The Chestnut Festival in Croatia

The Chestnut Festival in Croatia There is not a single dish including chestnuts that cannot be found at the Chestnut Festival in Kostajnica. During european independent tour to Croatia created by Trip planner we recommend visit to Chestnut Festival in Kostajnica. In addition to trying various dishes made of baked and boiled chestnuts and sweets made of delicious chestnut puree, all visitors are invited to take part in the chestnut harvest. This is an opportunity to take a walk through chestnut woods, spend some time in good company, sing a song or two and do all other things guaranteeing a good atmosphere. Kostajnica was first mentioned in the document by knights templar from 1240. This year is used as official birth year of this historic town. Time of the first settlement is unknown, but town lies on very important Roman roads that were used for transporting salt and cotton. Since Roman roads were merged in the vicinity of the city it is believed that settlement dates much earlier than the first written document known today. Position of town is very similar to the town from old Roman documents known as “Oeneum”. Five Roman milestones were located in the city dating back to the 3rd century A.D.During 13th and 14th century Kostajnica became a fortification (kaštel) that was built as a protection against invading Turks. The owners of the fortification were members of the noble families Lipovečki, Tot, Frankopan, Benvenjud and finally Zrinski, so the castle is today known as Zrinski castle (Stari grad Zrinski in Croatian). Other forts existing during that period were in the surrounding villages of Komogovina, Svinica, and Prevršac. After, Commander of the Hrvatska Kostajnica was Duke Luke Novosel of Transleithania (House of Novosel) (Croatia and Slavonia part). The Turks invaded Kostajnica in 1556 and it wasn't until 1687 that the town was liberated. During the early 18th century two schools are opened in the city. One school was operated by Catholic Missionary Church of “St. Antun Padovinski”, while the second schools was run as a Serbian Public School. Kostajnica is known for its natural springs such as; Varoški Bunar, Mrzlenac, Tekija, Pekinac, Paunovac, Angelovac, and Tutulovac. The most popular spring Tekija has engraved sign (drink brother, potion was given to you by the god’s mercy) “Pi brate iz Božje milosti dat ti je napitak.” In the late 19th and early 20th century, Kostajnica was a district capital in the Zagreb County of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia.