The “Keschtnriggl” is a hand-woven tool made of hazel and chestnut wood that has been used for centuries in the Burggrafenamt region to peel chestnuts roasted over an open fire. It is perhaps no coincidence that it was the easy-going winegrowers around Merano who invented this tool to avoid getting their fingers dirty.
The sweet chestnut is especially deeply rooted in the southern corner of the Burggrafenamt, in the Tisner Mittelgebirge (Tesimo uplands), in the villages of Lana, Völlan, Rateis, Ackpfeif, Naraun, Tisens, Prissian, Grissian, and Sirmian. The “Tisner Keschtn” are renowned throughout South Tyrol for their natural sweetness and are considered some of the finest chestnuts in the region. As early as 1558, this noble fruit was mentioned in the traditional Tyrolean rhymes and has long been known as the source of the "best chestnuts."
It is therefore no surprise that it was in Lana where, in 1992, an important effort to preserve the sweet chestnut began with a well-attended chestnut symposium.
Since 1998, the KESCHTNRIGGL Chestnut Days have taken place every year in late autumn, reflecting the unique culture of chestnuts in South Tyrol. These Chestnut Days are not a high-budget commercial event. Rather, farmers, the forestry authority, and numerous local associations work together to offer visitors a lively and authentic insight into what the sweet chestnut has meant to this landscape and its people for centuries. Highlights of the event include the Keschtnfestl in Völlan and Three Castles in One Night, both of which are very well attended. During these autumn weeks, local restaurants also serve exquisite chestnut-based culinary specialties.