The beautiful city of Venice in northern Italy is a popular tourist attraction year-round - but in late February, when temperatures plummet and the canals are wreathed in mist, a very special event draws millions of international visitors from around the globe. 

‘Carnevale’ has been a Venetian tradition since 1268, when the record notes that masked citizens were banned from throwing eggs out of windows. Today, it is one of the biggest and most famous festivals in the world: ten days of revelry, colour and laughter that Byron once aptly described as ‘fiddling, feasting, dancing, drinking, masking.’

The festivities begin with thousands of mask-wearers gathering in the central Piazza San Marco to view the Festival of Brides, during which seven women arrive from San Pietro di Castello to represent seven brides kidnapped centuries earlier. Over the days that follow, revellers can see hundreds of free performances including music, operettas, pantomime and readings. 

But the entertainment isn’t restricted to high-brow cultural performances. One of the highlights of Carnival is the Grand Parade, during which hundreds of elaborately-dressed masquerades show off their costumes, and their miming and acrobatic skills, to a wondering crowd. Even more essential to the spirit of the event are the infamous masked balls that take place over the course of the ten days. 

Venice’s masked balls were originally a chance for people of every sex, rank and class to adopt a different persona for the night. Women could become men, poor people could become rich people, and noblemen could dress up as commoners and seduce low-born wenches. Nowadays, the balls are simply an excuse to dress up as weird and wonderfully as possible, dance the night away to great music, and generally behave extremely badly. 

Many of the balls that take place in Venice during Carnival are private, but there are around 20 public dances which are either free or can be attended for a modest fee. It’s wise to book as far in advance as possible to secure a ticket – and fancy dress, while generally not compulsory, is certainly recommended. 

Bear in mind that accommodation fills up during Venice Carnival nearly as quickly as the balls. It’s best to secure your hotel the year before, but if you’ve left it to the last minute then companies like On The Beach offer deals on late holidays that are worth checking out. If you simply can’t find a free hotel in Venice, try Padua, is just which 30 minutes away by train.