Munich bids farewell to Oktoberfest on Sunday with the highest beer prices in history.

The ultimate beer festival is coming to an end. Munich bids farewell to the 190th Oktoberfest this Sunday, also marked by inflation. A liter of the star beverage surpassed last year's record price by 3.5%, reaching almost 16 euros.

The price per liter of beer, set by the city's restaurateurs, has hovered between €14.5 and €15.8, a 3.52% increase compared to a year ago. The event organizers estimate that more than seven million liters of beer will have been consumed by the end of the festival, and that the economic impact for the Bavarian capital will be more than €1.2 billion.

That hasn't stopped the Theresienwiese—the meadow where the festival takes place—from flowing rivers of "barley juice" this year, and not just any kind: the festival follows the standards of the Reinheitsgebot, the historic German purity law that guarantees that only the finest ingredients are used in its production within the Bavarian capital. Six brands adhere to this principle and have become the official brands for the event: Paulaner, Augustiner-Bräu, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, and Spaten.

The festival is n't just about beer. An average of 15,000 plates of food are consumed daily at the long wooden tables and benches spread throughout the venue. They're also a must-have for pairing with drinks . The star of this event is the roast chicken, but knuckle and sausage dishes are also among the favorite options, in addition to numerous vegetarian and vegan options that have been added in recent editions. And with good reason. The 14 large tents spread throughout the venue can accommodate 6,000 people.

The economic impact is further explained by the seven million visitors who travel to Munich during these weeks of celebration. This year, the total will approach the record 7.2 million visitors expected in 2023, according to the organizer's estimates.

The Oktoberfest has a significant historical significance. With over 200 years of history, it was born to celebrate the marriage of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria and Therese of Saxony and Hildburghausen in 1810. A celebration that was so popular that it has been repeated ever since, and from 1818 onward, innkeepers and vendors were also included . Over time, new traditions were added, such as the parade of innkeepers and brewers, which began in 1835 and has become one of the festival's highlights since 1950.