Olang/Valdaora in Puster Valley traversing the Dolomite Alps: Serrated mountain peaks, crystal-clear lakes and holiday makers crowding the roads between Italy and Austria. Next to the endless traffic flow (beware of bikers!), but seemingly far away, you will find the village of Oberolang with its half-hidden festival-site next to the church.

Bilingual South Tyrol is the right place for a festival called Kribiskrabis. Although the German spoken here is more or less an Austrian dialect we would not have guessed the connotation of this word (which is the case with many idioms from this region). Now we understand what it means: jumble, muddle, mix-up or medley. Just have a look at the festival’s website:

“We refer to a positive jumble and to co-operation in our world. It stands for pleasure, encounter, exchange, diversity, tolerance, arts and culture. Artists and artisans from far away and from here, who creatively present their worlds and tempt us to go there.”

In such a way, Kribiskrabis offers a comprehensive view on culture: Languages, pedagogics, philosophy, politics, ecology, music, dance, literature, painting, handcraft, culinary art and sports. Sounds over-ambitious, but it works, indeed!

This festival seems to be a poetic alternative draft in a region that is overrun by mass tourism. A utopia that is implemented with a great sense of reality. A mini-Woodstock without hippie-pathos and 1960ies-nostalgia. For sure with better food, wine and beer than at the mother of all festivals. Euphoric-erotic mud-dancing was cancelled due to splendid weather.