The 10 European Carnivals You Can't Miss

BarcelonaWhen masks take over Venice, oranges fly over Ivrea and grotesque characters invade the old town of Basel, it can only mean one thing: Carnival has arrived in Europe! These are days of debauchery, freedom and centuries-old traditions that fill squares and streets with music, costumes and partying. If you think the best Carnival is the one in Rio, perhaps you haven't yet heard of these ten European Carnivals that combine history, fun and lots and lots of debauchery. You'll discover that they have nothing to envy of the famous Brazilian Carnival and that they exude more folklore and fewer feathers.

If we think of famous carnivals in Europe, one of the first that comes to mind is surely the Venice Carnival. Masks and period costumes fill the city, and blend perfectly with the canals and mansions in the city centre and allow us to transport ourselves back to medieval times. The masks, which symbolise anonymity, allow participants to enjoy total freedom, a fundamental element of this tradition, which attracts both tourists and locals.

It is a historical recreation of when the city was liberated from a tyranny during the Middle Ages, but the fact is that this Carnival has become famous for the battle of oranges. It starts on Sunday and does not stop until Tuesday. Nine teams on foot represent the revolting inhabitants, and several horse-drawn carts represent the feudal lords. They search for each other in the squares and streets to fight with the oranges as their only weapons. Between battles, a historical parade with a representation of all the characters of the Middle Ages serves to contextualize the events. The most important character is Miller's daughter, who makes her way in a golden horse-drawn carriage and hands out sweets and chocolates to the crowds.

In this city on the famous French Riviera, they exchange oranges for their flowers. The famous Bataille de Fleursis one of the highlights of the Nice Carnival. Participants, from floats spectacularly decorated with floral motifs, throw flowers to the crowd, creating an unforgettable experience for those watching from the street. An explosion of colours and lights in what is considered one of the largest and best-known Carnivals in Europe.

It is one of the biggest celebrations in all of Germany, which begins on Fat Thursday. The parades are the highlight of the festival, with thousands of participants dressing up and marching through the streets to the rhythm of music.Kölle Alaaf(Long live Colonia) is the emblematic cry of the festival, which also includes dances, activities and contests in which the community enjoys an atmosphere of fun and freedom during the more than five days of celebration.

Welcome to one of the biggest Carnivals in the world. To the rhythm of Caribbean music and Brazilian samba combined with traditional Canarian music, this Carnival stands out for its large parades of floats and groups with spectacular costumes. The festival lasts two weeks, with events ranging from costume contests to dances and cultural events. Get ready to experience a unique spectacle and discover Canarian culture in a vibrant way.

Would you like to go to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival but it's too far away? A little closer, there is one with many similarities. On the Portuguese island of Madeira you will also find the multi-coloured dresses with feathers and glitter that are so characteristic of the Brazilian Carnivals. There is no shortage of music or comparsas, who wear spectacular costumes and perform choreographies that require hours of rehearsal. They do this both in what they call Cortejo Alegorico (parade with floats) and with the satirical Cortejo Trapalhão, two essential shows if you decide to visit the island during Carnival.

A UNESCO Intangible Heritage Site, the traditional carnival in Binche, in southern Belgium, is believed to date back to 1549, when Mary of Hungary organised celebrations in the town with huge banquets and fireworks to welcome the then Queen of France, who had travelled there to celebrate her victory. It seems that to impress her she created the procession of the Gilles, servants in Andean folklore costumes. Since then, the citizens of Binche themselves decided to dress up as South American Indians. Along with the Cuchus parade, with large feathered hats reminiscent of the Inca wars, it is one of the most colourful events of what is considered one of the oldest carnivals in the world.

It symbolizes the end of winter and has also been a UNESCO Intangible Heritage Site since 2009. Busoso are the names given to the main characters of this Carnival, mainly men dressed in animal skins, wool and wooden masks. They arrive by boat on the Danube and disembark in Mohács, a city in southern Hungary, to parade through its streets accompanied by horse-drawn carriages and extravagantly decorated vehicles. When they reach the Main Square, they burn a coffin that symbolises winter, a particular way of saying goodbye.

Of pagan origin, the celebrations in this high mountain region also served to bid farewell to the end of winter and welcome the beginning of the heat and light that will make crops possible. Full of superstitions, they also helped to scare away the spirits of frost, plagues and even avalanches. Now during Carnival, the towns are filled with strange characters covered with masks and dressed in bone, sheep or grass skins. Some towns include dances with witches and characters dressed as animals.

Also included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the Basel Carnival, in accordance with Swiss precision, is celebrated for exactly three days. It begins at 4 a.m. on Monday with the Morgenstreich, the reveille, and ends on Thursday, also at 4 a.m. with the Ändstraich, the retreating bell. Between these two bell rings, thousands of people in costume accompany the carnival lanterns to the beat of drums and turn the old town into a spectacle of lights and colors. The protagonists are the waggis, characters with big noses and loud suits who behave irreverently.