Here is a sampling of carnival events around Europe. Times are included when available. Contact local tourist boards to confirm details and get more information.
BelgiumAalst: Feb. 18, 1 p.m., carnival parade; Feb. 19, 2:30 p.m., onion toss, Grote Markt.
Binche: Feb. 18, 10 a.m., gathering of participants, center of town, for 3:30 p.m. parade; fireworks, 8 p.m.
Stavelot: Feb. 18, carnival; March 17-19, Mid-Lenten carnival.
CroatiaRijeka: Feb. 17, 3 p.m., Masked Marathon; Feb. 18, noon, International Parade, town center.
FranceDunkirk: Feb. 17-20, carnival festivities downtown.
Menton: Feb. 17-20, Lemon Festival, featuring scenes at the Biovés Gardens and on parade floats made with lemons, oranges and flowers.
Nice: Feb. 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.
GermanyAachen: Feb. 19, 11:30 a.m., parade.
Bad Wimpfen: Feb. 19, 2:11 p.m., parade.
Berlin: Feb. 18, 11:11 a.m., parade, Potsdamer Platz.
Buchen: Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m. and 2:11 p.m., parade; Feb. 19, 2:11 p.m., parade.
Cologne: Feb. 19, 11:11 a.m. Rose Monday parade, Chlodwigplatz.
Dieburg: Feb. 18, 1:33 p.m., guardsmen and horse troops gather at marketplace; Feb. 20, 1:33 p.m., Fasching parade.
Dietfurt: Feb. 15, 2:01 p.m., Chinese Fasching.
Düsseldorf: Feb. 18, 11 a.m., Karneval on the Königsallee; 19 Feb., 1:45 p.m., Rose Monday parade starting at Josef-Beuys-Ufer.
Erbach: Feb. 20, 2:11 p.m., parade.
Frankfurt: Feb. 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-Heddernheim: Feb. 20, 2:31 p.m, parade starting at Antoniusstrasse-Heddernheim Landstrasse.
Freiburg: Feb. 18, street carnival, center of town; Feb. 19, Rose Monday parade.
Gross-Auheim: Feb. 20, 3:11 p.m., parade.
Hanau: Feb. 17, 2:11 p.m., parade starts at Friedrichstrasse/Hauptbahnhofstrasse.
Heidelberg: Feb. 20, 1:30 p.m., parade.
Heppenheim: Feb. 18, 2:11 p.m., parade.
Klein-Auheim: Feb. 18, 2:30 p.m., parade.
Lorsch: Feb. 20, 2:11 p.m., parade.
Mainz: Feb. 19, 11:11 a.m., parade through the center of town.
Mainz-Kastel: Feb. 17, 1 p.m. parade, including 200 Americans and nine American cars. Participants assemble at 11:30 a.m. at Kastel Storage Station.
Mannheim: Through Feb. 20, Fasching activities in the tent on P7.
Michelstadt: Feb. 18, 2:11 p.m., parade.
Miltenberg: Feb. 17, 2:11 p.m., parade.
Mittenwald: Feb. 15, noon, parade starts at Obermarkt.
Munich: 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.
Offenbach: Feb. 20, 2:01 p.m. parade.
Rottweil: Feb. 19, 20, 8 a.m., parade.
Schramberg: Feb. 18, 2 p.m., parade in Mühlegraben.
Seligenstadt: Feb. 18, 2:31 p.m., Children’s Parade, center of town; Feb. 19, 1:31 p.m., Rose Monday parade starting at Protestant church.
Steinheim: Feb. 18, 1:33 p.m., parade, center of town.
Triberg: Feb. 20, 1:30 p.m., parade.
Villingen: Feb. 20, 1:30 p.m., parade.
Wasungen: Feb. 15, 6:11 p.m., torch parade; Feb. 17, 2 p.m., parade.
Wiesbaden: Feb. 18, 1:11 p.m., parade starting at Elsässer Platz.
GreecePatras: Feb. 18, parade with burning of carnival effigy; Feb. 19, kite flying competition.
Rethymno: Feb. 18, 2 p.m., parade; Feb. 19, kite flying competition.
HungaryMohács: Feb. 15, 2 p.m., parade at Széchenyi téren; Feb. 18, 9 a.m., Fasching fair; Feb. 20, 2 p.m., parade.
ItalyMany listings from www.agriturist.it
Acireale: Feb. 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, 3:30 p.m., parade; 9 p.m., musical program; Feb. 19 and 20, 4 p.m., parades.
Agrigento: Sunday, 9 a.m., Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore parade.
Busseto: Feb. 18 and 25, street festivals.
Ivrea: Feb. 20, orange throwing battle and burning of effigies.
Oristano: Feb. 18-20, Sardinia festival with jousting.
Venice: Friday through Feb. 20, parades and carnival activities on the Piazza San Marco, the bridges and piers.
Verona: Feb. 16-21, parades and regional festivities, Piazza Brá and other locations.
Viareggio: Feb. 18, 20 and 25, parades with elaborate floats and other festivities.
NetherlandsMaastricht: Feb. 18-20, parades and stages around town featuring live music.
's-Hertogenbosch Feb. 19-20, festival of fools, featuring parades and costumed street parties.
PortugalFunchal: Feb. 17-20, carnival on island of Madeira.
Loule: Feb. 18-20, carnival in Algarve.
Torres Vedras: Feb. 16-21, carnival events including satirical parades.
SpainAguilas: Through Feb. 24.
Alicante: Through Feb. 25; parade Feb. 17.
Cadiz: Through Feb. 25, events throughout city.
La Palma: Through Feb. 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.
Malaga: Through Feb. 18; main parade Feb. 18.
Sitges: Through Feb. 21; Feb. 15, arrival of King of the Carnival; Feb. 18, grand parade; Feb. 21, Burial of the Sardine, a large effigy.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Feb. 16-21, Canary Islands, including costumed parades.
Villanueva de La Vera: Feb. 18 and 20, featuring parade of Pero Palo, a straw figure beaten and taunted by residents.
SwitzerlandBasel: Feb. 26-28, parades through the city starting with Morgestraich (pipers crisscrossing the city), at 4 a.m. Feb. 26.
Bellinzona: Feb. 15-20, carnival with parades; folklore event on Feb. 17.
Liestal: Feb. 25, ancient custom and carnival parade with fireworks and blazing torches.
Lucerne: Through Feb. 20, with major parades Feb. 19 and 20.
Moudon: March 8-11, featuring large bonfires.
Payerne: Feb. 24-26, featuring large bonfires.
Zug: Feb. 19, traditional parade of Greth Schell.
Zürich: Feb. 23-25, traditional Guggen music, dancing and masked revelry.
