Germany's Carnival Strongholds

Rosenmontag or Rose Monday is the highlight of Germany's Karneval (Carnival) season. It occurs on Shrove Monday at the beginning of lent and it's also celebrated in other countries such as Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. The biggest celebrations occur in Germany's Rheinland region and the cities of Cologne, Bonn, Düsseldorf, Mainz and Aachen. People traditionally dress up in extravagant costumes to mark the occasion while they down large amounts of alcohol to a background of karneval music.

The parade on Rosenmontag always draws the big crowds but which city attracts the most visitors? As this infographic shows, Cologne has Germany's biggest parade with an estimated 1.5 million revellers attending it. Düsseldorf, Cologne's rival, comes second on the list with crowds of approximately 1 million making their way to its parade. Smaller but still sizeable celebrations occur in Mainz, Aachen, Nuremburg, Würzburg and Marne, among other places.