51st Marunada 2026
- Date
- 9 – 25 October 2026
Programme and detailsOfficial information and ticketsAdd to calendar
Maruni is what Lovran calls its chestnuts. Every October Marunada roasts them for three weekends in Lovran, Dobreć and Liganj, a tradition that began in Dobreć in 1973. Dates of the last editions, the 2026 programme, food, buses and parking.
Checked: 21 October 2026, 09:00
Maruni is what Lovran calls its chestnuts, and every October the town celebrates them for three weekends. Marunada opens in Lovran, on the Kvarner coast south of Opatija, then moves to the villages of Dobreć and Liganj. The first Marunada was held in Dobreć in 1973. The Lovran tourist board organises the festival, and the 2026 edition is the 51st. Stalls roast maruni in open pans, some cafés pour marun beer, and the stages fill with choirs, klapa singers, brass bands and pop acts. The Guardian has listed Marunada among Europe's ten best autumn food festivals, the tourist board says.
Marunada 2027
The Lovran tourist board has not yet announced the dates of Marunada 2027. The last three editions followed the same pattern. Lovran opened on the second weekend of October, from Friday to Sunday. Dobreć followed on the next Saturday and Sunday, and Liganj closed the festival a week later. In 2024 the 49th edition ran in Lovran from 11 to 13 October, in Dobreć on 19 and 20 October and in Liganj on 26 and 27 October. In 2025 the 50th edition filled Lovran from 10 to 12 October, Dobreć on 18 and 19 October and Liganj on 25 and 26 October. The 2026 calendar keeps the rhythm: Lovran 9 to 11 October, Dobreć 17 and 18 October, Liganj 24 and 25 October. The programme comes out in early October; Novi list reported the 2024 details on 1 October and the 2025 announcement on 2 October. Dates and timetables appear on the official Marunada site and the Lovran tourist board. More dates for next year are in our guide to Croatia's festivals in 2027.
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Fifty years since Dobreć
The first Marunada was held in Dobreć in 1973, Lovran tourist board director Zvijezdana Klobučar Filčić told Novi list. Two editions were skipped over the years, so the 2023 festival, fifty years on, was the 48th. The jubilee 50th edition followed in 2025. Lovran Municipality, the City of Opatija and the tourist board present the programme together, with the Dobreć local committee and the Društvo Naša djeca Opatija. Mića Marunada, the children's festival, opened the Lovran weekend in 2024 and 2025. About 300 pupils took part in 2025. In 2026 a handbook marked 20 years of Mića Marunada.
The marun and its forests
The marun is Lovran's sweet chestnut, a fruit the tourist board calls a high-quality delicacy and a symbol of the town. Novi list calls it the sweetest fruit of autumn. The trees grow in centuries-old marun forests around Lovran and Opatija, and both towns invest in protecting them. The chestnut gall wasp and chestnut bark canker attack the trees. The Croatian Forest Research Institute in Jastrebarsko monitors the forests, with funding from the county's centre for agriculture and rural development. In early October 2025 its team treated infected trees with a paste of weakened canker strains, grown from samples taken in the Lovran and Opatija woods. About 2,000 new marun trees were planted around Lovran and Opatija in the past ten years, according to the agriculture ministry. A mother orchard of 200 seedlings in the garden of the Lovran seminary now bears fruit.
At the stalls the label matters. Genuine Lovran maruni must be sold as such, and the stands also sell chestnuts from elsewhere. In 2025 one seller told Novi list that a marun from Karlovac is darker, and Italian marroni were on sale too. The harvest sets the pace. In 2024 a dry summer delayed the fall of the fruit. In 2025 the tourist board reported plenty of maruni from the first day.
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Three weekends, three places
Lovran hosts the first weekend, the main event. The opening parade runs along the main street, and the concerts play on the Brajdice car park, the main stage. Dobreć, a village in the City of Opatija, takes the second weekend with Mića Marunada Dobreć, family farm produce and evening bands. Liganj, a village in Lovran municipality, closes the festival with a hike, an ethno exhibition in Dom Liganj and a guided walk on the Maruna trail. Around the weekends Lovran fills October with guided tastings in the old town, workshops, a sailing regatta and a quiz.
What to eat
Roast maruni come hot from open pans, in small and large portions. In 2025 a small portion cost 5 euros and a large one 10, and raw maruni sold for around 8 euros a kilo at the best stalls; on the third day some sellers asked 10. The stalls also sell marun beer, cocktails and milkshakes, marunela, spreads, ice cream and cakes with marun cream. Sweet marun purée with whipped cream is on the menu too. Baked potatoes filled with chestnut purée stand next to fritule, cheeses, oils and chestnut honey.
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Getting there and parking
Lovran lies at the southern end of the Lungomare, the seafront promenade of the Opatija riviera. It runs about 12 kilometres from Volosko through Opatija to Lovran. Autotrolej buses 32 and 36 serve Lovran, and line 32 runs almost parallel to the promenade, a ride back for walkers. Drivers park at the Kamenjar car park, a seven-minute walk from the main stage, and coaches use a separate coach park. During the Lovran weekend of 2026 a taxi boat also linked Opatija and Lovran on Saturday and Sunday. For a longer stay, the Opatija city page lists places and beaches along the riviera.
Tips for Marunada
- The official opening is on Friday afternoon: at 17:00 in 2024 and 2026, at 17:30 in 2025.
- The Lovran marun label on a stall marks fruit from the local forests.
- Walks and workshops often have limited places; the tourist board takes registrations at info@visitlovran.com.
- The Lovran concerts run late: in 2026 the Friday bill ended at 01:45 and the Saturday bill at 02:00.
- Much of the family programme is free: in 2026 the kids' corner, the Liganj ethno exhibition and the Maruna trail walk cost nothing.
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Marunada 2026
The 51st Marunada runs from 9 to 25 October 2026, and Lovran's programme around it stretches from 3 to 31 October. Deputy Prime Minister and agriculture minister David Vlajčić opened the festival on Friday 9 October. He attended primary school in Lovran while his family was displaced during the war. Psihomodo Pop and Lidija Bačić headlined the Brajdice stage on the Lovran weekend, and 4 Tenora closed it on Sunday 11 October. On 10 and 11 October a taxi boat ran from Opatija at 11:00 and 15:00, for 10 euros with a welcome drink.
Dobreć followed on 17 and 18 October with Mića Marunada Dobreć, hosted by singer Dražen Turina Šajeta, and a talk by the Croatian Forest Research Institute on protecting the chestnut forest. Atomik Harmonik played on Saturday night, Klapa Baladur and Dule & Bonaca with Tamara Brusić on Sunday. On 17 October Lovran also served a ten-metre marun roll on Trg sv. Jurja.
Liganj closes the festival on 24 and 25 October. On Saturday at 9:30 the Knezgrad hiking club leads a loop from Liganj over Lužinski breg to Knezgrad and back. An ethno exhibition fills Dom Liganj from 10:00 to 17:00 on both days, with free entry. Klapa Intriga, Mularija, Kožne jakne and Elio Pisak play on Saturday. On Sunday at 10:00 a free guided walk follows the Maruna trail from Dom Liganj, with registration at info@visitlovran.com, and Dejan Jedretić plays from 14:00 to 18:30. Down in Lovran, JK Istra Lovran sails the Marunada regatta on 24 October, and the Tutti Brutti Band plays Caffe Bar La Strada at 21:00.
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Autumn on the Kvarner
Marunada shares the Kvarner autumn with Bela nedeja, the young wine fair in Kastav above Rijeka on the first weekend of October. Inland, Hrvatska Kostajnica roasts its chestnuts at Kestenijada. For a day on the riviera, our Opatija guide covers the town's sights.
About the event
51st Marunada 2026
The chestnut festival runs over three weekends: Lovran from 9 to 11 October, Dobreć on 17 and 18 October and Liganj on 24 and 25 October. Alongside roast chestnuts, cakes, ice cream and chestnut cocktails, there is a music programme.
51st Marunada runs across three October weekends on the Lovran riviera: Lovran 9–11 October, Dobreć 17–18 October, Liganj 24–25 October 2026 (Visit Lovran). Roast chestnuts, cakes, ice cream and chestnut cocktails sit alongside music and village programmes. The main weekend for culture and music is in Lovran; the two village weekends are calmer and more local. The tourist board lists free parking at Kamenjar for the Lovran weekend. Nearby cities: Opatija · Rijeka.
| Weekend | Place | Dates 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1, main | Lovran | 9–11 October (Fri–Sun) |
| 2 | Dobreć | 17–18 October |
| 3 | Liganj | 24–25 October |
Programme details: visitlovran.com, 51st Marunada. Local media list the Lovran concerts as Psihomodo Pop (Fri 9), Lidija Bačić (Sat 10) and 4 Tenora (Sun 11); see Fiuman.hr. Check the stage times with the tourist board closer to the weekend.
Three weekends, three villages, one chestnut
The marun is the sweet chestnut grown on the slopes above Lovran, larger and sweeter than ordinary chestnuts, and the festival named after it has run for decades in Lovran and the hillside villages. Stalls sell roast chestnuts, cakes, ice cream, honey brandy and young wine; cards are accepted in hotels and restaurants, but small stalls often prefer cash in euros.
Which weekend to choose
- Lovran (9–11 Oct): the main stage, the fullest programme of culture and music, the largest crowds and stalls along the waterfront and in the old-town lanes. Book accommodation early.
- Dobreć (17–18 Oct): village scale, shorter trip into the hills, easier to taste without shoulder-to-shoulder queues.
- Liganj (24–25 Oct): closing weekend, still food-first, fewer day-trippers from the coast hotels.
If you only have one weekend and want the “full” Marunada, take Lovran. If you want atmosphere without the concert crush, take a village weekend.
Lovran itself
The old town is compact and medieval: narrow lanes, the medieval church of St George with its bell tower, and the Mustaćon (stone moustached face) on one house. Festival life fills the waterfront promenade and the lanes; evenings on the first weekend are loudest. During the day you can walk the Učka trails and be back for the stalls before dusk.
Where to stay
There are hotels in Habsburg-era villas along the Lovran seafront and apartments in and around the old town. The first weekend is the busiest of the month, so book early. If Lovran is full, Opatija (a bus ride along the riviera) or Rijeka makes a good base. For Dobreć/Liganj, a car or taxi from Lovran/Opatija is simplest after dark.
October weather on Kvarner is usually mild by day and sharp after sunset; a light rain jacket earns its place more often than sunglasses. If the first night in Lovran feels too crowded, visit the stalls the next morning instead; roast chestnuts taste just as good without the concert crowds. Drivers coming from Istria via Učka tunnel should expect slower coastal traffic on Friday evening of the main weekend; the village weekends are kinder to last-minute parking.
Beyond the chestnuts
Učka Nature Park rises behind Lovran; marked trails climb through chestnut woods toward Vojak (1,401 m). Pair a morning hike with an afternoon/evening on the stalls. In the same season on Kvarner: Bela nedeja in Kastav (3–5 Oct), a young-wine festival in a different town, so do not mix up the two calendars.
A full day in Lovran could look like this: arrive before noon, when the stall queues are shorter, walk the Lungomare towards Opatija or climb a short Učka trail after lunch, and come back for roast chestnuts before the evening concert. Families often prefer the afternoon village atmosphere on the Dobreć and Liganj weekends, when the music is quieter and the paths less crowded. If you combine Marunada with Kastav’s Bela nedeja the weekend before, stay in Rijeka or Opatija and treat each town as a separate day; narrow festival streets make late drives between towns a chore.
For whom Marunada works best
Food travellers who want a coastal autumn festival without a ticket gate. Hikers who can pair Učka with evening stalls. Families who prefer Dobreć or Liganj over the Lovran concert crush. Less ideal if you need step-free streets all evening or expect a single ticketed show in an arena: this is a street festival that moves between the waterfront and village squares.
Practical notes
October days are mild and the evenings cool, so bring a layer. The stalls are small operations, so cash helps. The festival traditionally opens with children’s workshops. Detailed hour-by-hour stage programmes appear on visitlovran.com closer to each weekend; check before you travel.
How a Lovran festival evening usually runs
The lanes fill up from late afternoon. Stalls along the waterfront sell roast chestnuts first; cakes and cocktails follow as families settle near the stage area. Concert nights draw the biggest crowds after dark, so arrive early if you want a standing spot without pushing through the old town’s bottlenecks. After the concert, walk the Lungomare towards Opatija for some cooler air, or head a lane or two inland to the quieter chestnut stalls that are still open.
The village weekends in Dobreć and Liganj reverse the balance: food and chatting with the neighbours come first, music second. Roads are narrower; one car park at the village edge is enough if you are willing to walk five to ten minutes. Bring a torch for the walk back, as the hillside lanes are poorly lit once the stalls close.
What “marun” means on the plate
Lovran’s marron is marketed as a larger, sweeter variety of chestnut from local groves on the lower slopes of Učka. Festival cooking uses it roasted, puréed into cakes, churned into ice cream, shaken into cocktails and folded into savoury plates. Honey spirits and young wine appear on the same tables. There is no fixed price list: you pay at each stall, so carry cash for the smallest producers. The Guardian once listed Marunada among Europe’s notable autumn food festivals.
Combining weekends without burning out
Doing all three weekends is possible if you sleep on the riviera, but two is enough for most visitors: Lovran for the stage, then either Dobreć or Liganj for the village pace. If you have been to Bela nedeja in Kastav (3–5 October), take a rest day before Lovran opens on the 9th: both festivals draw crowds of day-trippers from the region and test your patience when parking. Hikers can split a day: Učka morning, Marunada evening, without needing a second hotel.
Accessibility and families
Old Lovran is stone lanes and steps; pushchairs struggle in the tightest alleys. Waterfront stall rows are flatter. Children’s workshops traditionally open the festival, and the village weekends often feel more manageable with toddlers because the pace is slower and the music quieter. For mobility limits, stay on the promenade level and skip the steepest inland lanes after dark.
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Frequently asked questions
- When is Marunada 2027?
- The Lovran tourist board has not yet announced the 2027 dates. In 2024, 2025 and 2026 the festival opened in Lovran on the second weekend of October, moved to Dobreć the next weekend and closed in Liganj a week later. The programme usually comes out in early October.
- What is a marun?
- The marun is Lovran's sweet chestnut, grown in the centuries-old marun forests around Lovran and Opatija. The tourist board calls it a high-quality delicacy and a symbol of the town. Genuine Lovran maruni must be sold labelled as such.
- Where does Marunada take place?
- In three places on the Opatija riviera: Lovran hosts the first weekend, Dobreć in the City of Opatija the second and Liganj in Lovran municipality the third. Lovran adds walks, workshops and concerts across October.
- How do I get to Lovran for Marunada?
- Autotrolej buses 32 and 36 serve Lovran, and the Lungomare promenade runs about 12 kilometres from Volosko through Opatija to Lovran. Drivers park at the Kamenjar car park, a seven-minute walk from the main stage.
- When did Marunada start?
- The first Marunada was held in Dobreć in 1973. Two editions were skipped over the years, so the jubilee 50th edition came in 2025 and the 2026 festival is the 51st.
- When is Marunada 2026?
- Three weekends: Lovran 9–11 Oct, Dobreć 17–18 Oct, Liganj 24–25 Oct 2026 (Visit Lovran).
- Which weekend is the main one?
- Lovran 9–11 October, fullest programme and largest crowds.
- Is there free parking in Lovran?
- Yes, the tourist board lists the Kamenjar car park as free for the Lovran weekend. Check the signs on the day.
- Is entry free?
- The festival is an open street festival with no entry ticket listed by the tourist board; you only pay for food and drink at the stalls.
- Who plays in Lovran 2026?
- According to local media: Psihomodo Pop (9 Oct), Lidija Bačić (10 Oct) and 4 Tenora (11 Oct). Check the times with the tourist board.
Official sources
- Marunada, Lovran Tourist Board
- 51. Marunada, official programme
- 51. Marunada, programme PDF
- Novi list, 1 October 2024: 49th Marunada dates and the marun forests
- Novi list, 19 October 2024: Marunada moves to Dobreć
- Novi list, 2 October 2025: 50th Marunada announced
- Novi list, 12 October 2025: 50th Marunada, prices and history
- Novi list, 12 October 2025: the jubilee Marunada and forest protection
- Novi list, 5 October 2023: 48th Marunada, fifty years on
- Hina via Lika Express: Vlajčić opens the 51st Marunada
- Autotrolej, Rijeka public transport
- kroati.de: the Lungomare on the Opatija riviera
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