The Rajh Inn: We all return to our roots

They have been at the present location since 1969

In addition to excellent Prekmurje cuisine, they try to satisfy their guests so that they do not visit them only once, but return time and again. Foto: www.rajh.si

Their forebears opened the inn in 1886, so the Rajh Inn denotes family tradition in the real sense of the word. Foto: www.rajh.si

The tendency to return to our roots, our origins, to the place that we came from, is reflected particularly in tourism. In our free time, we like to seek that authentic, original feature in people and places. The owners of the Rajh Inn in the village of Bakovci near Murska Sobota are well aware of it.

In addition to excellent Prekmurje cuisine, they try to satisfy their guests so that they do not visit them only once, but return time and again. And they do return. They say it is for the good food, pleasant atmosphere, friendly staff and service, which is personal, sophisticated and guest-orientated. "We have worked hard to encourage every guest to return; the motorway greatly contributed to this," they stress. The guests come from Vienna, Zagreb, Graz, Ljubljana, etc. to taste home-made, delicious and exceptionally thoughtfully served food. The customers of the Rajh Inn enjoy the originality of the place, the cuisine, customs, homeliness and authenticity, which is in plentiful supply, particularly when it comes to dishes. Pumpkin soup, rib of beef gypsy style, cold meat products; the portions were reduced, some innovations, novelties and original service added, and voilà, traditional dishes were rejuvenated.

Fourth generation
They have been at the present location since 1969, and this is the Rajh’s fourth generation. Their forebears opened the inn in 1886, so the Rajh Inn denotes family tradition in the real sense of the word. It maintains a balance between the gastronomic heritage of Prekmurje and modern, innovative trends. Four generations live and work under the same roof: the grandmother, who still works in the kitchen, her son, Naci, his daughter Tanja and son-in-law, Damir, and both of their children, who are studying hospitality management in Austria, and plan to continue the family tradition and also bring an international approach to catering and service to the inn. Over the years, many generations have thus managed and planned thoughtfully, and their descendants wish to preserve their heritage and develop it.

House specialities
The inn is famous for Prekmurje seasonal dishes. Several typical house specialities, such as buckwheat bread with walnuts, bograč goulash, mushroom soup with buckwheat, pumpkin soup, pumpkin cake, Prekmurje gibanica, etc. are made on a daily basis. This type of cuisine is combined with an international culinary offer. Winter specialities include roast suckling pig, pork fillet with mushroom paprikash, duck with apples, St Martin’s goose with mlinci (a type of pastry) and red cabbage, roast veal liver, home-made sausages with sour turnip, Prekmurje gibanica, retaši (strudels), home-made buckwheat bread with walnuts, pumpkin cake, bograč goulash, home-made stews and bread. White, mixed or buckwheat bread with walnuts is always on the table, accompanied by wine. Soups: exceptional pumpkin soup with pumpkin seed and hearty beef soup with liver dumplings. Liver, roasted with an abundance of onion, makes a hot starter.

The picturesque nature and openness of the landscape dictate the lifestyle, combining countless flavours and possibilities for an ingenious and unique culinary offer. For many decades, the journey to Prekmurje was considered quite a venture into the unknown, but it is now very close due to the modern motorway. This proximity is not only temporal, but is also based on knowledge of the everyday and festive occasions of the people of Prekmurje and the landscape, which contributes significantly to the beautiful diversity of Slovenian cultural life.

Vesna Žarkovič, SINFO