THE event of the year in Cologne. It sets the whole city completely out of normal order for almost a week, starting on Thursday morning and ending at early Wednesday morning.
The classic bar/street-Karneval is to be found mostly in the gay bars around Rudolfplatz / Schaafenstrasse. Just walk down Staufenstrasse and look around (don't forget that some of the bars are just on one of the sidestreets.
Especially Weiberfastnacht (Thursday) has a nice atmosphere as it is very local and people are still full of energy and expectations.
Important Tip: Get rid of your coat or winter jacket before you start serious karnevalling! There is a coat check in some of the bars.
The big parade on Rosenmontag (Monday) goes all across the city centre. A typical gay meeting point to watch the parade is at Hohe Pforte. But also at Friesenplatz are always lots of gays to be seen in their best costumes.
Furthermore there is a big selection of parties all weekend long, below we list parties that are organised. From youth parties to the local Bearnight, from kinky-fetish to disco-dancing. There is something for everybody!
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