Where do the chestnut festivals take place on the Côte d’Azur?

Chestnut festivals are synonymous with autumn colors, the smell of roasting chestnuts, cheeses and hot drinks to comfort us.

In the Alpes Maritimes, where we have our gites www.locations-06.fr, every year there’s the Bolline-Valdeblore festival, located in the mountains between the Tinée and Vésubie valleys. This year’s event took place on Sunday, October 22. The weather was glorious, and polenta and chestnuts were on the menu for gourmets young and old.

Then, the good chestnuts from the mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes arrive at the Cagnes sur mer festival on November 18, a traditional celebration accompanied by a farmers’ market. This festival takes place by the sea, close to Nice and the big cities, so it’s a busy time! Every year, the number of stalls increases, as do the number of activities for young and old.

You can’t talk about the Côte d’Azur chestnut festivals without mentioning theIsola festival. On November 4 and 5, 2023, mountain dwellers, fairgoers and craftsmen will be on hand. At noon, everyone gathers under the big top to enjoy the traditional hot and tasty daube-polente, accompanied by live music.

In the Var, there are many chestnut groves, and villages like Collobrières, Pignans, Camps la Source, Ramatuelle and many others hold their own chestnut festivals.

We love Collobrieres, the chestnut capital, where on the last 3 Sundays in October, chestnuts are available raw, roasted, in cream, sorbet, marron glacé, and even in the clementine-chestnut jam made for the occasion by GUILHEM CODERA of www.terroir-06.fr.

In Collobrieres, chestnuts are an institution, and even outside the festival season, all the small shops sell them. Tens of thousands of people attend every Sunday, and over 80 stands await you.

So before the Christmas markets, don’t miss these entertaining festivities!