{"id":5137,"date":"2014-04-16T10:07:26","date_gmt":"2014-04-16T10:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/arjunkarthaphotography.com\/?p=5137"},"modified":"2020-07-24T08:28:47","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T02:58:47","slug":"fasnet-in-villengen-schwenningen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arjunkarthaphotography.com\/fasnet-in-villengen-schwenningen\/","title":{"rendered":"Fasnet in Villingen-Schwenningen | A travel photography story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fasnet in\u00a0Villingen-Schwenningen<\/h2>\n

(Note, this is a post about Fasnet in Villingen Schwenningen\u00a0only. I went from town to town in the Black Forest area in Germany to experience Fasnet first hand – if you’ve landed on this article, you should start\u00a0HERE<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Villengen and Shwenningen<\/a> are two towns that compliment each other.\u00a0Formerly part of Baden<\/a>, Villingen is full of history and stories. Where today you\u2019ll find a bike store, for instance, there used to be a public bathhouse. If you fancy a break from all that wandering and exploring, the multitude of drinking fountains are the ideal place to stop off. They would certainly have a lot to say if they could speak! In years gone by, fountains were the perfect meeting places for people wanting to catch up on the latest gossip!<\/span><\/p>\n

Shwenningen used to be one of the world\u2019s largest clock-making towns – and harmoniously combines both tradition and progress, as illustrated by the symbiosis of magnificent Wilhelmian style villas and modern builds.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Happy towns folk, all set for the day!<\/p><\/div>\n

Look out for:<\/span><\/h3>\n

The carnival here was a lot of fun. It’s hard for me to really segregate the experience between each town, distill it down to pros and cons – and try and arrive at which one was “best”. In fact, it was so hard – that I gave up. They’re all great. Each one is different – and it’s pointless trying to identify which one is better than another one. The carnival in Villingen-Shwenningen has a lot of similar costumes to what you’ll see in other carnivals – but there are a couple of special guilds to look out for. The\u00a0Narro<\/strong> is probably the most readily seen costume, and is supposed to be one of the oldest guilds.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A very regal looking Narro walking down the street<\/p><\/div>\n

You sometimes also find the\u00a0“Morbili<\/b>” who often accompanying Narros, but is also seen in smaller or larger groups. The Morbili\u2019s wooden mask is that of a friendly smiling, sometimes toothless old lady. She is dressed accordingly and wears a beautiful lace fitted bonnet. Much to everyone’s delight, she also chucks candy, sausages and other assorted gifts to the crowds – as long as she likes you!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Here you go kids, chocolates!<\/p><\/div>\n

The funniest of the lot has to be the\u00a0Wuescht!\u00a0<\/b>They have horrendous costumes stuffed to the brim with straw – and if they’re feeling naughty, they stuff your jacket full of it! (With the breeches fully stuffed with straw – walking as you can imagine – is therefore quite a task). On their back, the Wuescht wear a wooden board on which a ragged doll is fastened – with some highly colourful references! (look out for them!)<\/span><\/p>\n

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Wuescht jumping about full of straw on a skipping rope. This gentleman actually managed more than 100 jumps – amazing!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Here comes the straw! Zip your jackets tight!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Life is made much easier with these folks – who distribute test tubes full of schnapps!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Such awesome art on their backs. Seems a little heavy though!<\/p><\/div>\n

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A friendly looking creature!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Like almost every town I went to – it’s not just the parade – but EVERYONE dresses up. The easiest way to fit it? Dress up in something wild!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Yes, really. Something wild!<\/p><\/div>\n

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The sheer range of costumes is mind boggling. Each one has a special significance – it’s impossible to try and understand everything in just one visit.<\/p><\/div>\n

Staying in Villingen or Schwenningen<\/span><\/h3>\n

I stayed at the Mercure, Villingen-Schwenningen. They have a fantastic hotel restaurant, with large windows facing the town square. In addition, the museum-cafe right next door is certainly not to be missed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Mercure Hotel at Villingen-Schwenningen<\/p><\/div>\n

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Most rooms have a slanting roof – thanks to the hotel design. It’s very cosy and pleasant though – and the large windows allow plenty of light in.<\/p><\/div>\n

Don’t forget!\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Don’t forget to check out my other blog posts on Fasnet in and around the Black Forest region.<\/span> Click on any of the links below to go to the individual stories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n[grid name=”germanyblog”]\n