St. Anne's Parish Church, Bakovci

Bakovci is a village in the municipality of Murska Sobota, in Prekmurje, the flat northeastern corner of Slovenia that lies beyond the Mura river, and St. Anne’s Parish Church is the parish church of the village, dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. Prekmurje has a distinctive religious map. Most of Slovenia is Catholic, but the region has a large Lutheran minority, a legacy of the sixteenth-century Reformation, and Catholic villages and Protestant villages often stand side by side. The church of St. Anne belongs to the Catholic tradition and to the diocese of Murska Sobota, and it forms the centre of parish life for the people of Bakovci, who gather there for Mass, weddings, baptisms, funerals and the cycle of church feasts. It is a small piece of the everyday landscape of the region, and a quiet stop for anyone who likes to look at village churches.

Details of the building's history are modest. The church dates from the nineteenth century, according to the usual description, and like many village churches in the Pannonian plain it is likely to be a simple, whitewashed building with a tower, a nave and a modest interior of altars and statues. The architecture of the plain differs from that of the Alpine valleys. With no stone nearby, builders used brick, and churches here are often low, broad and plain, rising above the roofs of the village and above the surrounding fields of maize and wheat. The church tower often serves as the main landmark of the settlement and, in Prekmurje, may carry a stork's nest, since the white stork is the symbol of the region. The setting is rural and peaceful, with a churchyard, old trees and a village green.

Practical points matter if you plan to visit. Village churches are generally open at certain times, especially around services, and may be locked at other times, so it is best to ask locally or look for notices on the door. Dress modestly and be quiet during services, and ask before taking photographs inside. Visitors who are curious about the wider religious landscape of the area can compare it with neighbouring parishes. St. Stephen's church in Dokležovje and St. Michael's church in Veržej are other Catholic churches in the region, and they show a range of styles.

Bakovci lies close to Murska Sobota, so it can be reached easily by car or bike, and a visit fits into a day in the region that might include thermal spas, wine tasting and the river landscape of the Mura. The village is a good place to see how ordinary life in Prekmurje unfolds, with its slow pace and warm hospitality.

It suits travellers interested in religious heritage and rural life. Allow half an hour. For such a modest building, St. Anne’s Parish Church holds a good deal of village memory. It is part of the Diocese of Murska Sobota, and the Church of the Roman Catholic tradition is strong here. Roman Catholic Prekmurje sits beside its Lutheran neighbours.