Where are the best places to see carnival in Switzerland? Anywhere which is particularly famous for their celebrations?

(Somewhere close to the Bern canton)

Luzern.

The Catholic one is on at the Moment. the biggest / most famous one is in Lucerne. Next Weekend you have the one Basel which is the Protestant one. They are very different. Both of them have fans but most People prefer on over the other. Do read up a Little you will find a lot of Information online, most will be in German but you can look at the Pictures, watch some movies on Youtube or translate with deepl.com.


Morgenstraich is on Monday, 11th, starts at 4 A.M.. So everything is still dark, all very quiet then they come, move in Groups trough the City and Play Music. I liked it, the one time I went. It was a good experience. There is also an "Umzug" (Parade) in the afternoon on Monday but I have not been.

Wow, I thnk 4am is a bit too early for me....! But thank you for the info. I didn't realise that there were differences between Catholic and Protestant carnival celebrations (not being religious myself)

Thanks!

Bellinzona this weekend, Tesserete next Saturday.

Tom

Bellinzona is a bit far to go for me as a last minute but thanks for the info - maybe something to plan for the future :-)

You can watch in NOW on TV, RSI1!

Tom

The festivals aren't religious. Just to be clear.

I did attend Morgestraich once. It's quite weird heading into town at 2-3am, and there being so many people around. Just before 4am, the whole town goes dark (on pain of hefty fines), then it all starts up for the next 72 hours. The only light is from the carnival. Some of the cliques' wagons are highly satirical.

At about 5:30am, we headed home. Again, very strange walking through Basel with no street lights at all.

It's definitely worth doing once.

But you can also go up for the Monday afternoon.

__________________
Never ask an Englishman where he is from. If he's from Yorkshire, he'll tell you. If he's not, it's unfair to embarrass him.

Thanks! :-D

I will definitely give it some thought and planning :-)

Actually, they are (at least the dates).

Which is why in Ticino and parts of northern Italy, there are two: one for the Roman catholics, and one for the Ambrosian catholics.

Tom

Cranaval des Bolzes in Fribourg (March 2-5): http://www.carnavaldesbolzes.ch

Have personally never been, but I always thought the Basle Carnival is reputed to be the best and largest:

https://www.basel.com/en/carnival-in...carnival-basel

Thank you! I will check out the website :-)

The Chinbäse in Liestal is in my opinion a big must-see, if you are fireproof and have a high tolerance to having your eyeballs boil in your head go there, and then if you are still fit off you go to Basel and the Morgenstraich on the next morning.

Well, yes. But so is Christmas in that sense.

Fastnacht in Lucerne is quite cool.

I spend every carnival away from the city skiing. You get empty slopes all to yourself, it is a bliss.
Basel & Zurich will have carnival this Monday = perfect opportunity to go skiing with minimal crowds around.
I am planning to continue doing that if we ever have Winter again.

OP, everybody in this thread is winding you up, except for those who proposed the Basel Fasnacht. Basel has by far the largest, most widely renowned, and Baslerest of all carnival celebrations, and Fasnacht there (which actually runs for three days: "d' drey scheenschte Dääg", but Monday is the day to be there) is (for the third reason, if no other) therefore the best Swiss carnival in the world.

Yes, I know Basler who practice all year for this event, and master their instruments. Must be pretty good to watch.

Certainly most others (well, definitely Zurich) are just renowned as being a drunken orgy of brass instrument blowers (who never learned to play) going from bar to bar in clown-like costumes i.e. something many would rather avoid.

I think it's the Swiss way of letting-off steam after the long winter. And who can blame them?