For all German readers, this will be nothing new. Many Germans used it as a form of a modern pilgrimage themself, to get out of Germany, to behave a bit worse, then at home.
So where can you find towels reserving spots at a hotel, with no owner near, and restaurants in Spain, with the workers not speaking Spanish? Basically, how to visit Spain and feel like being in Germany?
Where is it located?
Many might have guessed it, this article is going to be about Mallorca, or how Germans are going to call it “Malle ”. It is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which is in the Mediterranean Sea, also the 7th biggest one.
It is seen by the German population, as a joke, as the 17th Bundesland (federal state). Each year, the number of Germans visiting the city is more than three times as much as the population of the island. Around 1mio people are living there and from that number, more than 23.000 are people from Germany.
What can I expect when visiting?
It fully depends on where you are going during your stay. It is possible to live in peace and not see the typical behavior, which is going to be mentioned in this article. Mallorca is, besides the latter mentioned, a really beautiful island, with a lot of history and great places to spend a vacation. When looking at the island, it is a big one, and the mentioned region is just near the capital called Palma. Close from the airport and just based on partying.
So when you don’t want to experience Germans doing wild partying, then you should drive a bit further than the region around the airport.
What for people from the US is Cancun and for people from Australia is Bali, that is for the Germans Mallorca.
Where is the mentioned region?
In the city called El Arenal, which is 15 min by car from the airport, the partyregion is going to be found. At the Balneario 6, which is basically a form of marking the position of the beach, there is the region found. The Germans did out of Balneario the “Ballermann ” which is even found in the dictionary from the German language.
It is basically the name for the region where you are going to listen to Ballermann music, part of the German party music culture.
The most popular locations are the Bierkönig, Mega-Park for basically the day and for a night club many are going to Oberbayern.
The Music
When wanting a real experience of the music, just search on any music streaming platform the word “Ballermann Musik ” or “Schlagermusik ”. You might be more successful with the first word. This is due to Schlagermusik being able to find old Schlager, which is not the majority of music getting played there. Maybe “Partyschlager ” is also a good word to search for.
The music is basically party music, with easy and stupid lyrics. Usually this is possible for you to learn, even when already being super drunk. People are going wild for this kind of music and the atmosphere is, when being honest, extremely good. It is the place to go, to see many happy Germans in one place!
When thinking of the lyrics, most songs are basically about one of the following topics: Malle (Mallorca), beer, sex, alcohol, being drunk and in general ambiguous words, which could mean something naughty.
How is a typical day over there?
The first big event is, to be latest at 11:30am, at the Mega-Park! At that time, there is free beer for 30 min, which is not much, but still. The whole club is just full and you see 5L vodka lemon towers on the tables and people being already drunk. So many people start their day at 10 in the morning already in the club.
During midday, there are of course many people drinking, but it is mainly for getting some food for energy. Energy to drink even more. You can see many people buying buckets with straws and many bottles of Sangria (Cheap mixed wine), which people drink through the straws out of the bucket at the beach. The island of Mallorca is trying to forbid it, but many are still doing it.
In the early afternoon till late that day, many go to the Bierkönig, which is translated to Beerking. In this club, you get for each big drink, a free shirt and in general at this time the Bierkönig and the Mega-Park are challenging each other, with who is getting the people. Often it depends on which actor is playing at the moment. The music is everywhere the same and motivated people are in both places. It is just not cheap.
At night, when you can still stand, many people are going to a small club called Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria) and it is there to have a good night until early the next day. To go home and be happy by eating your cold pizza next morning with a beer for breakfast. Many people are doing it for a week and I can tell you, it is not vacation, you need vacation from that vacation after.
When is the best time and how much is it?
Between mid April and mid October, is the best time to visit this place, this is when both of the biggest clubs are open. In the summer months, June till September, where it is completely packed.
Beer is for a half liter for around 5 Euros and a mixed drink over 10 Euros, which sum up quickly and is also quite likely to rise this season, I assume. Of course when you want something else, the prices can be way higher!
People are drinking easily hundreds and some even over 1000 Euros of alcohol during their trip, which is in my opinion insane!
Are there just Germany partying?
No, the Germans are the most though. There is also a section, where many people from the UK are partying and also a small section from people out of the Netherlands. Still, the majority are Germans, it is for them kind of a modern pilgrimage I assume.
I have almost no German friends, who haven’t been there.
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The alternatives to experience the same?
There are alternatives, one is similar, if not even more expensive, that would be Ischgl. Ischgl is a small town in Austria, to which the same people from Mallorca are coming, but for going skiing. It is actually the place where covid has increased the speed of its spreading (little fun fact).
In Ischgl, you are finding the Partyschlager as well and the Apreski Musik. This is similar to the Ballermann Musik, just different topics. The people are going skiing during the day and are drinking, when they are done and partying a lot.
There is one alternative, which is way cheaper and similar from the experience.
Gold Beach in Bulgaria. Since Mallorca is getting more expensive and the government wants to control the people more and more, the Germans searched for a new place to go. They found Varna in Bulgaria. A city right at the beach, where there is now another Bierkönig.
It is not as big as the Ballermann of course. But it goes in the same direction and I heard that partying there should be fun.
Summary
To be honest, I would not go again, but seeing it once, it could be fun. It is crazy, what kind of masses of Germans are there. It doesn’t matter to whom you talk, they speak German. Probably a reason why so many Germans get there now. You feel like being home, it is just warmer and you are not home. It is part of German culture and I believe this is just a fact.
The behavior is, when being honest, really bad. I understand why Mallorca has restrictions, but I also understand why people go, because it can be fun.
You want to have a weird experience in Spain, or want to experience German parties? Then El Arenal is THE place for you to visit. You want to relax on a beach and enjoy the nature of the region? Then you can still travel to Mallorca. Maybe not to El Arenal, the island has more to offer in general.
