Colors of Luzern - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Lucerne is an ancient town in Switzerland with unique cultural traditions which history literally is written on the ancient buildings. During the tour over the historical part of the city the travelers will notice an interesting feature of the architecture as many buildings are decorated with fresco paintings and depictions. These serve not only as decorations but each fresco painting contains the story of the building and its construction. Thus a usual excursion tour through the streets of the city turns into a real travel to the past ages.

The cultural traditions of local folks are embodied in numerous ethnic fests. Tourists are recommended to visit Lucerne during the celebration of the Carnival. The brightest festival is held in Lucerne during this period which for its scale just follows Basel Carnival. The opening of the festival takes place on Fat Thursday which is the last Thursday before the Lent.

The main events of the festival are grand marches or mask parades. Traditionally there are two parades during the Carnival. The first one is considered to be official and austere. The representatives of different non-governmental organizations and guilds are commonly participating in the march. Tourists are commonly more interested in the second parade – the Monster parade in which any enthusiast may participate. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

To take part in the mask parade one should just get a monster suit. Many city residents give preference to handmade suits meanwhile the city guests have a chance to buy a suit in one of the fest shops as a token of the Lucerne city visit. Apart from parades and grand marches, the Carnival also features a plenty of entertaining events, fairs and culinary battles. Exciting concerts and events are specially organized for the youngest guests of the city. The variety of sweets and festive treats will be a perfect add-on of the festive ambiance.

The authentic gastronomy traditions are of great interest as well. The pastry still holds the pride of place. The favorite festive treat of local people is pear spice cake added with raisins, nuts and spice. The fans of meat dishes will love the pie with meat and mushrooms meanwhile the sweets addicts should try the chocolate of local production.

For many visitors to the city and locals, Lucerne's favorite holiday is the Blue Balls Festival. Everyone who has ever heard of this event is looking forward to it. The variety of music genres, eminent headliners performing for the audience, art exhibitions, a wide gastronomic program - these are just a few advantages attracting its visitors. The great popularity of the musical event is evidenced by the number of people attending it - more than one hundred thousand spectators. To enjoy music in the open air, head to the waterfront of Lake Lucerne or listen to it at the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum and Hotel Schweizerhof. The event is held at the end of July for nine days, and during its time, the invited musicians give more than one hundred and twenty concerts.

Comic books are pretty popular in Lucerne, which is evidenced by the fact that the Fumetto, one of the largest comic events in Europe, is held in the city in early April. About twenty major and about fifty additional events take place within its framework. Among them are art exhibitions, animator shows, and performances. Visitors to the festival have a great opportunity to learn new names in the world of visual art, as well as enjoy their favorite comics. Regarding the number of people visiting Lucerne during the event, about fifty thousand tourists from all over the world come here every year.

Connoisseurs of classical music will be glad to know that they can listen to it three times a year. Firstly, during the Easter celebration, the second festival lasts the whole summer, and for the third time, the festival participants visit the city in October. Musical concerts with the participation of orchestras and ensembles, as well as solo performers, take place in various cultural institutions of Lucerne such as concert halls, theaters, churches. In summer, you can also enjoy an open-air venue on the picturesque waterfront of Vierwaldstättersee. The main actions of each of the above-mentioned symphonic music festivals are held in the city's most popular cultural center - the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum.

The city also hosts two fairs, and every traveler would be happy to check them out. The first one, Waffen-Sammlerborse, is dedicated to collection weapons and is held at the end of March. Besides the fair itself, visitors will have a chance to enjoy sports, an exhibition of weapons from cult films, thematic events (airsoft, paintball), swordplay performances by the best athletes, and master classes in shooting. The fairground is the exhibition complex Messe Luzern AG. The second fair opens a month before Christmas (Luzerner Christkindlimarkt). The venue is Franziskanerplatz where a fabulous atmosphere reigns at that time, the air is filled with the scent of cinnamon, Christmas pastries, and warming drinks.