No street lamp that illuminates the night, no shop window that allows a glimpse of the interior, and no sign that flashes a company name in the limelight – one imagines a blackout to be so eerily sinister. You could almost get scared if – yes if – it wasn’t carnival in Basel.
The countdown has started. Just a few more minutes. It’s just before four in the morning. Constantly checking the clock. When the bell of Basel’s oldest church strikes four o’clock, the last lights in the city go out and the carnival spectacle begins. You hear them before you see them: piccolos and drums that follow a specific beat and melody. It’s the “Morgestraich March”, which is played by the Fasnachtler exclusively on this occasion. They come from all the alleys and streets, and then move around the city center on a set route, the only source of light are the lanterns. They shine in their hundreds – artistically painted small stick and head lanterns and mighty ones several meters high, which are pulled through the streets on wagons. The motifs change depending on the “clique” as the formations are called, each has their “subject”, which has been worked on for months. Today they have their big performance. In slow step, they pass the spectators who populate the streets and balconies or look out of the windows. The stream of lanterns seems endless, accompanied by recurring rhythmic whistles and drumbeats. Sometime at dawn is the “Morning Straich” over, but the spectacle is far from over.
For breakfast “Meal Soup”
Those who are self-respecting don’t go home, they go to a real Basel flour soup. It belongs to the carnival like masks and lanterns, but the taste buds of the brown traditional dish made of roasted flour and onions differ. Those who are less willing to experiment are better off using the no less traditional one “onion flan”, a kind of onion cake. A sweet wine punch not only warms you up, but also makes you feel good.
After that, at least a short nap is recommended, because the next carnival highlight begins with Swiss punctuality in the early afternoon. At 1.30 p.m. the big show of 500 formations with more than 11,000 masked people starts, too “Cortege” called. Unlike in this country, the artfully and often handcrafted cover “Masggen” and “larvae” not only the face, but the Fasnachtler from head to toe – a desired and historically conditioned anonymity. Although of Celtic and Germanic origin, the Basel Fasnacht developed more and more during the Reformation as an expression of resistance against the repressive authorities. Anonymity has been preserved to this day, even though the type of costume has changed over the centuries. There are costumes that each “subject” of a formation, those that simply spring from the individual imagination, and the classic costumes that always come from one “daring” (farmers), the “Alti Dante” (old aunt), who costumed from hundreds of scraps of fabric “Blätzlibajass”the “Uli” (court jesters) and Dummpeter dressed in rococo style.
When it rains Räppli
All of them march through the streets, squares and bridges of the city, on fixed routes and each led by the so-called “trot”, leading the clique through the crowd. It’s raining “rabble” (confetti) and “Daefeli” (candy). Small strips of paper explaining the clique’s subject in verse are distributed. The spectators stand close together, the streets are like a colorful carpet of confetti. Caution, danger of slipping!
While the Tuesday afternoon is reserved for the costumed youngsters and their parents, the evening belongs to the brass bands. Around 60 groups first march through the city drumming, trumpeting and trumpeting, and then give a taste of their skills in various places. If you haven’t had enough of the colorful hustle and bustle, drop by the Münsterplatz, where the large lanterns of the cliques are on display. It is best to come in the evening when they are lit.
No Basel carnival without “Schnitzelbängg”. This event is reserved for the Confederates. Not that visitors are excluded, you simply fail because of the Swiss dialect. Dragging the events of the past year, both national and international, through the muck bitingly and in rhyme form is not very funny when the percentage of people who have understood is in the single-digit percentage range.
“Don’t do it!” of the carnival
Darkness is the top priority at the Morgenstreich. (Mobile phone) flash is therefore taboo. Even if you’re one of those people who likes to dress up, be careful: made-up faces, wigs, etc. are only accepted for children. It is also frowned upon to pick up confetti from the floor and throw it at others in a kind of recycling, especially not at masked people. On the other hand, wearing a “Blaggedde” is a matter of honour. The sale of the brooch-shaped badge is the main source of income at carnival.
At some point even the three most beautiful days come to an end. It started at four o’clock, and the Basel carnival ends at four o’clock – with the “Ändstraich” on Thursday, during which each formation blows a last march or performs a last piece of music.
And away from the hustle and bustle of carnival, which draws around 200,000 visitors to Switzerland’s third largest city with 171,000 inhabitants every year? Little Basel doesn’t need to shy away from comparison with its big “sister” Zurich. Extending the carnival pays off. There is a lot to discover, because Basel…
… has an intact historic city center. A special eye-catcher is the mighty town hall built of red sandstone. The almost 1000-year-old Middle Bridge is one of the oldest Rhine crossings. If you want to cross the river in an even more rustic way, take one of the four roller ferries “Wild Maa”, “Leu”, “Vogel Gryff” or “Ueli”, which connect Greater and Lesser Basel.
… hosts the world’s largest fair for contemporary art, “Art Basel” (June 15 to 18, 2023).
… has the highest density of museums in the country with its 40 or so museums: Institutions such as the Kunstmuseum and the Kunsthalle are among the most renowned of their kind internationally. The comparatively small “Fondation Beyeler” is considered one of the most beautiful museums in the world. In the museum designed by star architect Renzo Piano in the middle of a local recreation area, modern and contemporary art merge with nature and architecture.
… is also a Mecca of modern architecture. Each of the almost 20 buildings on the campus of the pharmaceutical giant “Novartis”, for example, was designed by a different internationally renowned architect and is open to the public. Every year, 300,000 visitors embark on a journey through time through contemporary architecture on the premises of the furniture manufacturer Vitra. Here, on the outskirts, is Zaha Hadid’s first building (a fire station) or Frank O. Gehry’s first building, the Vitra Design Museum. They have set themselves the task of researching and communicating the history of design. The display depot houses around 20,000 exhibits, including 7,000 pieces of furniture, more than 1,000 lights and the estates of design greats such as Verner Panton and Alexander Girard.
useful information
- Carnival 2023: After pandemic-related restrictions in recent years, a “normal” carnival is to take place again in 2023, as the Fasnacht Committee recently announced – Date: February 27th to March 1st
- Arrival via Zurich: Several daily train connections to Zurich (e.g. from Linz 10:46 a.m., arrive at 5:20 p.m., or Nightjet Linz from 10:56 p.m., arrive at 8:20 a.m.), journey time Zurich-Basel: one hour
Several daily flight connections with Swiss (swiss.com) - Overnight stay: “Moevenpick Hotel Basel”, double room from 154 euros. The 4-star S-Hotel is a two-minute walk from the train station and 10 minutes from the city center. movenpick.com/basel
- the Basle Card every visitor receives free of charge with a hotel booking in the city. It allows free use of public transport, free WiFi at various hotspots, a 50 percent discount on admission to museums, the zoo and the theater, and the use of a Basel guest bike for CHF 20 per day.
- More information: basel.com
Source: Nachrichten
