Collobrières
Collobrières, a village of the Massif des Maures in the Var that turns into the chestnut capital each October: the Fête de la Châtaigne and practical tips.
At a glance
- Home of the Fête de la Châtaigne, Sundays 11, 18 and 25 October 2026
- The chestnut capital of the Var at harvest time, says the local tourist office
- Free entry to the festival, with €2 compulsory parking and free shuttles
- Free guided tours of the village throughout October
- 1food festival
Food festivals in Collobrières
Superbass, CC BY-SA
Map of Collobrières
What to taste in Collobrières
Châtaignes grillées (roast chestnuts)
The first of the chestnut recipes listed in the tourist office’s magazine, beside its festival programme.
Marron glacé (candied chestnut)
A whole chestnut candied in syrup. The tourist office’s magazine has a page on how it is made.
Crème de marrons (sweet chestnut spread)
A sweet chestnut purée, named with the chestnut in the local produce pages of the tourist office’s magazine.
Collobrières becomes “the Var’s chestnut capital” each autumn, at harvest time, in the words of the Méditerranée Porte des Maures tourist office. The village sits inland in the Massif des Maures, the wooded hills of the Var behind the coast of Bormes-les-Mimosas and La Londe-les-Maures, where chestnut trees grow on the slopes.
Collobrières, a village for three October Sundays
The Fête de la Châtaigne fills Collobrières on three Sundays: 11, 18 and 25 October in 2026.
- Organiser: the town hall.
- The market: chestnut growers, local produce and crafts.
Chestnuts and the Var
The Var is Côtes de Provence country, known above all for its rosé. In the Maures, the autumn harvest is the chestnut.
- The groves: the communes of the Massif des Maures hold several thousand hectares of chestnut trees, says the regional tourist board. The village confectioner puts Collobrières’ own share at 900 hectares.
- The confectioner: the Confiserie Azuréenne has made marrons glacés and crème de marrons in the village for more than half a century. Its shop opens seven days a week, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 to 7 pm, and its Musée du Marron Glacé gathers the old tools and machines that turned the chestnut into a confection.
A wine cellar and a charterhouse
Two other addresses round off a visit, both listed by the regional tourist board.
- Cellier des Vignerons de Collobrières: at the entrance to the village, selling its wines and local produce.
- Chartreuse de la Verne: a charterhouse founded by Carthusian monks in the 12th century, still home to a community of the Bethlehem nuns and open to visitors.
Before you go
- When: the village is busiest on the three October Sundays of the Fête de la Châtaigne.
- Car: during the festival the village is closed to vehicles and bicycles. Park at the village entrances, then walk in or take a shuttle.
- Parking: compulsory on festival days, €2 per vehicle, with free shuttle buses.
- Security: bags are searched and visitors patted down at the village entrances on festival days.
- Dogs and pushchairs: strongly discouraged during the festival.
Frequently asked questions
When is the chestnut festival in Collobrières?
On Sundays 11, 18 and 25 October 2026, from 9 am to 6 pm.
Is the Collobrières chestnut festival free?
Yes. Entry is free. Parking is compulsory at €2 per vehicle, and the shuttles are free.
Can you drive into Collobrières during the festival?
No. Vehicles and bicycles are banned in the village for the whole event. Cars stay in the car parks at the village entrances, and shuttles run from the Parking Ouest.