, Franconia, Bavaria, Germany.
The Bergkirchweih is an annual beer festival, similar to the Oktoberfest in Munich but smaller in scope, and therefore more intimate. It takes place during the twelve days before and after Pentecost; this period is called the "fifth season" by the locals. The beer is served at wooden tables in one-liter stoneware jugs under the trees of the "Berg", a small, craggy, and wooded hill with old caves (beer cellars) owned by local breweries. The beer festival draws more than one million visitors each year. There are carnival rides of high tech quality, food stalls of every imaginable franconian dish like bratwurst, suckling pig, burnt almonds, and giant pretzels. It is commonly known by local residents as the "Berchkärwa" (pronounced "bairch'-care-va") or simply the "Berch", as in "Gehma auf'n Berch!" ("Let's go up the mountain!"). This is an outdoor event, packed with Franconians in various states of enjoyment. Despite the relatively high number of visitors it is practically unknown by tourists and outside Bavaria.
Size: 5360px × 3560px
Location: Erlangen, Franconia, Bavaria, Germany.
Photo credit: © David Davies / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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