Unusual festivals in Europe: Nine of the weirdest events

From cheese rolling to wife-carrying, here are the nine silliest antics Europeans have turned into a festival.

The Running of the Bulls, Spain

Part of the wider San Fermin festival, Pamplona's Running of the Bulls sees six bulls unleashed through the streets in July. And hundreds of people risk life and limb by joining them. The bulls, which have an average speed of 24km/h, are shepherded through the streets by steers that have been trained on the route. It is lined by buildings and wooden fences with enough space in the gaps for a human to slip through. Not all of them make it – gorings at the event are notorious, and participants take it on at their own risk. See sanfermin.com

The World Bog-Snorkelling Championships, Wales

On the Monday of the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August, some of the world's hardiest swimmers descend on the small town of Llanwrtyd Wells to face their toughest challenge – snorkelling through a murky bog as quickly as possible. They're armed only with a snorkel, flippers and wetsuit, all of which need a darned good washing down with a hose afterwards. The twist is that they're not allowed to use any conventional swimming strokes – so significant creativity and improvisation is required. See green-events.co.uk

The World Wife-Carrying Championships, Finland

Every July, Sonkajarvi plays host to the weirdest of race meetings, in which muscular men carry their wives around a 250-metre track lined with all manner of obstacles. There's fierce debate among competitors about the best method for lugging the wife around – piggy back or thrown over the shoulder? There are also awards for best costume and funniest couple should, for some reason, some participants decide not to take the whole thing that seriously. See eukonkanto.fi

The Palio, Italy

The main square of Siena, surrounded by buildings, with sharp angles and elevation rises, is completely ill-suited to horse racing. Nevertheless, twice a year – on July 2 and August 6 – riders representing the city districts hurtle around it. The levels of pageantry surrounding the event are astonishing – it's a spectacle even if you can't see much of the race from the packed Piazza del Campo. Afterwards, the winning district will return home and bar outsiders from entering while it has a street party.