If standing around in the street and drinking far too much whilst being bombarded with confetti, to the accompaniment of popular tunes being played by an inebriated brass band in eyeball-searing fancy dress doesn’t appeal, then there’s always an alternative to the traditional winter Fasnacht carnivals: the Fire Parade in Liestal.

I wrote about Chienbäse (the Fire Parade) when I visited in 2012 to photograph the amazing spectacle of dozens of locals parading through the historic town carrying huge flaming torches. It was one of the most impressive and unique things I’ve ever seen and I hope to go again one day. My friend Yannick was there this year and has posted the video above, which shows more of the detail and more of the atmosphere than photos can.

If you’re really hardy, you can party on after the Fire Parade and then catch a specially-organized train from Liestal to nearby Basel just before 3 a.m., to arrive in plenty of time for Morgenstreich: the traditional 4 a.m. start to the Fasnacht celebrations in the city on the Rhine.

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