With over six million people attending, Oktoberfest is an essential part of any European vacation. Famous for its beer, enjoy the countries finest brews at giant beer tents located all around the area. Sample some authentic Bavarian food, dance to traditional music, have a drink and be merry at this world famous festival!

Munich's annual beer festival got underway to the collective clinking of tankards on Saturday. But did you know that gay Bierfest started on Sunday?

"Gay Days" at the Oktoberfest have their origins in the 1970s when the Munich Lowenclub (Lions Club), a gay fetish society whose members are confusingly known as "bears", booked the balcony in the Bräurosl tent. The owners expected a football club, and were taken aback when a group of gay men turned up. But the beer drinkers proved to be big-spending revellers, and, according to the waitresses, were more pleasant to deal with than other festival-goers

It's certainly a different way to experience the fun of the fair. "The Gay Days visitors are really no different to other Oktoberfest revellers," said Claudia, a long-time waitress in the Bräurosl. "Except for the fact that they do give us better tips and they are less likely to throw beer glasses at each other when the evening gets going."