Every year on Carnivals Monday, the Carnivals Monday procession passes through Cologne’s city centre. Or let’s say through some of the central neighburhoods. It is the biggest of all parades – every year several hundred thousand or even millions come to see the parade – and the spectacle that you will see is simply… It is an experience. There are big themed wagons with some kind of political satire, big wagons of associations, foot groups, music bands, horses, dance groups…. EVERYTHING! And everyone is throwing Kamelle and Bützchen-giving handing out Strüßje. Everyone is dressed up or in the uniform of their club or troupe. And of course also the people on the sidelines. Everywhere music is played from big boxes. It simply is a huge spectacle. It also is the only parade where the first people arrive before the last ones have left. And people stand longer on the sideway than the parade itself goes – that is, than it takes the groups to get from the start to the end point. Just as a small estimate: there are between 60 and 80 groups every year.

Conclusion: If you haven’t yet realised that you absolutely have to be in Cologne during that time, you absolutely have to be in Cologne during that time 😀 Dot to it 😀 I don’t think I need to say much more. Except maybe: if you want to have a good place and see something, be there early. On Rosenmontag, the people of Cologne take pretty serious seeing the parade. Means: no matter if you’re a cute little girl, a tourist or anyone else, you could have been there earlier. It sounds harsh, but we get out of bed extra early every year just for that. We are really not up for bullshit that day. Please don’t take it personally! 🙂 Just be there on time 😀 And yes, that day is sacred to us 😀