July 2023
A mix of Culture & Gastronomy at Rajhenburg Castle
Day 1
We drive south from Sentjur along a scenic and very winding road. As you approach Brestanica you see Castle Rajhenburg rising majestically on a hill overlooking the river Sava below. We are met with friendly smiles at the reception desk inside the castle and meet our tour guide, Ms Rozman, who is the curator of the castle museum. She expertly explains the long and interesting history of the castle as we move through informative and interactive displays. The castle is over 1000 years old and was established by the Knights of Rajhenburg to protect the outer boundaries of the Holy Roman empire. These knights were loyal to the Holy Roman emperor through several centuries and were close allies of the Hapburgs. As the family line died out, the castle was purchased by various noble families until the 1880’s when it was bought by Trappist monks based in France. They brought with them their knowledge of herbal medicines, liquor, cheese making, wine and chocolate. They were responsible for introducing innovative farming techniques and machinery to the region as well as electric power. Alas they were forced out by the occupying German army during World War 2.
The wine cellar at the castle houses a very impressive collection of local sparkling wines. The Trappist monks started this tradition, which the castle keeps up. Tastings are offered in a room with a special ambience around a long wood table. The local tourism official, Ksenja Kragl, is also a sommelier, and expertly guided us through the large collection of sparkling wines offered here. Once again, we purchased some to take home to enjoy.
The castle houses exhibits about the Trappists, the general history of the castle and it’s more recent history as a prison for political prisoners, all presented creatively with explanations in Slovenian and English. Great thought went into the restoration of the castle and in creating an interesting presentation of it’s past. We recommend it so highly that we plan to return next month when our family arrives from Canada for a visit.
Lunch at Restaurant A3, situated in the castle Atri ( Atriium in English), thus the name, very cleverly is A tri ( 3 in Slovenian). It is the endeavor of 2 entrepreneurial couples who have combined their culinary and business expertise to create a delicious and original restaurant in the castle. We were treated to their 4 course menu and several local wines to compliment the meal. Without going into exhaustive detail, I can say we highly recommend this restaurant. Delicious and innovative! We bought the wine and penina ( sparkling wine) that were introduced with our meal. A memorable and delicious experience!
3/ Chocolate making at Kunej family vineyard and chocolatier. We made chocolate! Our hostess and owner Emmanuella led us through the process. She had created a recipe for lemon and raspberry chocolates, and she led us very nicely through the process of making a ganache, raspberry jelly ( using fresh raspberries) and then dipping in the chocolate sauce. Gerhard provided quality control throughout the whole process! Our end result was a tangy, tasty treat, covered in dried raspberry crumbles. Very original and delicious. We took home our creations, but stopped by the gift store to add some wine and more chocolate to our collection.
4/ Our stay at Tri Lucke restaurant and hotel was absolutely lovely. It sits on top of a hill surrounded by vineyards. The property is beautifully decorated with a modern touch, showcasing natural wood and stone elements with lots of windows to appreciate the views. Breakfast was a selection of locally sourced cured meats, cheeses and jams, eggs and breads. Our lunch was equally impressive, showcasing the chefs creativity. An innovative and delicious 4 course meal with complimentary wines was very tasty. We stayed in our own ‘ chalet’, a calm and spacious space with a private sitting room, separate bedroom, bathroom and vestibule. Satellite TV with numerous English options was a pleasant and welcome treat! We really appreciate that the hotel allows pets, so that we could bring our fur baby with us. The hotel provided e-bikes for our use. This was our first time trying out e-bikes and we were so happy to be able to try them out as we are very intrigued by them and think that we are potential customers. Well…right on!!! We loved the boost we get when going up hill and now know to look for nice wide seats ( for our elderly soft behinds )!!
5/ We explored the nearby attractions: Kostanjevic pri Krki, a charming little town located on an island in the middle of the river, with a very nice art museum, Terme Catez, a natural hot springs pool complex ( again highly recommend). Here, they did not welcome pets so we discovered a reliable and good dog sitter who works at the local animal hospital. Our Juno, was well looked after with ‘ Varstovo za Hisne Ljubljencke’ in Krsko, just a few minutes away from Tri Lucke.
All in all a very successful and enjoyable exploration of the Krsko area. Thank you for the opportunity of discovering this area. It was GREAT!
Mariann Poirier & Gerhard Fiedler
Photos by: Mariann and Gerhard
