Kastanienfest of the Gruppo Alpini (Törggelen)

The Alpini Chestnut Festival in Marlengo

The Kastanienfest des Gruppo Alpini is the traditional autumn chestnut festival organized by the Gruppo Alpini of Marlengo (Marling), a municipality in the Burgraviato area of the province of Bolzano, in the heart of Trentino-Alto Adige. The event is part of the grand Törggelen season, the South Tyrolean custom that marks the arrival of autumn with new wine, roasted chestnuts, and hearty peasant cuisine.

Törggelen, a South Tyrolean tradition

The term Törggelen derives from the Latin torculum, the press used for crushing grapes. In the past, at the end of the harvest, farmers and friends would gather in farm cellars to taste Nuia (the still-cloudy new wine), accompanied by Keschtn (roasted chestnuts), speck, sausage, sauerkraut, Schlutzkrapfen, and sweet Krapfen fritters. In Marlengo, this tradition lives on thanks to the Alpini, who transform the chestnut festival every October into a celebration open to the entire community.

A festival at the Culture House

The event takes place in the Vereinshaus of Marlengo, the village's Culture House, on Via F. Innerhofer. The afternoon is dedicated to conviviality: eating and drinking together, while live musical entertainment sets the mood until evening. It is the perfect opportunity to discover the authentic side of a small South Tyrolean town and its community life, in which the Gruppo Alpini plays a leading role.

Marlengo and the Burgraviato

Perched on the sunny slopes above Merano, at the foot of Mount San Vigilio (Vigiljoch), Marlengo is famous for its panoramic Waalweg trail and the vineyards and orchards that shape the landscape. In autumn, the village is painted with the warm colors of chestnut groves and apple orchards, the perfect backdrop for a chestnut festival like the one hosted by the Alpini. Visitors during this time can combine the festival with a walk along the trails of the Burgraviato and explore the nearby spa town of Merano.

Why attend

• Savor roasted chestnuts and new wine in the authentic setting of the South Tyrolean Törggelen
• Taste traditional South Tyrolean autumn dishes
• Experience the convivial atmosphere of a village festival organized by the Gruppo Alpini
• Enjoy live musical entertainment at the Culture House
• Discover Marlengo and the Burgraviato, just minutes from Merano