While most of Europe has four seasons, Rijeka has a fifth, Carnival. This weekend, more than 100,000 visitors are expected to pour into the coastal city for the huge two-day party. Packed with a schedule of parades, masked balls and concerts, this year’s festival is likely to be the biggest to date. Here's Time Out Croatia's guide to the Rijeka Carnival.
The History
The carnival has its roots the spring equinox rituals of pagan tribes in the Rijeka region. You can see traces of this history in the Zvončari, shepherd bell ringers wearing sheep skins and skulls as masks, designed to scare off bandits and evil spirits. Over the centuries, the carnival was Christianised and turned into a celebration of Shrove Sunday, shortly before Ash Wednesday. After a lapse for most of the 20th century, the carnival was revived in 1982 and has since become one of the largest in Europe, with revellers coming from all corners of the world.
The Parade
With different events running for more than a month, from New Year until Ash Wednesday in mid-February, the festival really heats up on its last weekend with massive parades and a flurry of parties across the city. The main event on Sunday begins at noon and draws huge crowds to see the brightly costumed participants streaming through the city. Every year, the residents of Rijeka try to outdo each other for the highly anticipated event, preparing hundreds of extravagant floats, on a route which snakes through the city centre and waterfront.
Burning of the Pust
Like many other carnivals around the world, the festival, symbolically at least, allows social roles to be reversed. In an officiation ceremony, the mayor of Rijeka hands the key to the city to the Carnival Queen and Meštar Toni, the traditional heads of the festival. Frequently, a satirical effigy called a Pust, usually representing an unpopular local politician, is burned.
Afterparties
The madness of the festival touches every part of the city. An exclusive masked charity ball is held at the historic Governor’s Palace. Practically every bar and café is overflowing, especially on Rijeka’s main promenade, the Korzo. Live performances by DJs and local musicians run through the night on the Karolina pier overlooking the Adriatic.
Accommodation
Hotels in Rijeka are frequently booked months ahead, but if you're looking for a last-minute place to stay in the city centre, check out the Guesthouse Korzo, Hotel Continental or the Rijeka Hilton. You may also consider finding a room in the nearby resort town of Opatija, linked by frequent public transport.
Information
See here for details of Rijeka Carnival and here for a database of local hotels.