Pomurje, the land of the northeastern part of Slovenia, is one of the less traveled Slovenian region where you have an opportunity to meet warm and hospitable locals, taste mouth-watering food, visit countless castles and mansions and vibrant lovely towns of Murska sobota, Ljutomer and Lendava, take part in craft making, enjoying in thermal water sources, admiring slow river Mura, endless golden fields and wine rolling hills. Welcome to Pomurje!

Our best reasons to visit Pomurje when in Slovenia

Expano exhibition pavilion

In Expano exhibition pavilion close to Murska Sobota you can discover Pomurje in an interactive way. Read our experience here.

Eat at Bunker bar

Once you step into the bar, this is another world. Bunker bistro is apocalyptic steampunk bar at it’s best in every small details offering a wide range of mouthwatering food from burgers, chicken wings, Asian cuisine to large selection of craft beers from all around the world. The bar with Mad Max interior and post apocalypse style was also mentioned in Gault & Millau guide. We choose sticky ribs, cevapcici in boiled bread and pad thai. The food is fresh, tasty and very well prepared. While enjoying the food, we admired well thought-out decoration which gave us a feeling of being in some parallel world. From time to time I had a feeling that I am in a museum with motorbikes and cars on the walls and machine guns in front window. It is for sure one of the top notch food ambient we have ever been to in Slovenia. And the kids loved it too.

Visit Ocean Orchid tropical garden

The orchid farm which is producing 2 million orchids per year, is located 5 kilometers away from the Hungarian border. Beside the farm you can enter the tropical garden where you can feel the jungle every season all year around. Just imagine walking through banana plants, cocoa trees, ficuses, avocado, vanilla, papaya, mango, ingver, and other tropical plants in the middle of Pomurje region. For us the highlight of the tropical garden was admiring pineapples, coffee plants, vanilla and carnivorous plants. 

Vinarium Lendava

Climb onto the highest watchtower in Slovenia. Imagine. From almost 54 meters high Vinarium tower picturesque hilly and lowland landscape of 4 countries at once (Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Austria) is lying in front of you. Walk up 240 stairs or take a comfortable ride with an elevator and you will be awarded by remarkable view The shape of the tower represents a basket and symbolize a coexistence of 4 different nations (Slovenian, Hungarians, Croatians, Roma people).

Experiencing zipline Vinarium

The Vinarium Zipline is located near the Vinarium tower and offers a unique zipline experience. It is the only double zipline in Slovenia. But if you have children with you, the parents go down the zipline one by one ;).

Tasting Lušt tomatoes

Lušt tomato farm (with an area of over 9 hectares) is located in Rekovci in the Prekmurje region. Here you can taste Slovenian tomatoes from April to Christmas. The glass-roofed greenhouses, where 4,500 tons (or 50 million tomatoes) of quality tomatoes of different varieties are produced on site, are heated with geothermal energy obtained by a geothermal water. What is more, the plants are grown from non-GMO seeds planted in a natural mixture of peat and coconut fiber in a greenhouse. The tomatoes are pollinated naturally by bumblebees, watered with collected rainwater, and hand-picked (only when fully ripe, of course). Believe it or not, Lušt tomatoes are sold in environmentally friendly packaging made of tomato stem.

Visiting the House of Gibanica

The House of Gibanica is a sacred place of the two culinary specialties of the Pomurje region: Prekmurje and Prlekija gibanica. It is a paradise for all sweet-tooth aficionados. Besides gibanica, you can taste various fruit strips, dried slices (the flour is ground in a mill), salty crackers, apple puree (apples are harvested from the grassland orchards) and sauces. All products are local, natural and handmade in collaboration with underprivileged groups.

In search for a love bench

If you want to take a great photo with the rolling hills of Lendava and the tower of Vinarium in the background, then enter the GPS coordinates for a love bench into your cell phone.

Touring around Castle Grad

The castle Grad is undoubtedly the most visited and best known castle in the Pomurje region. It is the largest baroque castle in Slovenia, built in the 11th century by crusaders. The castle Grad is surrounded by a majestic English-style park and has 365 rooms (yes, one room per day). Did you know that the courtyard is a place with strong energetic points? Some of the rooms in the castle have been renovated and are available for accommodation, while others have been converted into a museum of traditional Pomurje crafts (pottery, blacksmithing, weaving, herbalism, etc.). We walked through the arcade hallways while using cellphone-like electronic guides and learned a lot about the natural and cultural attractions of the Goricko region.

Murski colnar river Mura Experience

Murski colnar river Mura experience is a truly unique experience on the river Mura with experienced guides. We started our journey in Doklezovje, where Murski colnar is based. Besides us, there were other guests who decided to participate in a boat trip on the Mura river from the Krog wooden ferry to the Tine wooden ferry. We were greeted by Marko, who has a vast knowledge of the culture, nature, ethnology and much more of Pomurje. He speaks the pure Prekmurje language, which is difficult to understand, but the language is so soft that it is easy to fall in love with it. With Murski colnar we experienced the nature along the Mura river in all its glory. The children loved it and so did we. The Mura river is the heart of the Pomurje region. The preserved river landscape with floodplain forests is an invaluable natural resource. As this area is part of Natura 2000 and the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, you will be amazed by the fauna and flora. And the cultural heritage (Babic mill, wooden ferries). And last but not least, at the end of a boat trip you will be baptized in a funny way.

Taste pumpkin seed oil

Pumpkin seed oil is a culinary specialty in Slovenia, mostly in Stajerska and Prekmurje region. Styrian-Prekmurje pumpkin seed oil has EU Protected Designation of Origin. This green gold, as the locals call it, is rich in essential nutrients. Well, I cannot imagine a salad without a few spoons of pumpkin seed oil. For me it is a must ingredient. Did you know that you need 3 kilos of pumpkin seeds to produce 1 liter of pumpkin seed oil?!

Mala rosa Estate culinary experience

Visiting Mala Rosa estate is trully a culinary experience in the middle of Goricko region. Alenka and Žarko offer delicious seasonal dishes made from local ingredients. People actually visit Mala Rosa estate to enjoy the location itself, to chat with the lovely owners and tantalize their taste buds with fresh and tasty food. The queen of the estate is definitely the edible roses. Alenka makes yummy jams, liqueurs, syrups, tea blends, rose sugar and Goricki Rose Gin from edible roses. But besides edible roses, lavender and chokeberry bushes, vegetables and fruit trees grow on the sunny slopes of the estate as well. We tasted pumpkin soup with crispy bread cracklings, seasonal salad, vegetable pie and, for dessert, mouthwatering sweet apple and pear pie prepared according to an old family recipe. The homemade lemonade mixed with edible roses was simply refreshing and perfect. While we enjoyed the food, we admired the decorations and smelled the scent of roses in the neighboring garden. The Mala Rosa estate is an aromatic paradise in the Pomurje region. And the scent of roses follows you at every corner.

Exploring Loncarska vas Filovci

Loncarska vas Filovci is an open-air museum in the Pomurje region, which combines traditional pottery craft, indigenous architecture of Pannonian houses (cimprace) and cultural heritage in the form of a pottery exhibition.

Vulkanija adventure park

Vulkanija adventure park is a great family fun where you can learn about the Goričko volcano, active 3 million years ago, and the power of volcanoes worldwide. We were greeted by the enthusiastic Suzana who guided us through Vulkanija together with Oli, a cute giant mole and enthusiastic volcanologist who was named after mineral Olivin. The adventure in Vulkanija started with a short presentation about volcanoes and the formation of the Earth. Through the avalanche tube we got to the center of the volcano, where with the help of VR glasses we saw a 3D movie about the formation of the universe, the Earth and Goričko volcano. The chairs were shaking, the water was spraying all around, the wind was blowing, the heat was hitting us in the face while we were watching the movie. Oli took us on a tour of his underground paradise. Then we rode the elevator 6003 meters below the earth’s surface, experienced a volcanic eruption, learned about the mineral amethyst, and returned to the earth’s surface on the adrenaline train. All of our senses were delighted by the interactive volcano experiences. The kids (they loved building their own volcano) thoroughly enjoyed the volcano experience. And so did we.

Beekeeping Museum Tigeli

The Tigeli Beekeeping Museum is located in the village of Krapje. The unique octagonal wooden beehive dates back to the end of the 19th century. It is one of a kind in Central Europe and protected as an ethnological monument. Jozef guided us through the museum where you can admire various beekeeping equipment (honey dispensers, hand-held bee smokers, wax presses, models of honeycombs). Near the museum there is an apiary and a pretty herb garden with honey plants. We indulged our taste buds with 4 kinds of honey, Kremko creamed honey Kremko with different flavors (blueberry, pumpkin seed, cinnamon, ginger, chocolate, Echinacea, beetroot juice). The kids really loved the gingerbread cookies a lot, while Robi tried the honey liqueur with spruce. Believe it or not, they also make honey lollipops.

Rakican Mansion

Rakican mansion is a lovely mansion surrounded by a huge castle park. The park offers many opportunities for sports and relaxation. Next to it there is equestrian center with many horses. Horse riding lessons are also offered there. Children can have fun for hours on a playground.

Mineral water Slatinski spring Nuskova

If you are strolling around Pomurje, do not miss to visit the mineral water spring Slatinski in Nuskova. Park your car, cross the wooden bridge and walk along a fairytale avenue of old willow trees. Soon you will reach a well-preserved spring, restored in 2008. Slatinski spring Nuskova is a natural value of national importance. The mineral water is drinkable and refreshing.

Chocolate shop Passero

Passero chocolate shop is a family-run chocolate shop in the village of Tesenovci. Try their pralines, chocolates with different flavours. If you are not interested in chocolate, they also sell local specialties (wines, liquors, juices, hams, jams, spreads, pumpkin seed products). And everything is mouthwatering.

Puhan food experience

From the soil to the table, from the vine to the glass. Welcome to the tourist farm Puhan, where you can taste 100% of the Prekmurje region. Tourist farm Puhan is located in the middle of vineyards on the slopes of the Goričko hills just above the famous Plečnik church in Bogojina. We were greeted by Dorian, who led us to the nicely decorated restaurant where 2 groups of locals were celebrating their anniversaries. The tourist farm Puhan, open only on weekends (during the week they are busy cultivating 12 hectares of fields, 2 hectares of vineyards and raising 60-80 pigs), is famous for its tasty local cuisine. We treated our taste buds with homemade cold cuts (salami with pumpkin seeds, salami with chili, Prekmurje ham), lard, spreads, pickles ( topinambur, zucchini, wild garlic buds, dogwood), 3 types of soups (beef, mushrooms, topinambur ), venison in sauce with dödöli, pork cheeks with cottage cheese štruklji, dogwood jam and buckwheat porridge, fried chicken and sautéed potatoes with onions, and a huge bowl of seasonal salad topped with homemade pumpkin seed oil and vinegar. The kids loved apple and grape juice, while we sipped on a glass of Pinot Blanc. We ended our lunch with posolanka (traditional pie with cottage cheese), which you eat with your hands, and homemade ice cream in two flavors (pumpkin seed with chocolate crisps, strawberry).

Spa break in health resorts

In Pomurje region you can choose among Radenci, Moravske toplice, Lendava, Banovci and Mala Nedelja spa resorts. 

Where to sleep in Pomurje region?

Pomurje region offers various accommodation options for affordable prices.

Holiday Home Prlecka, Nebesa na zemlji house, Pri stari mami holiday house, Hiša Peps, Holiday House Trnavsko, Eco House Goricka lepoticka, Goricke Ize Boutique Houses, Thermal Resort Lendava, Sunrise Banovci Apartments.

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If you crave some more local experiences, join my local experiences! What is more, if you need help with your travel planning to Soca valley and/or Slovenia beyond the usual tourist menu , do not hesitate to contact me. Welcome/Dobrodošli!