Regensburg Carnival – Narragonia Carnival Society

Carnival in the World Heritage City

Unlike the trumpet fanfares of Rhenish carnival or the Swabian-Alemannic Fastnacht, Bavarian Fasching has its own tradition. In Regensburg, the UNESCO World Heritage city on the Danube, the Narragonia Regensburg Carnival Society is the organiser of the Fasching season. The name goes back to Sebastian Brant's famous satire "Das Narrenschiff" (The Ship of Fools) (1494) – a literary root.

Four Main Events

The Narragonia's carnival week traditionally breaks down into four central dates:

• Weiberfasching (Thursday before Shrove Sunday) — Women's party in Prüfening Castle, men only in women's costumes
• Costume Ball (Shrove Saturday) — Grand masked ball in Prüfening Castle with guard dance
• Rose Monday Ball — Highlight in the RT-Halle
• Kehraus (Shrove Tuesday) — Farewell party in the RT-Halle, free admission

Ash Wednesday and Washing of the Money Bag

A Bavarian speciality is the washing of the money bag on Ash Wednesday at the Historische Wurstkuchl on the Danube – a satirical custom where the carnival money bags are symbolically washed because they are empty after the festivities. This ironically concludes the season and is a popular photo opportunity.

Guard, Prince and Princess, Dance

Like any traditional carnival club, Narragonia has a Prince and Princess who represent the season, several guard groups (Funkenmariechen, show dance guards) and its own mascot. The guards perform at all carnival events, present dance programmes and are the visual emblem of the club.

Prüfening Castle

Prüfening Castle – a former monastery complex on the western outskirts of Regensburg – is one of the most beautiful locations for carnival balls in Bavaria. Historic rooms, a ballroom with a stucco ceiling, a beautiful castle park. The RT-Halle is the larger event location for the Rose Monday Ball and Kehraus.

Regensburg in Carnival

With around 160,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the fourth-largest city in Bavaria and boasts one of Germany's most beautiful medieval old towns (UNESCO World Heritage since 2006). Carnival visitors often combine the balls with a city tour – St. Peter's Cathedral, Stone Bridge, St. James's Church (Schottenkirche), Danube promenade.