Mainzer Fastnacht

Mainzer Fastnacht is the festival, which made Mainz famous throughout Germany. Annually up to 100,000 visitors from home and abroad descend upon Mainz to celebrate the "fifth season“ – Carnival. The highpoint of the festival is the Rosenmontag procession during which the entire inner-city is transformed into a giant party. The festivities don’t just confine themselves to Rosenmontag. For weeks throughout the region in the build up to the procession, there are traditional carnival ‘Sitzungen’ (dinners with satirical cabaret), masked balls, and parties.