Basel Carnival / Basler Fasnacht

The first recorded carnival event in Basel was a knight's tournament in 1376. Today there are no knights but in the very early hours of the first Monday after Ash Wednesday, the people gather in the old town and silently wait for the clock to strike at 4 am. Then, with a musical explosion of drums and flutes, the carnival starts and lasts for three days. There's masquerades, lantern processions, lots of political satire and general chaos.

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