Highlanders Festival

Honestly, this celebration of traditional mountaineer culture is worth a visit just for the outfits and the vodka but that's certainly not where the beauty of this event ends. This is the colourful and jaunty hair-down, heels up, barotone laughter, cheese smoking side of Poland that you need to dive into. If you want to understand the true raw beating heart of a Małopolskan then this is a necessary immersive experience. They may have had hard times what with their sheep blending in too well with the snow (constantly getting lost) but they sure knew how to let the sorrow out with moving ballads before cheering themselves up with some seriously hearty food.  In this festival you can look forward to such delights as caroling, dancing, sheparding, bands, folk art & more [photo credit: Wojciecha Kubiny]

When? 14th to 17th February
Where?  Bukowina Tartranska, in the nearby Tatra Mountains
How Much? Free
Official Website // Program