Lucerne Fasnacht Fills the Quays Before Basel's Morgenstreich

LUCERNE - Carnival bands moved along the quays on Wednesday evening as Lucerne's Fasnacht hit its midweek peak. The lake threw the sound back at the old town. Cafes on the Weinmarkt stayed open late for people in painted faces who had come in from Zug and Schwyz.

City police described the crowd as heavy and the mood as ordinary for the week. A few bottles, no serious injuries. Hotels between the station and the KKL were full, a mix of carnival regulars and winter tourists who had not checked the calendar.

A federal Sunday in the way

Some Lucerne cliques planned to be in Basel for Morgenstreich. Others said they would vote by post and stay on the lake. The 9 February ballot and carnival week have collided before. The drums do not move.