Gostilna Šajna – a stony karst beauty

To enjoy Karst delicacies in the authentic surroundings of an old farmhouse, we head to the Šajna Inn in Šepulje, or more simply, to Domačija, as locals and guests prefer to call it. From the Primorska motorway, we turn towards Sežana, continue along the old road towards Nova Gorica, and in the village of Križ, follow the signs for Šepulje and Domačija. The mighty stone building invites you into the carefully decorated interior, where we will truly enjoy the delicacies offered in peace and with discreet service. The cuisine, with the habits of true Karst people, is based on prosciutto and teran, and of course there is no shortage of typical dishes that have always warmed bones blown by the harsh bora wind. In winter, it still gets a bit cold, and the constant staple of chefs and housewives near the Italian border is, of course, “pašta”, and at Domačija they also prepare excellent štruklji and gnocchi. For carnivores, they always have tried-and-tested recipes for preparing selected veal and beef, and they especially boast about their steaks, while if we prefer seafood, they surprise us with fish in a hundred and one ways. On colder days, we will take refuge in a pleasantly heated restaurant for lunch or a delicious dinner, and when the seasons change, a slow lunch at a stone table under a mighty mulberry tree is the right choice. At Šajnov's, we can also sleep over if we have eaten too much or drunk too much of selected Karst wines, or if we simply want to experience the charm of a Karst sunrise and, after a morning coffee and a light breakfast, go for a walk through the village, which smells of the bora wind, prosciutto and Teran.