Obama enjoys a traditional Bavarian welcome as world leaders arrive for G7 summit

The US President was greeted by an oompah band playing long wooden alphorns, while residents of the village of Krün wore traditional lederhosen as they filled the town square.

'There's never a bad day for a beer and a weisswurst,' Mr Obama joked, adding that he would try to buy a pair of lederhosen during his visit to Germany.

The President and Ms Merkel are meeting David Cameron as well as the leaders of France, Italy, Canada and Japan at Schloss Elmau, nestled in the Alps.

They are set to discuss climate change, Russia's aggression in Ukraine, the rise of ISIS and British plans to prevent the repeat of a pandemic outbreak similar to the Ebola virus.

The area has been flooded by hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters, as well as 22,000 police brought from all around Germany to prevent them disrupting the meeting.

After arriving in Krün today, Mr Obama greeted the crowd in German, saying, 'Grüss Gott!', then joked: 'I have to admit that I forgot to bring my lederhosen but I'm going to see if I can buy some while I'm here.' 

He added that he would rather be in Bavaria during Oktoberfest, but said: 'There's never a bad day for a beer and a weisswurst.

'And I can't think of a better place to come to celebrate the enduring friendship between the German and the American people.'

As well as dirndls and lederhosen, 2,000 locals dressed in wool hats decorated with feathers and goat hair plumes as they drank wheat beer - said by one farmer to be non-alcoholic.

The two leaders took part in the tradition of 'Frühschoppen', where Bavarians meet on a Sunday morning to eat sausages and drink beer - it must take place before noon so that the meat remains fresh. 

Mr Obama said: 'This morning as we celebrate one of the strongest alliances the world has ever known, my message to the German people is simple: We are grateful for your friendship, for your leadership. We stand together as inseparable allies in Europe and around the world.' 

(dailymail.co.uk)