Luzerner Fasnacht 2010 - a bandleader processes through the old town

By Mark Sukhija

Each year in the Old Town of Lucerne in central Switzerland, the Fasnacht celebrations occupy the Old Town. Over a week in the lead up to the Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, the city is awash with bands and parades and a hugely convivial atmosphere. A less formal structure than the Basler Fasnacht lets people get more involved.