Törggelen in South Tyrol: new wine, chestnuts and autumn festivals 2026
In South Tyrol, autumn smells of roasted chestnuts and young wine. From early October to late November, people here celebrate Törggelen: farmsteads open their doors and serve new wine, chestnuts, and their own speck. The custom has become so ingrained in the calendar that it is called the fifth season.
If you are traveling to South Tyrol in September, October, or early November 2026, you need exact dates. Some festivals last three days, others stretch over more than three weeks. Below is a breakdown of the tradition itself, the menu at a Buschenschank, and the calendar of all events for the season.
The first festival of the season will be Gassltörggelen in Klausen on September 18, and the last will be Keschtnigl in Feldthurns on November 8 (as of 09/2026, official Klausen website).
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What Törggelen is and when it starts
💡 In short:
- The season runs from early October to late November, and the first festivals start as early as the second half of September (as of 09/2026, official South Tyrol website).
- At a Buschenschank they serve young wine or grape must, roasted chestnuts, nuts, krapfen, and a hearty platter with dumplings, speck, and sausages.
- Admission to the season's street festivals is free; you pay only for food and drinks.
Törggelen is not called the fifth season just for the sake of it. In autumn, South Tyrol harvests grapes, apples, and chestnuts all at once, and farmsteads turn an ordinary tasting into a big village celebration (according to Südtirol.info).
For your trip, this means a simple rule. Street festivals run on exact dates and hours, while Buschenschänke operate all season long. If you only want to have dinner and try the wine, one evening at a farmstead is enough. If you want to catch a festival with music and a parade, match your dates to the calendar below.
Where the Törggelen tradition comes from
The chestnut fed this valley long before tourists arrived. In the southern Alps, the sweet chestnut has provided wood for wine barrels and fruit that served as a bread substitute since ancient times. According to the South Tyrol tourism portal, in years of poor harvest, chestnuts were the staple food of the mountain population.
The word Törggelen itself comes from the Latin torculus, meaning "wine press." The tradition grew up around young wine, and the food became part of it only later.
The Eisack Valley is considered the birthplace of the custom: farmers who grew grapes and chestnuts sent their livestock to mountain neighbors for summer pasture, and in autumn invited them over for a celebration with wine and chestnuts. Törggelen grew out of that gratitude.
What is served at a Buschenschank
The Törggelen menu is built around young wine. It comes with grape must, nuts, roasted chestnuts, and sweet krapfen. Then comes the hearty part: a platter with dumplings, speck, sausages, and bread (according to the Südtirol.info portal).
The order is simple but filling: you start with wine or must, then get chestnuts, and the hot dishes arrive once the table is already set. Do not expect a light dinner: this is autumn farmhouse food, after which you want to walk, not sit.
- Who it's for: for those who want to try young wine and chestnuts at the producers themselves, not in a city restaurant.
How to find authentic Törggelen
Authentic Törggelen is found by the red rooster. Farmsteads that have passed the Roter Hahn brand quality criteria hang a "Buschen" at the entrance: a bouquet with a red ribbon. That is how the "Törggelen am Ursprung" initiative works, meaning Törggelen at its origin (according to Roter Hahn).
In practice, this means the following. At such a farmstead, they give tours of the chestnut groves, pour fresh must, and bring out their own speck from the smokehouse. The food is prepared from their own garden and fields, and you sit in a wood-paneled parlor without city noise.
Check for the sign before you sit down at the table. If there is no Buschen on the door, you are at an ordinary restaurant, not a farmstead where Törggelen is rooted in tradition.
Autumn 2026 festival calendar
Dates | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
September 18-20 | Gassltörggelen | Klausen |
October 2-3 | Traminer Törggeletage | Tramin |
mid-October - early November | Eisacktaler Kastanienwochen | Eisack Valley |
October 15 - November 8 | Keschtnriggl | Tisens, Prissian, Völlan, Lana |
October 17 - November 8 | Keschtnigl | Feldthurns |
Dates are compiled from the organizers' official pages: Gassltörggelen in Klausen, Traminer Törggeletage, Keschtniglwochen in Feldthurns. Before you go, check the opening hours: evening programs are sometimes shifted by an hour, and that is announced on the same pages.
Gassltörggelen in Klausen: September 18-20
Klausen opens the 2026 season. For three days, the town center turns into an open-air Törggelemeile: stalls with Knödel, Schlutzkrapfen, Krapfen and chestnuts, music and parades (according to the official Klausen website).
© rachel_thecat · CC BY-SAPhoto: rachel_thecat, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe 2026 program:
- Friday, September 18: opening at 5:00 PM, traditional costume show at Marktplatz at 6:00 PM, parade of bands to Tinneplatz and the Klausen anthem at 7:00 PM, closing at 1:00 AM.
- Saturday, September 19: the festival street is open from 10:30 AM to 1:00 AM.
- Sunday, September 20: opening at 10:30 AM, parade through the old town at 4:00 PM, lottery at 5:00 PM, closing at 8:00 PM.
The new Törggelekönigin is crowned on the first evening. Come by 6:00 PM if you want to see the costumes and the ceremony: later the square fills up, and spots near the stage are taken early.
Traminer Törggeletage: October 2 and 3
The second classic festival takes place in Tramin on the Wine Road. On October 2 and 3, from 5:00 PM to midnight, traditional dishes are prepared on the covered square and folk groups play, and admission remains free (according to the official Tramin website).
© Rufus46 · CC BY-SAPhoto: Rufus46, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia CommonsTörggeletage in Tramin is considered one of the oldest festivals of the season. If you are coming from Bolzano, the drive along the Wine Road takes little time, and it is easy to combine it with tastings at wineries along the route.
Feldthurns, Tisens and Lana: chestnut weeks
In October, chestnut weeks take place in several villages around Merano and Brixen at the same time.
- Feldthurns: Keschtniglwochen from October 17 to November 8. The program includes performances, hikes, concerts, markets and tastings. Key dates: opening with Törggelemarkt on October 17, Niglmarkt on November 7, Keschtnigl-Sunntig on November 8 (according to the Feldthurns municipal website).
- Tisens, Prissian, Völlan and Lana: Keschtnriggl from October 15 to November 8. There are historical parades, farmers' and craft markets, guided walks along chestnut trails and tasting menus. See the program on the Merano tourist office page.
Plan October with some flexibility. The chestnut weeks last more than three weeks, but the main events and markets fall on weekends, so weekdays are better for a relaxed trip.
On foot along the Keschtnweg: 90 km of chestnut alleys
If dinner isn't enough for you, take the Keschtnweg. The 90 km Chestnut Trail runs through the Eisack Valley: from Neustift Monastery near Brixen through chestnut groves and Feldthurns to Runkelstein Castle on the outskirts of Bolzano (as of the Keschtnweg trail page).
© Bartleby08 · CC BYPhoto: Bartleby08, CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), Wikimedia CommonsThe route is divided into stages, so you don't have to hike the whole thing. Pick one section in October, when the leaves are already turning yellow and Törggelen is running at every other farm. That way you can combine a walk with lunch at a Buschenschank and be back in town by evening.
Winery tours and chestnut trail excursions in the region are listed in the tours and tastings on GetYourGuide collection.
If you're only going for one day, choose the section around Feldthurns: the chestnut groves are densest there, and the trattorias are closest.
Tours and tickets
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⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions
When does the Törggelen season start?
The Törggelen season runs from early October to late November, and the first festivals start as early as the second half of September (as of 09/2026, Südtirol.info page about Törggelen). In 2026, the first festival will be Gassltörggelen in Klausen on September 18, and the last will be Keschtnigl in Feldthurns on November 8. The Buschenschänke themselves operate all season, so you can find dinner outside the festival dates too.
What's on the Törggelen menu?
The menu includes young wine or grape must, roasted chestnuts, nuts, and sweet Krapfen. The hot part is a hearty platter with dumplings, speck, sausages, and bread.
How do I find a farm with authentic Törggelen?
Look for a bouquet with a red ribbon at the Buschenschank door. That's how farms are marked when they meet the Roter Hahn quality criteria and take part in the "Törggelen am Ursprung" initiative (according to the Roter Hahn page).
What else is happening in 2026 besides Gassltörggelen?
Besides Gassltörggelen in Klausen, the calendar includes Traminer Törggeletage on October 2 and 3, Keschtnigl in Feldthurns from October 17 to November 8, and Keschtnriggl in Tisens, Prissian, Völlan, and Lana from October 15 to November 8 (according to the Merano tourist office). Check dates and times on the organizers' pages before you travel.
Where can I walk the chestnut trail?
The Keschtnweg chestnut trail stretches 90 km from Neustift Monastery near Brixen to Runkelstein Castle on the outskirts of Bolzano (according to the Keschtnweg guide). For a single day, the section around Feldthurns works well.
In short: what's worth booking
Autumn in South Tyrol comes down to three things: young wine, chestnuts, and a short season. Choose based on your dates.
- If you only have one day: go for Gassltörggelen in Klausen on September 18-20 or Traminer Törggeletage on October 2-3.
- If you have a week: plan for Feldthurns and Keschtnriggl from October 15 to November 8 and add one stretch of the Keschtnweg.
- If you want to stay near the vineyards: find a hotel in Brixen or Bolzano on Trip.com.
Start with a date and one dinner at a Buschenschank. The rest in South Tyrol falls into place on its own.
A small editorial team writing guides for independent travel. We travel ourselves, but we haven’t been everywhere, so we check prices, opening hours and how to get there against official sources.