Worth a DetourFestivalCarnivalParades

Cologne Carnival

Germany's biggest carnival: six days of costumes and street parties, peaking with the Rose Monday parade throwing sweets to a million people.

Photo: User:MatthiasKabel · CC BY-SA 3.0
When
The Thursday before Ash Wednesday to Rose Monday, February or March
Where
Cologne
Our full guide to Cologne Carnival is being written. It's on the Rhineland list as Worth a Detour among festivals, events and seasons.

Go Next

1–3 of 18
Must-See
Heritage · UNESCO

Rhine Valley

Rhineland-Palatinate
About 62 miles away

Castles and vineyards on the classic river cruise.

Full Guide
Must-See
Cities · UNESCO

Cologne

North Rhine-Westphalia
About 0 miles away

A vast Gothic cathedral, with Roman remains and lively carnival.

Guide Coming Soon
Worth a Detour
Heritage · Castles

Moselle Valley

Rhineland-Palatinate
About 55 miles away

Steep vineyards on river bends, with half-timbered wine towns and Eltz Castle hidden in a side valley.

1 Sight

The Full Short List

Rhineland

Rhine castles, Cologne and Moselle wine.

Something wrong or out of date?