House of Fasnacht Nassereith

The "Schellerlaufen" is a Tyrolean Carnival custom, which takes place every three years, next time on February 12, 2023. For weeks it keeps Nassereith, located at the foot of the Fern Pass, in suspense. The custom culminates on a Sunday during the Carnival season, when after the ringing of the bells at midday 400 men dressed up with masks and silk clothes noisily trek through the village. The procession ends at 6 pm when the evening prayer starts. The main characters are the bear (spring) and the beater of the bear (winter) - all of them have always been performed by men.

The name "Schellerlaufen", which has been used and documented first in 1951, goes back to the traditional bells (Schellen), which play an important role in the procession. The first written mention of this custom can be found already in 1740, but it is supposed that it is much older. In 2012, the "Nassereither Schellerlaufen" was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The "Schellerlaufen" is among the largest and most beautiful Carnivals in the entire Alps. The small museum dedicated to the topic, the House of Fasnacht (Fasnachtshaus Nassereith), offers the possibility to experience this old custom also in summer, and houses the largest archive of masks in the entire Alps. 450 artfully carved wooden masks done by local artists and utensils from former times are exhibited. In the adiacent building, however, there's the exihbition "Fasnacht Experience" which shows the present and the past of the "Schellerlaufen" in a 180° review.