The office of Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter confirmed on Tuesday it had invited outgoing US President Barack Obama to the annual Oktoberfest celebration.
Obama has repeatedly stated his desire to take part in the country's largest festival, which draws more than six million guests to the Bavarian capital each year. He last raised the subject in November during his final European tour as president.
"I have somehow continued to miss Oktoberfest, so that's probably something that is better for me to do as a former president rather than as president. I'll have more fun," he said during a press conference alongside Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.
If Obama were to accept the invitation, he could be one of two outgoing presidents to be designated official guests of this year's celebration. German President Joachim Gauck, who announced this past summer that he wouldn't seek a second term, has also been invited by the mayor.
This year's Oktoberfest is set to take place from September 16th through October 3rd.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
Zugspitze
Bavaria gets to top it all by being home to Germany's highest peak. The Zugspitze in the Bavarian Alps reaches 2,962 meters (9,718 ft) above sea level. Visitors, however, don't have to invest a lot of energy to reach the summit to enjoy the fabulous views. There are three cable cars and a rack railway to take you to the top.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
The Oktoberfest in Munich
The largest people's fair in the world attracts some 6 million visitors and has spawned offshoots around the world. Beer in one liter glasses, women in Dirndl dresses, men in Lederhosen as well as music and dancing in all of the tents. The only genuine Oktoberfest is found in Munich - which has played host since 1810.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
Munich - the Bavarian capital
The Bavarian metropolis is one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. First stop for visitors is the Marienplatz square with the Frauenkirche church and the New Town Hall with its antique Glockenspiel. Other attractions include the Hofbräuhaus beer hall, Nymphenburg Palace, the Englischer Garten park as well as many museums like the Deutsches Museum - the largest science museum in the world.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
Bayern Munich football club
Munich is home to Germany's most successful football clubs. FC Bayern home games are played at the Allianz Arena. And for those who can't afford tickets for the match can still feel close to Lewandowski, Robben and Müller by taking a guided tour around the stadium.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
Neuschwanstein Castle
The Romanesque Revival palace is the top attraction. Some 1.4 million people visit it every year - something the shy and recluse King Ludwig II who commissioned the castle probably would not enjoy. He had the castle built in 1869 as a personal refuge to allow him to escape into the realm of legends and fairytales. Today the castle of the fairytale king is admired by people from around the world.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
The Königssee Lake
Translated, it would be the 'King's Lake,' and as such it is regarded as the king of the roughly 200 lakes in Bavaria: cut deep into the Berchtesgaden Alps, the crystal clear water creates a nearly fairytale atmosphere. Since 1909 the pilgrimage church St Bartholomä can only be reached by boat - an environmentally friendly electronic boat.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
The small town in the Franconia region is purely medieval. Tourists from Asia in particular love the timber framed houses and the town wall with its fortifications. Rothenburg was left poor and deserted in the Thirty Years' War, which is why it never developed much. Today it's seen a historic jewel that happens to be located on the Romatic Road - one of Germany's most popular tourist routes.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth
In 2012 it was not Wagner's Festspielhaus Festival Theatre in Bayreuth, but the Margravine Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia's opera house that was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. This makes it the latest of the seven World Heritage Sites in Bavaria. The opera house, built in the 1740s, is regarded as one of the most beautifully preserved Baroque theatres in Europe.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
The Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg
Nuremberg is the second largest city in Bavaria. Most people come in December to go to the Christkindlesmarkt, or Christ Child Market - one of the world's oldest and best known Christmas markets, visited by 2 million people each year. Mulled wine and Lebkuchen ginger bread you can get anywhere, but only here will you encounter the Christkind or Christ Child.
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10 reasons to love Bavaria
Bavarian hospitality
It is not a myth but a way of life in the approximately 800 beer gardens, 600 breweries and 4000 taverns in Bavaria. Enjoy a traditional Bavarian "Brotzeit" meal - which directly translated means 'bread time'. This includes pretzels, meat and a relaxing beer in the company of friends.
Author: Kerstin Schmidt
