Rastatt Carnival Parade

Carnival in the Baroque City

Rastatt – the Baroque city in the Rastatt district with its striking palace, the seat of the Margraves of Baden – is also a carnival stronghold. The Mittelbaden region around Karlsruhe, Bühl, and Rastatt may be in the shadow of the Rhineland's major hubs like Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Mainz, but it boasts its own vibrant carnival scene with numerous clubs, traditional groups, and a carnival parade that attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually. On Shrove Sunday 2026 – Sunday, February 15 – the grand Rastatt Carnival Parade will march through the city center.

43 Groups, One Route

43 carnival, music, and traditional groups are registered for 2026 – carnival societies from Rastatt and the Mittelbaden area, Guggenmusik bands, city orchestras, dance troupes, show groups, and witch and mask guilds. The route leads from Hilberthof on Bahnhofstraße via Kapellenstraße, then through Herrenstraße, continuing along Schloss- and Kaiserstraße to the Historic Town Hall. The route is located in the city center, approximately 2 kilometers long, and passes through the most beautiful streets of the Baroque city.

Narrendorf on the Market Square

From 11 AM, the Narrendorf will be in full swing on the Market Square – a pre-parade festival mile with DJ Andi at the turntables, catering stands run by the clubs, stage shows by the carnival societies, and atmospheric music. This is where visitors gather before the actual parade. The parade itself starts at 2 PM from Bahnhofstraße. After the parade, the festivities move back to the Market Square and the Historic Town Hall, where the party continues into the evening.

Creativity Prizes

The City of Rastatt annually awards creativity prizes for the most imaginative carnival floats and groups: 1st Prize €300, 2nd Prize €200, 3rd Prize €100. The jury evaluates the originality of the floats, the choreography of the groups, and the costumed performances during the parade. The prize winners will be announced after the parade.

Route Closure and Arrival

The main city center streets will be closed to traffic from 11 AM to 6:30 PM. Arrival by public transport or on foot is therefore strongly recommended – Rastatt train station is only a 5-minute walk from Bahnhofstraße. Current route information and traffic updates are published by the City of Rastatt on rastatt.de.

Rastatt – Baroque City in the Murg Valley

Rastatt is the district capital of the Rastatt district in western Baden-Württemberg, located at the transition from the Black Forest to the Rhine. The city, with its approximately 50,000 inhabitants, is home to the magnificent Rastatt Residential Palace – one of Southern Germany's most important Baroque palaces, built from 1700 onwards for Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden-Baden, known as 'Türkenlouis'. Visitors to the carnival parade can combine their day with a visit to the palace or a stroll through the Baroque palace gardens – a perfect February weekend blend of carnival spirit and cultural history.