Here is a sampling of carnival events around Europe. Times are included when available. Information and more details should be verified by local tourist boards.
BelgiumAalstFeb. 18, 1 p.m., carnival parade; Feb. 19, 2:30 p.m., onion toss, Grote Markt.BincheFeb. 18, 10 a.m., gathering of participants, center of town, for 3:30 p.m. parade; fireworks, 8 p.m.StavelotFeb. 18, carnival; March 17-19, Mid-Lenten carnival.
CroatiaRijekaFeb. 17, 3 p.m., Masked Marathon; Feb. 18, noon, International Parade, town center.
FranceDunkirkFeb. 17-20, carnival festivities downtown.MentonFeb. 17-20, Lemon Festival, featuring scenes at the Biovés Gardens and on parade floats made with lemons, oranges and flowers.NiceFeb. 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28 and March 3, 2:30 p.m. Flower Parade; Feb. 17, 20, 24, 27 and March 3, 9 p.m., Parade of Lights; March 4, carnival Grand Parade, 2:30 p.m.; burning of effigies and fireworks, 9 p.m.
GermanyAachenFeb. 19, 11:30 a.m., parade.Bad WimpfenFeb. 19, 2:11 p.m., parade.BerlinFeb. 18, 11:11 a.m., parade, Potsdamer Platz.BremenSaturday, opening ritual at the market place, parade starts at noon.BuchenFeb. 18, 10:30 a.m. and 2:11 p.m., parade; Feb. 19, 2:11 p.m., parade.CologneFeb. 19, 11:11 a.m. Rose Monday parade, Chlodwigplatz.DieburgFeb. 18, 1:33 p.m., guardsmen and horse troops gather at market place; Feb. 20, 1:33 p.m., Fasching parade.DietfurtFeb. 15, 2:01 p.m., Chinese Fasching.DüsseldorfFeb. 18, 11 a.m., Karneval on the Königsallee; 19 Feb., 1:45 p.m., Rose Monday parade starting at Josef- Beuys-Ufer.ErbachFeb. 20, 2:11 p.m., parade.FrankfurtFeb. 17, Fasching “troopers” attack the Römer and the mayor will hand them the keys to the city; Feb. 18, 12:31 p.m., parade, Untermainkai/ Untermainbrücke.Frankfurt-HeddernheimFeb. 20, 2:31 p.m, parade starting at Antoniussstrasse-Heddernheimer Landstrasse.FreiburgFeb. 18, street carnival, center of town; Feb. 19, Rose Monday parade.Gross-AuheimFeb. 20, 3:11 p.m., parade.HanauFeb. 17, 2:11 p.m., parade starts at Friedrichstrasse/Hauptbahnhofstrasse.HeidelbergFeb. 20, 1:30 p.m., parade.HeppenheimFeb. 18, 2:11 p.m., parade.Klein-AuheimFeb. 18, 2:30 p.m., parade.LorschFeb. 20, 2:11 p.m., parade.MainzFeb. 19, 11:11 a.m., parade through the center of town.MannheimFeb. 15-20, Fasching activities in the tent on P7.MichelstadtFeb. 18, 2:11 p.m., parade.MiltenbergFeb. 17, 2:11 p.m., parade.MittenwaldFeb. 15, noon, parade starts at Obermarkt.MunichSunday, 11 a.m. parade at Odeonsplatz; Feb. 15, 1 p.m. Fasching activities at Viktualienmarkt; Feb. 18, 19, 20, Fasching activities, 11 a.m., Rotkreuzplatz; Feb. 21, Wallet washing, 11 a.m. at the Fischbrunnen on Marienplatz.OffenbachFeb. 20, parade, 2:01 p.m.RottweilFeb. 19, 20, 8 a.m., parade.SchrambergFeb. 18, 2 p.m., parade in Mühlegraben.SeligenstadtFeb. 18, 2:31 p.m., Children’s Parade, center of town; Feb. 19, 1:31 p.m., Rose Monday parade starting at Protestant church.SteinheimFeb. 18, 1:33 p.m., parade, center of town.TribergFeb. 20, 1:30 p.m., parade.VillingenFeb. 20, 1:30 p.m., parade.WasungenFeb. 15, 6:11 p.m., torch parade; Feb. 17, 2 p.m., parade.WiesbadenFeb. 18, 1:11 p.m., parade starting at Elsässer Platz.
GreecePatrasFeb. 18, parade with burning of carnival effigy; Feb. 19, kite flying competition.RethymnoFeb. 18, 2 p.m., parade; Feb. 19, kite flying competition.
HungaryMohácsFeb. 15, 2 p.m., parade at Széchenyi téren; Feb. 18, 9 a.m., Fasching fair; Feb. 20, 2 p.m., parade.
ItalyMany Italian carnevale listings from www.agriturist.it.AcirealeFeb. 16-20, Sicily’s most famous carnival; Feb. 16, 4 p.m., school celebrations with children's masked parade; Feb. 17, 4 p.m., parade with decorated carriages; Feb. 18 at 3:30 p.m., parade; 9 p.m., musical program; Feb. 19 and 20, 4 p.m., parades.AgrigentoSunday, 9 a.m., Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore parade.BussetoFeb. 18 and 25, street festivals.IvreaSunday, 10 a.m., parade of carriages; Feb. 20, orange throwing battle and burning of effigies.OristanoFeb. 18-20, Sardinia festival with jousting.VeniceFriday through Feb. 20, parades and carnival activities on the Piazza San Marco, the bridges and piers.VeronaFeb. 16-21, parades and regional festivities, Piazza Brá and other locations.ViareggioSunday and Feb. 18, 20 and 25, parades with elaborate floats and other festivities.
NetherlandsMaastrichtFeb. 18-20, parades and stages around town featuring live music's-HertogenboschFeb. 19-20, festival of fools featuring parades and costumed street parties.
PortugalFunchalFeb. 17-20, carnival on island of Madeira.LouleFeb. 18-20, carnival in Algarve.Torres VedrasFeb. 16-21, carnival events including satirical parades.
SpainAguilasFeb. 11-24.AlicanteThrough Feb. 25; parade Feb. 17.CadizFeb. 15-25, events throughout city.La PalmaFeb. 15-25, largest festivities on Canary Islands; Feb. 19, Batalla de Polvos de Talco, in which talcum powder is fired at revelers from a variety of weapons.MalagaFeb. 11-18; main parade Feb. 18.SitgesFeb. 15-21, arrival of King of the Carnival Feb. 15; Feb. 18, grand parade; Feb. 21, Burial of Sardine, a large effigy.Santa Cruz de TenerifeFeb. 16-21, Canary Islands, including costumed parades.Villanueva de La VeraFeb. 18 and 20, featuring parade of Pero Palo, a straw figure beaten and taunted by residents.
SwitzerlandBaselFeb. 26-28, parades through the city starting with Morgestraich (pipers criss-crossing the city), at 4 a.m. Feb. 26.BellinzonaFeb. 15-20, carnival with parades; folklore event on Feb. 17.LiestalFeb. 25, ancient custom and carnival parade with fireworks and blazing torches.LucerneFeb. 15-20, with major parades Feb. 19 and 20.MoudonMarch 8-11, featuring large bonfires.PayerneFeb. 24-26, featuring large bonfires.ZugFeb. 19, traditional parade of Greth Schell.ZürichFeb. 23-25, trational Guggen music, dancing and masked revelry.
