history
The Festa da Castanha in Sernancelhe began in 1992, born with the purpose of showcasing the region's chestnuts and celebrating local culture. Since then, it has become one of the great annual events of the town, bringing the community together around one of the most emblematic products of this territory.
Held at the beginning of November, the festival combines chestnut traditions with a local Pilgrimage Festival, including a visit to the chapel and the customary gatherings that bring the people of the parish closer together. It is a time when devotion and sharing go hand in hand, keeping the roots of this community alive.
about the place
Nestled against the mountain ranges of the Beira interior, the Parish Union of Sernancelhe and Sarzeda is one of those corners where time moves to the rhythm of the seasons and the work of the land. Sernancelhe is the heart of this community, a land of granite, centuries-old chestnut trees and hardworking people of deep roots, who keep the collective memory alive in stone houses and stories told by the fireside. It is, above all, chestnut country, queen and mistress of these fields, joined by meats raised in the pure mountain air, cheeses of ancient wisdom and fragrant apples. To visit Sernancelhe and Sarzeda is to accept an invitation to discover a genuine Portugal, built of stone and chestnut trees, of faith and festivity. A land that does not reveal itself in haste, but that generously rewards those who seek it with time and curiosity.
