Bergkirchweih

The opening ceremony, called "Anstich," is performed by the city's mayor and takes place each year at a different beer cellar, which traditionally serves as the storage and cooling facility for local breweries.

Thousands of people gather to witness this inaugural event, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to receive a stein of free beer from the first barrel.

With its wooden benches under elm, chestnut and oak trees it is one of the biggest Open Air Biergartens of Europe boasting more than 11,000 seats.

Roughly a million people—about ten times the city's population—visit the event, making the Bergkirchweih, together with Oktoberfest in Munich, Gäubodenvolksfest in Straubing, Michaeliskirchweih in Fürth and Volksfest in Nuremberg one of the great five in Bavaria.

Nowadays the last song played during the festival every year is Lili Marleen while locals sing along and wave tissues as the last barrel of beer is symbolically being buried.