Triberg Fasnet — Parade and Torchlight Procession

Black Forest Fasnet Between Waterfalls and Cuckoo Clocks

Triberg in the Black Forest—home to Germany's highest waterfalls and the world's largest cuckoo clocks—transforms into a stronghold of Swabian-Alemannic revelry for Fasnet 2026. The Triberg Fasnet is part of the Swabian-Alemannic carnival tradition, distinct from the Rhenish Karneval: wooden masks (known as 'Larven'), historical costumes ('Häs'), witches, devils, and jester figures dominate the scene, all accompanied by the sound of carnival marches and the cry 'Triberg — Narri Narro!'

Schmotziger Donnerstag — February 12th, 2026

The main kickoff for the Triberg Fasnet is 'Schmutziger Donnerstag' (also called 'Schmotziger Dunschtig'). At 3 PM, the Children's Parade begins—a colorful procession of Triberg's schoolchildren, kindergarten groups, and families through Luisenstraße. In the evening at 7 PM, the Triberg Devils' Torchlight Procession follows: carrying burning torches, wearing traditional devil masks, and creating deafening noise, the witches and devils of the carnival guild march through the nocturnal city center. It's one of the region's most impressive customs—the red glow of the torches reflects in the dark waterfalls.

Fasnet Sunday — February 15th, 2026 — Grand Parade

The highlight is the Grand Parade on Fasnet Sunday at 2 PM. The assembly point is Luisenstraße in front of the Triberg Kurhaus—from there, the procession moves through the city center. Over 50 carnival guilds ('Narrenzünfte') and brass bands ('Guggenmusiken') from the entire Schwarzwald-Baar district and the Kinzigtal valley participate, including the Triberg Witches, the Devils, the jester figures of the Triberg Carnival Guild, as well as guest guilds from Schramberg, Furtwangen, Hornberg, and St. Georgen. Thousands of spectators line the route.

Jester's Evening and Carnival Finale

On Fasnet Tuesday (Feb 17th), the traditional 'Närrischer Abend' (Jester's Evening) takes place in the 'daheim Triberg' community hall starting at 7 PM—featuring satirical speeches ('Büttenreden'), sketches, music, and the symbolic burning of the Fasnet puppet to mark the end of the carnival days. Ash Wednesday brings the end of the fifth season in Triberg.

Triberg Carnival Guild — Over 100 Years of Tradition

The Triberg Carnival Guild was founded in 1908 and is part of the Association of Swabian-Alemannic Carnival Guilds (VSAN). Its main figures are the Triberg Devils, the Triberg Witch, and the historical Triberg Jester figure. The carved wooden masks (Larven) are handmade, unique pieces, often by local Black Forest woodcarvers—they are passed down through generations and are part of the region's intangible cultural heritage.

Triberg — City of Waterfalls

Triberg is located in the Schwarzwald-Baar district at an altitude of around 700 meters and is famous for its waterfalls (162 meters drop—the highest in Germany), several superlative cuckoo clocks, and the Black Forest Museum. During Fasnet, the snow-covered heights and roaring waterfalls provide a unique backdrop—hardly any other town combines alpine nature and carnival tradition so impressively.