Plečnik's church in Bogojina

Bogojina is a small village in Prekmurje, the flat north-eastern corner of Slovenia beyond the Mura river, and its parish church is one of the most unusual works by Jože Plečnik, the architect best known for reshaping Ljubljana. Plečnik was commissioned to enlarge the village church in the 1920s, and instead of tearing down the older building he built a broad new nave and a tall tower around it, finishing the work between 1924 and 1927. The result is the Church of the Ascension, a building that looks like nothing else in the plain around it.

Plečnik was always interested in how classical ideas could be reworked with local materials and craft, and Bogojina is a good example. The tower is round and sits beside the church, with stone columns supporting part of the structure and a plain, rounded profile that is quite unlike the pointed spires of the Alpine churches. Inside, the use of wood is striking. The ceiling is made of timber panels, the fittings and furniture are made of wood and the detail was worked by local craftsmen, which gives the interior a warm, modest atmosphere that suits the village. Plečnik also used simple, geometric forms and clear light, and the effect is a church that feels both monumental and humble.

The setting adds to its appeal. Bogojina lies among fields, orchards and farms, and the church stands out in the flat horizon of the Pannonian plain. The soft light that falls across the fields in the evening picks out the white walls. A quiet walk around the outside will show how the building meets the village green and the road, and how the tower pulls the eye upward in a landscape without hills.

Plečnik's church is a good reason to explore Prekmurje beyond the thermal spas. The region has a distinct culture shaped by Pannonian traditions, with its own cuisine of bograč stew and prekmurska gibanica and its own folklore, and the church can easily be combined with a stop at the Floating mills on Mura river, one of the Storks' nesting villages or the Marof Winery. The Local Festivals And Markets Celebrating Pannonian Culture, the Ponds and the Vast Corn Fields make this a pleasant day trip between the spa resorts of Moravske Toplice and Lendava.

The church is a working parish church, so be respectful during services and dress modestly. Opening times for visitors may be limited, so it is wise to ask locally before travelling, but the exterior alone repays the trip for anyone interested in modern architecture, Slovenian history and the quiet charm of the countryside. Visitors will find Plečnik’s church in the middle of Prekmurje’s plain, a rare piece of Slovenia’s modern architecture in the countryside.