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February means carnival time. Forget zebra costumes, candyfloss and yards of pink nylon: European carnivals are worlds apart. From freaky to chic and sophisticated to raucous—here’s a round-up of the continent’s best. u
WORDS BY CATHERINE RICHARDS
9th Feb–20th Feb, www.carnivalofvenice.com
Romance, mystery and sophistication, the Venetian carnival is as glamorous as they come. There are no parades, but several stylish events organised across the city, from lunches, cocktails, Baroque soirées and candlelit dinners, to glitzy masked balls. Costumed participants throng the central piazzas of the city with their sumptuous costumes recalling the hedonistic days of the Venetian republic, in the 17th and 18th century: velvet, brocade, taffeta, silk, and exquisite plaster masks for which Venice is famous. For centuries, masks and costumes were used by Venetians as disguises to preserve anonymity, making it easier to behave badly and get away with it—be it political plotting or amorous intentions. In fact, until the spoilsport Austrians banned it completely at the very end of the 18th century, the carnival would last for months. Visually it’s a delight.
(fly to Pisa) 4th-28th February,
www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com
Viareggio’s carnival is famous worldwide for its fantastical floats. You haven’t seen a carnival float until you’ve seen one 15m high and weighing in at 40 tons. Created by sculptors and artists from papier mâché and taking as much as a year to build, most of the floats have political or social themes. These monsters have mechanised moving parts operated from within by (brave) volunteers who, reassuringly, are also responsible for making sure the whole thing stays upright. Parades take place on successive Sundays throughout February. There are pre-payable tickets to the parades.
(fly to Rome) 17th–20th Feb,
www.comune.ronciglione.vt.it
Excess is celebrated in Ronciglione: fun, food, wine and speed. The carnival is famous for its nasi rossi (red noses), 300 locals in nightshirts who force-feed onlookers pasta from chamber pots. The pasta might be cold and you might have just eaten, but don’t even consider declining—the nasi rossi can get nasty with their rigatoni. This is the oldest carnival in central Italy, with street parades, folk music and masked balls, but the highlight is the unique Corso di Vuoto—riderless horses galloping through the medieval streets.
(fly to Turin) 18th–20th Feb,
www.carnevalediivrea.it
One of the barmiest of Italy’s carnivals, if only for the mayhem that ensues across the town on the three days before Ash Wednesday: orchestrated orange fights between costumed hoi polloi and hooded antagonists on horse-drawn carts, who represent the tyrannical masters of old. To avoid injury, safe areas are set up to protect non-combatants, though you’d be well advised to follow the example of locals and buy the silly, red hat—a Phrygian bonnet—which parodies those worn during the French revolution. It indicates that you’re not fair game… though in the heat of the moment, oranges—360,000 kg of them—have been known to go astray. You have been warned.
(fly to Barcelona), 14th–21st Feb,
www.gaysitges.com
Every carnival must have its Queen and Sitges has hundreds, most of them wearing false eyelashes and bouffant wigs. This small fishing town, south of Barcelona is a gay resort and hosts one of Spain’s most outrageous carnivals over a week of non-stop parties and parades. This is not a gay carnival per se— the two parades on Sunday and the following Tuesday, complete with 40 floats and 3,000 spectators, are very family affairs. Tuesday’s Extermination Parade is a whole lot camper though with hundreds of drag queens from all over Europe converging on the town. On Ash Wednesday, there’s the ceremonial burying of the sardine on the beach, which closes what is the wildest carnival in Spain.
26th–28th Feb, www.fasnacht.ch
Basel’s three-day Fasnacht has ancient origins and in the best tradition of carnival, is a touch disturbing. Oddly, the city of Basel celebrates the week after Ash Wednesday: thousands of spectators and over 10,000 costumed participants in cliques—drum and piper troupes—converge on the city in the early hours of Monday morning. At 4am in the February freeze, the city lights go out and a masked, torch-lit parade begins to the rousing Morgenstreich and the alter Schwiizer marches. Guggemusige bands playing beaten-up brass instruments prowl the streets, re-fuelling regularly in the bars: think school orchestra under the influence and you’ll get the idea. The musical mayhem reaches a crescendo until the clocks strike 4am on Thursday morning, signalling the official end to the celebration. Buy a metal badge by way of contribution (a blagedde) and enjoy the fun.
18th–20th Feb, www.vvvmaastricht.nl
Carnival is short and sweet in Maastricht—only three days and nights—though very exuberant. Once the het moosewief (the greengrocer’s wife) has been run up the flagpole and the canon discharged in central Vrijthof, the festivities begin. Against the grey of the Dutch winter sky, it’s a very colourful affair—red, green and yellow predominate. There’s no need for extravagant costumes here though as anything goes. Paint your face purple, borrow your granny’s housecoat or drape a couple of bathmats over your shoulders and you’ll fit in. This is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, and with more bars per sq/km than anywhere in the country, it gets very boozy.
8th Feb–19th Mar, www.cityofathens.gr
The Orthodox calendar means carnival (Apokreas) in Athens and is generally later than elsewhere in Europe—this year it runs until so-called Clean Monday on 19th March, after two fun-packed weekends when the bars and restaurants are packed and the streets, knee-deep in confetti, are heaving with people. No oompah or discordant brass bands here: Greek singers, dancers and musicians from all over the nation’s islands perform old favourites, there’s enough contemporary stuff to keep the teenagers happy, and traditional Greek costume is very much in evidence. Clean Monday sees the city head to the hills of Filopappou, Skouze and Strefi for a spot of subdued kite flying, food, theatre and traditional music.
16th Feb–4th Mar, www.nicecarnaval.com
The French at their most frivolous: a full 18 days of parades, folk music, street theatre and tons of confetti along the celebrated Promenade des Anglais. In the past, the citizens of Nice would don masks and chuck eggs and flour at each other during ‘frenzied farandoles’ (that’s a dance to you and me), but the modern carnival is a very organised, less frenetic affair. There are massive Disney-style floats, stunning flower parades—thousands of fresh flowers and the nightime Parade of Lights. The carnival ends 4th March with the ceremonial burning of the carnival king and an impressive firework display.
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Venice, Italy
Viareggio 
Ivrea
Sitges, Spain
Basel, Switzerland
Maastricht, Netherlands
Athens, Greece
Nice, France