Chienbäse
Overview
Intro
The biggest event in the Basel region and undoubtedly the annual highlight in Liestal is the Chienbäse procession, which transforms the "Stedtli" into a blazing inferno at the beginning of carnival.
When it gets dark on the first Sunday of Lent, things start to rumble and crackle in the capital of the canton of Basel-Landschaft. In the evening, the sky slowly begins to redden: it's Chienbäse! Pipers and tambourines tune their piccolo and tambour marches and lead a long procession through the centre of Liestal. They are followed by Chienbäse bearers and the "Füürwägeler". The flames from the fire engines reach up to the gables of the closely built houses in the old town. Around 300 Chienbäse and around 20 fire carts exude enormous heat, which gives the many thousands of local and foreign visitors a good run for their money. The fiery custom, which is supposed to put an end to winter, is attended by over 50,000 onlookers every year. The pictures of the blazing fire carts being pulled through the Törli with lances of fire as high as houses go around the world.
A few important tips for the visit:
- Arrival by public transport is recommended. All parking spaces in Liestal are occupied, but there are special trains and extra buses.
- Small children, prams and animals should stay at home. Older children should not be carried on the shoulders during the procession; the heat is much greater there.
- Wearing old, appropriate clothing is recommended, no easily inflammable materials (burn holes) and good shoes.
Note: This text was translated by machine translation software and not by a human translator. It may contain translation errors.
| Contact address |
Stadt Liestal
Rathausstrasse 36 4410 Liestal stadt@liestal.bl.ch |
|---|---|
| Location |
Burgstrasse 4410 Liestal Switzerland |
| Event Homepage | http://chienbaese.ch |
| Video | http://www.youtube.com/v/h-PC50RY-cM |
The content presented here is provided and updated by regional/local tourist offices or event organisers, which is why Switzerland Tourism is unable to guarantee the correctness of the contents.
Event dates
- 22 February 2026