Every October the small town of Hrvatska Kostajnica on the Una river celebrates its chestnut forests with roasting stands, a chestnut strudel measured in metres, folklore, a medieval spectacle in the Zrinski fort and balloon rides. The 2026 dates were not yet published when we wrote this; the festival has run in the second week of October since 1997.
Checked: 3 September 2026
Hrvatska Kostajnica sits on the Una, the river that marks the border with Bosnia, an hour and a half south-east of Zagreb in the wooded hills of Banovina. The town's name comes from kesten, the chestnut, and the sweet chestnut forests around it are the reason for the Kestenijada, held every October since 1997. It is a small-town festival in the best sense: stands roasting chestnuts along the river, a chestnut strudel that the local pastry school stretches to seventeen metres, wine and rakija from the hills, folklore groups, a market of the region's producers, a medieval spectacle in the ruins of the Zrinski fort above the town, and in recent years hot-air balloons over the valley and a go-kart race through the streets.
What to expect on the weekend
- Friday evening opens with the stands and a concert; Saturday is the full day with the parade, the folklore stage, the strudel and the balloons, weather permitting; Sunday is quieter and family-oriented.
- The medieval programme in the Zrinski fort is the part worth the climb: costumed fights, archery and a market on the walls.
- Everything is free apart from what you eat and the balloon ride; bring cash, the stands are small producers.
- Buy chestnuts raw by the kilo to take home; the Kostajnica variety is small, sweet and roasts in twenty minutes.
Getting there and making a day of it
From Zagreb take the A11 towards Sisak and continue on the state road along the Una; the drive is about ninety minutes and the last stretch runs through villages still rebuilding after the 2020 earthquake, which is part of why the festival matters to the town. There is no useful train. Combine it with Sisak's fortress and the Lonjsko polje nature park on the way back, or cross the bridge into Bosanska Kostajnica for a coffee on the other bank; the border crossing is in the middle of town and needs a passport or ID card. Accommodation in Kostajnica is a handful of rooms, so most visitors come for the day.
If chestnuts are the point rather than the town, Lovran's Marunada on the Kvarner runs over three October weekends and is the larger festival; our Marunada guide has the dates.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Kestenijada 2026?
- Not confirmed yet. The town has held it in the second week of October for almost thirty years; the 2025 edition ran from 10 to 12 October. We will update this page when the town of Hrvatska Kostajnica publishes the dates.
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