The 51st Marunada runs across three weekends in October: Lovran from 9 to 11, Dobreć on 17 and 18, Liganj on 24 and 25. What the maruna actually is, and why the small villages beat the main weekend.
Checked: 3 September 2026
Lovran sits on the Kvarner coast just south of Opatija, under the slopes of Učka, and it has built a festival on a single ingredient. The maruna is a large sweet chestnut variety from these slopes, prized enough that the town treats it as its emblem, and for three weekends every October the whole place cooks with it.
The three weekends
| Weekend | Where | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 09.-11.10. | Lovran | The main event, biggest crowds, full stage programme |
| 17.-18.10. | Dobreć | Village scale, more cooking than stage |
| 24.-25.10. | Liganj | The quietest weekend, closest to how it started |
The three weekends are not repeats of the same fair. Lovran is the one with the crowds and the full programme of cultural, artistic and music events, while Dobreć and Liganj are village affairs where the cooking sits closer to the front. If you want photographs and a stage, go on the first weekend. If you want to eat and talk to the people roasting, go on the third.
What to eat
Roast marroni are the baseline, sold hot in paper cones from open pans. Beyond that the stalls run through cakes, chestnut ice cream, chestnut purée, pasta and even chestnut cocktails, and the restaurants in Lovran put seasonal menus on for the whole month. The pairing that never fails here is chestnuts with the local sparkling and a walk on the Lungomare, the seafront path that runs from Lovran to Opatija in about an hour and a half.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Marunada 2026?
- The 51st edition runs on three weekends: Lovran 9 to 11 October, Dobreć 17 and 18 October, Liganj 24 and 25 October.
- What is a maruna?
- A large sweet chestnut variety grown on the slopes above Lovran, sweeter and easier to peel than the common chestnut, and the symbol of the town.
- How do you get to Lovran without a car?
- By local bus along the Opatija riviera from Rijeka, which runs frequently and takes under an hour. On festival weekends parking in Lovran fills early, so the bus is often the faster option anyway.
Official sources
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