There’s nothing like a little honesty between friends; so I might as well be forthcoming about the Upper Bavarian town of Putzbrunn. Truth be told, I had to do some serious research on the place.
You see, if you search the Internet the info on the place can be a bit — what’s the word — spotty. Yeah, spotty. But, then again, isn’t that why I’m here — and why I had to scope it out myself.
Like someone had to drag me kicking, screaming, and complaining to come to Upper Bavaria in the shadow of the Bavarian Alps. ;-)
Putzbrunn is kind of small, just 11 square kilometers, so it doesn’t take too long to get yourself through it. And it doesn’t have too many guesthouses for overnight guests — just enough for some more affordable accommodation during neighboring Munich’s Oktoberfest.
As great as the world’s largest beer drinking party is, the festival to be here for is the Maibaumfest, or May Day Celebration — whatever you want to call it.
Strong men in lederhosen march in to lift the gigantic pole, while dirndl wearing ladies cheer them on. No traditional Bavarian costume required to come, by the way, it just makes for some good natured fun.
Just because Putzbrunn is small, doesn’t mean it’s a one-festival place. Come early December you’ve got the multi-day Christkindlmarkt; and on November 11th there is the St. Martin Celebration going on.
October’s a busy month for Putzbrunn with its own Oktoberfest, the Flea Market, the Fall Bazaar, and the Fall Folk Dancing shindig taking place.
No festival or market? No biggie, just use the time to find all 40 of the town’s “historical” buildings. There are quite a number of them found along Glonner Straße — some buildings date back to the middle of the 16th century.
Sounds old, right? Please — Putzbrunn’s history goes back to the 8th century.
For the outdoor loving crowd, there’s something for you to do. Nearby is both the Grünwalder Forst and Perlacher Forst, so find yourself any hiking trail — and off you go. Just remember to come back to town when you’re done.
All in all, Putzbrunn is all right — you won’t hear me complaining. ;-)
