Aachen Carnival
The lovely Roman spa city of Aachen takes Carnival very seriously, dubbing Carnival the "fifth season". Highlights include the farcical award ceremony Orden wider den Tierischen Ernst (the medal for combating deadly seriousness), where public figures vie for the title of "Carnival Knight". A series of parties, concerts and costumed balls over two weeks precede the main events - the Children's Costume Carnival and the Rosenmontagzug Parade (18 and 19 February). Look for the jesters who perform hilariuos antics up and down the streets.Bremen Carnival
Bremen's carnival began in 1985 when a local samba club decided it wanted to bring a little festivity to the streets of the Hansa city. Each year the theme changes, but the infectious sound of pounding drums always accompanies the colourful and flamboyant celebration. After a big party on Friday night, the street carnival takes place on Saturday afternoon, with a ball on Saturday night and many associated events.Mittenwald Carnival
Carnival in the little town of Mittenwald at the foot of the Alps rings in spring with Schellenrührer, bell-ringers who chase away Old Man Winter. In the evenings the local inns host Gunkln, celebrations with folk music, dancing and, naturally, plenty of beer. For the six days heading up to Ash Wednesday, townsmen roam the streets in colourful masks, handed down from generation to generation, which depict the Maschkera, ancient primordial figures.Frankfurt Carnival
The Frankfurt carnival takes place in the city centre and dates back to the 14th century. The medieval origins of this so-called "fifth season" are clear in the characters that entertain the crowds - jovial court jesters (Narro), frightening scarecrows (Strohmann) and hunch-backed witches fill the streets for Carnival week. Berlin Carnival The capital of Germany, Berlin, not to be outdone, celebrates Carnival with plenty of dancing, parades, and events during the Carnival season. The city is filled with Carnival characters partying the night (and day away) in traditional costumes with plenty of music and parties.Dusseldorf Carnival
One of the biggest and wildest carnivals in Germany, more than 6,000 people parade through the streets of Dusseldorf along with more than 60 floats and 120 horses. Over a million people come each year to partake of the festivities. Don't expect to get much sleep. Marching bands, mass singing and shouting and large paper mache statues parodying famous figures give plenty of opportunity for entertainment and the streets are filled with confetti and streamers. Try to position yourself in the Altstadt (old town) and find a place you can park yourself to enjoy the parades.In addition to the Ronsenmontagszug parade on February 18, there is a whole season of Carnival events (over 600. Of course, for many of the events, especially the Sitzungen (conferences with satirical presentations and music and dance) you might want to know a little German to get the full grasp of the entertainment.
Mainz Carnival
One of the top three cities for Carnival (along with Cologne and Dusseldorf), Mainz hosts masquerades, sets up stalls and puts on a great Rosemontagszug (parade) through the center of town. Stay in the Altstadt to get the full experience and watch more that 8,000 participants with 90 or so orchestras and more than 25 carnival groups. Try out the Altstadt Cafe after the parades or head to one of the many other parties in town afterwards.Oberammergau Carnival
If you are into public food fights, you might want to head to Oberammergau for Carnival, where the local traditional celebration, called Brez'nangeln (pretzel-fishing) consists of members of the Trachtenverein folk-costume society riding in a horse-drawn wagon laden pretzels and sausages. In response to impassioned pleas ("Moré Moré Wurscht!"), the food is thrown into the crowds. The procession halts now and then for a rousing rendition of the Brez'nangeln song and, in case you don't catch a pretzel or sausage, you can always stop into one of the local pubs for sausages and beer.Munich Carnival
The city center of Munich fills with revelers for Carnival and there are countless balls that you can get tickets to if you would like to attend. The München Schabernackt (where wearing as little clothes as possible or none at all is the order of the night), the Chrysanthemum Ball and the Weiße Feste are among some of the most popular balls. The big event is the traditional dance of the market women on Shrove Tuesday at 11 am in Munich's Viktualienmarkt. The day culminates with the Kehraus ("last dance") balls that run to midnight, when Ash Wednesday and the onset of Lent put a stop to carnival.Cologne Carnival
With over 10,000 participants, 440 horses , 97 floats and 123 bands in for the Rosemontagzug, the Cologne Carnival is in the same league as carnivals in Rio de Janeiro and Venice with a full schedule of events:- Carnival Saturday, 17 February 2007- Traditional "Funkenbiwak", the gathering of the colourful Corps troops at the Neumarkt.
- Carnival Sunday, 18 February - School group parade through the city centre starting at 11:00 hrs.
- Rose Monday, 19 February - The climax of street carnival, with the official parade starting before 11:00 am.
- Carnival Tuesday- 20 February - Various Carnival parades in the suburbs of Cologne.
- Ash Wednesday, 21 February 2007- Traditionally, fish dinners are served at pubs and restaurants.
