Post written by Manuela, a United Planet team member.

Tomorrow the grand opening of the 21st summer Tollwood, an international cultural festival, will take place in Munich’s Olympia Park. Tollwood draws over two million visitors each summer, who not only come from Germany, but from all over Europe to enjoy the festival’s medley of culture, cuisine and craftwork.

Similar to Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, Tollwood lasts for 25 days and showcases theatre productions from around the world, concerts by national and international rock and jazz stars, performance groups and bands from all genres. This year for instance the Scottish singer Amy MacDonald will charm the audience with her delightful songs. Other noteworthy performers include Lauryn Hill, Milow, Foreigner, Al McKay und Solomon Burke, Gentleman & The Far East Band and Simple Minds. The best part is that more than 70 percent of the shows are free!

The festival offers the chance to discover diversity through the arts. By sauntering through the “Market of Ideas” you can admire international handicrafts and taste culinary delights. Your journey will start with a real Weisswurst, or Bavarian veal sausage, followed by a stopover in the Palm Garden, and finishes shortly thereafter in the Buddha Garden. At Tollwood, there is culture for everybody! I especially enjoy spending time with friends soaking up the festival’s colorful atmosphere on balmy summer nights.

You may have noticed from the previous post on Berlin’s Carnival of Cultures that Germany celebrates several cultural events during the month of June. Which festival is better is open to dispute and will depend on who you ask, as Berliners and Münchner have an ongoing rivalry. If you love one city, then you hate the other one. Each city has a distinct identity and culture. One thing is for sure: Berlin is an inspiring multicultural motley with a touch of craziness, while Munich is an inviting “city with heart” that cultivates a strong arts scene! While I’m from Munich, I have to admit that I actually love both of them.

Pictures taken by mr.gears and LuxTonnerre, Flickr.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 3:23 pm and is filed under Europe, Festival, Foreign Culture, Latin America, Local festival, United Planet, local culture, travel. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.