A Spring Beer Festival

For 12 days every spring since 1755, the inhabitants of Erlangen, Germany, forget their daily routines and devote themselves to the serious business of drinking beer - and lots of it. The festival, Bergkirchweih, roughly translates as "the dedication of the mountain church," referring to a church on the outskirts of town.

The Berg, as it is commonly called, has been held every year since 1755 and is Germany's second-largest beer. Although the Berg typically attracts more than a million visitors, far fewer foreign tourists come to the Erlangen festival than to the Munich event, which means there is much more here in the way of local ambiance. This year's Berg takes place June 1-12, but when the festival finishes, the beer cellars and rides remain open all summer.