It's October, so naturally my thoughts go to Oktoberfest! Munich's festival ends this weekend, but Berlin's is just getting started — and this one's also very much about the beer. Great beer halls spring up at the Zentraler Festplatz at Kurt-Schumacher-Damm, along with stages for live Bavarian music, booths selling pretzels and sausages, and throngs of men and women in traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses. Get your fill while staying at the Westin Grand, Berlin.

But if gigantic steins of beer and brass bands aren't enough for you, there are a couple fun beer-related tours you could opt for. Berlinside Out offers a tour of the city's breweries past and present, culminating in a whistle-whetting stop. Or if you can rustle up a dozen or more people, contact Bier Bike to rent one of their bars on wheels and pedal around the city while enjoying a nice draught beer!

By the way, in addition to the beer, you'll find big gingerbread hearts elaborately decorated with German sayings at Oktoberfest. They're a great souvenir, but don't bother sampling them — they're usually pretty stale. They're meant to be worn around your neck!