The Dachau Volksfest is a miniature and possibly better version of Munich’s famous Oktoberfest, and beer, as Veronica Stivala finds out, is not the event’s sole attraction.

Most people know that despite its name, Oktoberfest is held in Munich between the last two weeks of September and the first week of October.

Yet what many don't know is that a similar beer festival is held for nine days in August.

I had the opportunity to visit the Dachau Volksfest this year, held from August 9 to 18. In true beer festival spirit, I drank plenty of brewed beverages, but I discovered there was more to the festival than beer.

Dachau is a pretty town in Bavaria, an easy 20-minute train ride northwest from Munich.

Its impossible to avoid mentioning Dachau's sinister past linked to World War II as it was the home of the first and longest-lasting of the Nazi concentration camps in Germany.

Dachau's proximity to Munich, where Hitler came to power and where the Nazi Party had its official headquarters, made it a convenient location.

Despite this history, Dachau remains a picturesque town with rolling hills, much greenery and pretty cobble stone roads.

Appropriately, the name originated in the Celtic Dahauua, which translates roughly to “loamy meadow” and also alludes to the loamy soil of the surrounding hills.

The town boasts a splendid palace called Schloss Dachau whose grounds include a beautifully kept garden with pretty flowers and numerous orchards.

The view of the streets below and the neighbouring cities, flanked by majestic mountains, is stunning.

But back to the beer.

Although I have never actually been to the Oktoberfest, I was reassured by trusty locals that the Dachau fest was essentially a miniature version of the original celebration with a few perks.

The good thing about this one is that it is far cheaper than the overpriced Oktoberfest where you can expect to pay €10 for a litre of beer (that’s double what we paid at Dachau).

It’s also less crowded and although the beer tents were constantly full of beer-guzzling and pretzel-picking patrons, we managed to secure a table: practically impossible if you haven't booked one six months before for the Oktoberfest, not to mention having to fork out a wallet-draining average of €400 to do so.

Other beer festival staples were present , such as the obligatory tents where typical food (and beer) were on offer including obazda (a divine cheese and butter spread), bretzen (pretzels), lines of half-chickens roasting on spits and, of course, wurst.

I was reassured by trusty locals that the Dachau fest was essentially a miniature version of the original celebration with a few perks

Local and foreign visitors had flocked to the festival in traditional attire, and babies and adults alike could be seen wearing lederhosen (leather breeches) and dirndl (a traditional dress with a lace-up corset and sometimes an apron over the skirt).

In true tradition, visitors drank to their heart’s discontent.

Some had already started drinking from before they caught the train to Dachau and although inebriated, costumed people are not generally my go-to company when I’m not on stage, I must admit it was fun to have the lot singing Bavarian singalongs in the carriage. Interestingly (for want of a better word), a visitor to the gents revealed the presence of two large basins complete with handles for those plastered patrons whose drink had got the better of them.

Despite the fact that beer was obviously the protagonist, it was news to me to learn that beer festivals in Germany are not just about booze.

Tents with singing patrons standing on benches are just a part of the attraction. The festival area had a wonderful array of food stalls, numerous theme park attractions, rides, Ferris wheels and games and competitions that kept me entertained.

The fun thing about festivals and theme parks of this sort is that they suck you into their little imaginary world, detached from the real world where things like deadlines, expiry dates, etiquette and bank statements are important.

Attempting the high riser challenge.

Here I delighted in losing track of time and shifting my priorities temporarily to how high I could hit the hammer in the high riser challenge and whether I should choose a plastic rose, mermaid statuette or a pink furry die keychain; I went for the latter.

Another attraction was the ghost ride. I entered a little barred cage and sat on a little wooden park bench (yes) and got ready to be ‘scared’.

The ride was quaintly scary, which I liked, because I don't think I could take really scary stuff. The children behind us seemed suitably scared and didn't stop screaming for the whole four minutes.

Although no great shakes, the little house through which we rolled was sweet and a lot of work had evidently gone into making the sculptures that popped out, opening to reveal their gruesome insides or severed heads. Other sculptures had clearly been inspired by computer games like World of Warcraft and Dungeon Keeper.

Tents with singing patrons standing on benches are just a part of the attraction

Another attraction included an apparently quaint water ride where we started off riding along a pleasant-looking lake with an equally pleasant-looking fisherman doll that would pull out a fake fish from the water every now and then. Cute.

The pleasantness quickly disappeared when the ride disturbingly increased its speed, which it maintained relentlessly for what felt like an age, and had us hanging on to the handle bar for dear life.

The apparently harmless sculptures in the pond also suddenly turned wicked and started spurting water at the ride victims.

Following this semi-unsettling experience, I decided to treat the rest of the rides as museum pieces and appreciate them from afar as I munch happily on some delicious sugared almonds.

These included the Nokia Lumia Tower, a 66-metre tower offering freefall rides to those brave enough to dare, a swing carousel and a high-flying swing for adults in the shape of a boat.

As I watched a woman close her eyes in despair throughout the Nokia ride then wobble off looking shaken and stirred, I was glad I had opted for the nuts and beer.