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ABOUT ME- KIARA FROM SLOVENIA

Hi! My name is Kiara and I'm 16 years old, I've lived in Slovenia my whole life and most of the time I absolutely love it, saying I always love it would be a lie, because I do believe there is so much more of the world out there and I do want to experience that as well. I love my city and i'm grateful i got to grow up in it. Slovenia is a calm and peaceful city perfect for raising children, and I had a great childhood that I'm forever going to remember, hanging out with my friends on benched in Tivoli park, to having fun in bars, staying up at sleep overs, laughing while walking through the city. I trully believe that I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm an average 16 year old girl that has dreams to go live in different countries finding out new things about the world living in bigger city. Ljubljana being a small city is not always a good thing, everyone knows each other and everyone potentially knows things about you and about your life that you wouldn't what them to know. It's harder to keep your peace, everyone of my friends had things going around about them at one point. Its hard to deal with that when people know things you would not like them to or sometimes even things that aren't true... I think this is because when you live in such a small city people don't have much to talk about so they make things up thinking it's funny but when they are about you its not ass fun as they think. Living in a small city has tought me that 99% of people that you think you know them or are your friends, turns out you don't and its really common that they betray you if I can say it in that way... Hope you understand what i'm trying to say. Don't get me wrong I love my friends but it took me 16 years to find true 3 friends that I know I can go to when ever I need an can tell them everything, I love spending time with them.

I have an ordinary life, in the morning I go to school which I enjoy as much as I can, i like learning new things but sometimes it's exhausting and it can be a lot to handle when you have a lot going on in school, when your trying to keep a balance between school, exercise, and social life. I like to exercise since I was small I've been training gymnastics hours and hours a day and i achieved everything i hoped for I was 2 years in a row classified ass the best in Slovenia for my age at the time... But sadly i had an accident and broke both of my bones in my right rist and I couldn't train anymore, but I kept going, training things that didn't require my hands but ass you can imagine I feel behind and the other girls kept getting better and better... I'm a really competattive person when it comes to sports I love doing, and I also had problems with my back it started to hurt more and more and eventually I gave up 3 years ago. I still cannot decide if im mad at myself or happy I made that decision because I will never find out where was my best point really how far was I gonna get... Where aas my potential going to stop. But at the same time i'm happy because my back still hurts and if I were to continue I might need to get a surgery for my back which i'm really happy I didn't have to do... I gave up on sports 1 year ago, after gymnastics I still went and did climbing and athletics, but i didn't enjoy nothing like i enjoyed gymnastics. And you know when you're a teenager you get lazy and don't have energy for nothing else then school. From then on my life had been pretty boring I go to school come home do school work and go to bed at 6 pm and watch series until I fall asleep. I genuenlly can't even force myself anymore to go to the gym it's too much and then I ask my self "how was I able to train for 5 hours a day, now I can't even get myself to the gym for an hour".

After I found my life from not having an hour to myself a day to not knowing what to do all day was scary so I started to think about some things that could fill out my day and I came across bloging and I have to say so far I enjoy It alot its teaching me soo many things I had no Idea about but I see them every day.

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WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A TEEN IN LJUBLJANA

hello, It's me again like I already said im 16 years old and as you can imagine as a teen i love to go out I look forward to it everyweek i dont necessarily party every week most of my friends do because in europe teens start to party and drink at a younger age than usually all around the world. I don't dink but I do like to enjoy myself and go out and hang out with my friends. I also go to Erudio International school which is an IB program school and a smaller private school than others around Ljubljana, all of our lessons are in english which is for me personally the biggest plus, since I do want to go study abroad and see the rest of the world english is the main international language so I think that gives me a big heads up. Slovenia is covered with eco-environment and a lot of hiking sites and outside parks walking, running paths. That is also one thing I enjoy reconnecting with nature seeing how nice and innocent the nature is.

I'm going to tell you more in depth about everything, I do enjoy night life the most so let's keep the best for last.

Slovenia has such great schools a lot of people move here to study, there are school you can chose related to your hobbies, and interests. If you come from a different country you have international schools you can pick between, there is British International School of Ljubljana that follows GCSE program, I was in that school for 3 years my personal apinion is that it is to strict in a way that they really try to control everything, for me personally i like to do stuff on my own, organize my own schedule is the way for me I find it the most effective. You can also chose Erudio school which I'm in right now and I love it here they don't force you to except their help like they did in British school, but don't get me wrong they offer you help every step of the way but not the same as British school, in Erudio I know that if I ever need help they are more than happy to help you if you ask. But if you are looking for a Slovenian high school or grammar school you have various options depending on your interest. High schools in Slovenia have 4 years of school.

If you love hiking, running, walking, or in general exercise Slovenia is the right place you can do so much body movement in the most beautiful nature. Walking is a daily activity for many Slovenians, I really like the walking trails in Ljubljana they are free and never too crouded there is a lot of space to walk freely, in different cities people walk to school, work, run errands. Ljubljana is known for its green spaces and walkable paths. Hiking is so advanced in Slovenia with over 10,000 km of marked hiking trails and more than 170 mountain hunts, Slovenia is a hikers paradise. One of the longest most beautiful hikes you can experience is Triglav National park its 2,853m high, and It's Slovenias highest peak and a symbol of national pride. One of the really nice ones is also Slovenian Mountain Trail, which is the oldest hiking trail in Europe, stretching from Maribor to Ankaran.

We are finally at the best part of it all the Night life in Slovenia. I'm sure in other counties you have so much more night life but there is a lot also here. We do have age restrictions 18+ and some even more. there are some fancy places like Restaurant Nebo it has great food and it's a restaurant during the day anyone can enter it but after 9pm it becomes a club that's 18+ if you have a reservation if you dont It's 21+ and most of the time there is a live show going on even singers come and its a big club you can reserve a table and have fun. its the most famous one in Ljubljana I would say that is open til 2am after that you can go to Shooters or Square these clubs aren't as fancy anymore but they are still 18+ be careful while exploring all the places, because even though its a safe country you never know. one of the most famous club is Cirkus and most of the time there are musicians comming and they make a really big show there is a line that drags on to the end of the street. these are some of the most famous and the clubs I enjoy. before the night starts you can go grab dinner at some gorgeous restaurant in Ljubljana and later on to the club. but while you explore these places please be causous of your sourondings and be careful, i would not recomend going alone, have some friends with you.

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BLOG ABOUT PREŠEREN'S SQUARE AND BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS

Hi everyone, today I went and visited one of the most known places in Ljubljana it's called Prešeren's sqare where there also stands Prešeren's statue (you can see it in the video bellow). The sqare is a famous meeting point for the local's and the travelers. Around the square you can see the Pink Church or Boroque church which was build in the mid-17th century, inside of which you will find an impressive altar by Francesco Pobba. You can slo cross over the Triple bridge to the right of Prešeren's statue that leads into many different enteries to the old side of the city, which was designed by Jože Plečnik, The Triple bridge is a unique architecture that combines thee bridges into one crossing over the Ljubljanica River. Above the statue of Prešeren you can see his muse that is looking into the window of the girl Prešeren loved. that adds a bit of a romantic background to the statue. The statue honors France Prešeren and was first introduced to the public in 1905, which maid it the first Slovenian public monument dedicated to a cultural figure.

One of the tings I find really interesting was how the old and the new parts of the city connects through three bridges making it one, on one side you can see the old buildings and lot's of history, and on the other side more modern shops buildings and cafes. It's nice to experience how Ljubljana has kept It's history, while also being a modern city, you really have everything in one spot. Also I found out that Jože Plečnik, the architect who designed the bridge didn't just work on that but also many different parts of the city and architectures around Ljubljana, he has a unique style and once you know it It's easy to recognise. I also learned more about France Prešeren he's not just a poet he's kind of like a national hero in Slovenia. One of his poems even became the lyrics for the Slovenian national anthem. His statue actually means a lot to locals be cause it was the first statue dedicated to cultural figure and it shows how much the country values art and architecture.The main thing I always enjoy ( I live here my whole life so to still enjoy it is special) but i really like how everything fells close and so easy to access and explore, you donIt need a scoter its all like meters away, It was a sunny to day so walking was ideal. I find it so uplifting that there are street performers almost everytime and people enjoying their day, that really makes the whole place feel so alive.

If you ever get a chance to visit Slovenia definitely go check out the center of Ljubljana. The Triple Bridge, the Pink church, and Prešeren square all find of come together in one cool place. It's more to see it in person

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Video about Prešeren's Square

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Triple Bridge

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IS LIVING IN A SMALL COUNTRY BETTER THAN IN A BIG ONE?

Have you even wondered if life is different, better, or worse in a small country like Slovenia, than in China, USA...?

Well I definetly have and sometimes or actually there are alot of moments that I wish I were to live in a big country.

Slovenia is a small country around 2M citizens, but that doesn't necessarily make it boring or bad to live here. And I'm not here to tell you that Slovenia is the best or small countries in general because that's not what I think. I think that small places or countries like Slovenia have alot of pros , there have been so many times that I was able to organize something or to get what I wanted due to the advantage of small country because alot of people know each other and where ever I go I run into someone I know everytime which can be a plus but alot of times it can do you dirty, maybe if your with someone you weren't supposed to be... But for me personaly that is a plus in that case. But people know each other all my friends and everyone I know know each other, and I didn't introduce them it's just that we have all heard of one another. That is usualy not a good thing because they like to say stuff that isn't always true to keep them entertained. People love drama and a small city is perfect for that. I personaly like to keep my own peace, I don't care what other people are doing I don't even like to hear about people that aren't my friends and I don't care about them. In small city you really feel like you belong. Once I asked my dad "why do you love such a small Country like Slovenia?" He answered with " I would rather be a king in a village than a nobody in a city"

There is always something new going on some drama, for people that love drama a small city is very entertaining, but I don't so it can definitely be lonely sometimes especially if you like to keep your friend circle small and real, when I go out I run into alot of people and we hang out but I don't concider them my friends. I never go out with them on purpuse we see each other at the same place same time and we hang out. It ends up being 15 of us or more in a group.

I like slovenia because Its peaceful ofcourse if you want it to be. But I think you can also have peace in a big city but its never boring like it is a small city thats why I prefer a big city on that agenda.

Transportation in a small city is also a plus it takes way less time to get from one place to another than in a big city is takes 1x more or even 2x, based on that its way easier to make plans and meet up at a certain place, because we all live close to each other concidering off of a big city. In a small city life feels peacful less crounds less trafic congestions and in a big city people are always in a rush and life can really feel chaotic at times. As a teenager and even as an adult its easier to support yourself in a smal city cost of living and thing usually cost less and even trasportation than in a big city, I dont even spend money on trasportation because my parents drive me and if we were to live in a big city we wouldnt be able to do that.

Education and job opportunities are way more limited in a small city. You have less options in a big city you can choose between a various job opportunities, various schools, and just in general it's easier to achieve something in a big city than in a small, but sometimes that isn't always correct because in a small city, it's easier to get recognized example, if I were to apply for a certain school, let's say there would be 200 applications and then the big city there would be 2000 applications so you have less percentage to get noticed.

in a small city, there's usually less things to do and less things going on, especially throughout the week in a big city. There would be concerts and multiple events going on even throughout the week. There are more malls, more shopping, more cafés, and more restaurants than in a small city.

One of the best losses of a small city is, there is way more nature and culture usually stands out more meaning that in a small city, they appreciate culture and events related to culture in that city.

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SLOVENIA IN 5 DAYS The perfect one week trip to Ljubljana-Slovenia

Hello, today I want to help organize or plan your perfect 5 days trip to Slovenia, as a first time traveler what to do, where to go, what to visit, where to eat...

Slovenia is a green country, and a one week trip is perfect depending on its size ass well.

Slovenia is full of everything you need to see mountains, lakes, and a perfect calm city in the daylight if you like to party or go outside, the centre of Ljubljana becomes a very fun place in the evening as well. The best time to visit is in spring to early fall, especially good for hiking and sightseeing, if you want to go skiing winter is the right season, when you want to move around Slovenia you can either rent a car or use public transport, Public transport is really easy. It's cheaper and there are multiple buses going to Bled, Bohinj and Ljubljana every day. While you're packing pack multiple layers because you're never 100% sure what you're gonna run into and definitely pack comfortable or even better hiking shoes. The currency in Ljubljana is in Euros just so you know alittle bit more.

First day:

for your first day, you can go visit the city center, walk by the river and it will take you through the centre of ljubljana, or you can take a boat tour, which is very fun and you get to see all around the city without walking, but I love walking in Ljubljana because it's a pretty small city and very walkable, by foot you get to see everything more clearly, but at the end of the day you can still take a boat tour on the Ljubljanica river.

Go visit the open market, where you can get something to eat and obseve the city a little bit.

Before that you can stop at Prešeren's square and take pictures in front of the Prešeren's statue, and see the triple bridge. There's also a really awesome pink church and it's really beautiful inside, you can go check that out as well. At the end of this day you can go ride the funiculat to Ljubljana catle, grab dinner and watch the most stuning sunsets, on top of the castle you can see the whole city from it and it's even more beautiful when in dark, in the evening because the whole city is covered in lights.

Second day:

Lake bled is one of Slovenia's most iconic spots, and it's really for a good reason surrounded by mountains that look absolutely amazing. There is a stunning castle on a tiny island where you can get to with a boat, there's a really nice church in the middle of it. you can go early in the morning to avoid the crowd and you can rent a wooden boat to get to the islands in the middle of Bled you can climb 99 stone steps to church of the assumption and definitely don't use the chance to ring the wishing bell while you're there. When you return, you must go visit Blade Castle, which is 130 m above the lake on that castle. You will 100% see one of the most incredible views you've ever experienced inside of that castle. There's a small museum where you can see old paintings you can grab lunch in a restaurant with a terrace view where you're looking over the lake Bled and don't miss out on the most beautiful photos while you're in the restaurant definitely try the famous Bled Cream cake called Kremšnita. To end of the day you can hike to Ostrica for a classic postcard view of Lake Blade take a short but a pretty steep hike with tires around a 20 minute hike and while you're up there, you are gonna see the most beautiful sunset.

third day:

for your third day you can take a trip to Lake Bohinj and Triglav national Park. It's a little bit less famous than Bled but equally stunning, you can go kayaking or paddle boarding first so you can avoid the crowd. It's a really fun and an easy activity, later on you can take the Vogel cable car for more epic views where you can take stunning photos and see the most beautiful nature. As I mentioned Slovenia is full of epic views so there's gonna be a lot of view spots. After that, you have an option for hiking to Savica waterfall there you really get to feel the nature and how beautiful it is you can really appreciate it, and it's a view that you'll never forget, that's one of my favorites. I would also stay the night in Bohinj if you want to experience more nature.

Fourth day:

For your fourth day you can slowly start heading back to Ljubljana, you can grab a breakfast before starting your trip back. You can visit the burger bar in Bohinjsa Bistrica which is known generally for burgers, but also offers great coffee and breakfast options in the mornings, its cozy, and casual. You can try their omelettes, they're really good. I would assume that once you get back from Bohinj you're going to be very tired so you can go relax at your hotel or apartment for some time but once you get back on your feet, you can go visit the old town of Ljubljana and I would assume that its pretty late so you can go grab diner at one of my favorites: pizza- POP's Pizza, they recentry opened POP's apperitivo which is a little bit more fancy but I personally like the original one more because they focus more on pizzas you obviously have other options. Slovenian foods: Slovenska Hiša: there you can decide between variety of different Slovenian foods. I like them all. I hardly believe you can choose the wrong one.

Fifth and final day:

For your final day, you can wander around the city a little bit more grab some souvenirs to bring to your loved ones and to remember the most amazing views you saw, every time you look at it. You can start with grabbing a breakfast in la petite Café. It's one of my favorite breakfast spots. You can sit outside in the sun and people-watch. After that, you can go have a little shopping experience go to Emporium and Nama, those are my favorites because you have the most choices to pick from. They're pretty big stores for Ljubljana. after that, you can go to the House of Illusions it's a really cool thing to see once in a lifetime because it really tricks your brain. After that, you're probably gonna be hungry so you can go eat. One of my favorite restaurants for steak is Breg restaurant they have the best steak I have ever tried. If you don't like meat they have other options as well or you can choose a different restaurant, you have many options there is many restaurants. After you have the most amazing lunch, you can go visit some museums. There is alot of them and they are all for different people you can go to the National Museum of Slovenia, or national Gallery of Slovenia, if you just wanna know more about the city, you can go to City museum of Ljubljana, and lastly, if you like art you can go check out the museum of modern art. If you're not much of a museum person later in the evening you can go to the Opera and see a very nice performance. For your last dinner in Ljubljana you can wonder around and pick one that catches your eye, believe me you will be surprised.

I hope you have an amazing time in Ljubljana-Slovenia and you definitely come visit again.

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DRAGON OF LJUBLJANA

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SLOVENIA'S MYTHS AND LEGENDS

Slovenias myths and legends are stoyes created to try to explain the world, ( why something apeared, lakes moutains, why is it special, how did it apear?).They are storyes that make places more magical and more interesting. Some people believe it and some dont, it's your deccision to make... But today I'm going to take through the main most interesting and known myths of Slovenia, starting with the one connected most with Ljubljana, The Dragon who lived under the castle.

The myth THE DRAGON OF LJUBLJANA.

If you have been to Ljubljana or if you ever do come to the capital city of Slovenia-Ljubljana, you will notice that there are dragons everywhere, they sit on one of the most famous bridges in Ljubljana The Dragon Bridge, they decorate souvenirs, sit on different statues. And even bins have dragons on it. But have you ever asked yourself "Why Dragons?" and where did it come from?

The myth takes us all the back to to a legend that begins beneath the hill where Ljubljana castle now stands. Long ago surrounding Ljubljana there were only thick forests, according to the myth, the great hero Jason (yes the same one from the Jason and Argonauts) was returning back to his quest of the golden fleece when him and his crew were trying to find a way back to Adriatic sea, they ended up in the Ljubljanica river, There they apparently faced a terrifying dragon that lived beneath the hill in the swampy waters. Jason apparently fiercely fought the Dragan. Overtime the spot where the battle happened became a part of a small settlement which eventually grew into the city of Ljubljana.

And the story got passed down down the generations People started to say the dragon leave beneath the castle in the tunnels, Some even believe that the dragon is still watching over the city to protect it from danger, And that's how the dragon became a symbol of protection and strength. people believe that the dragon is the guardian of the city. this is why people see it as a legend and it's displayed everywhere.

THE GOLDENHORN OF TRIGLAV (ZLATOROG)

If you ever come to Slovenia Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia, and where there is another Myth, there is another legendary creature the Zlatorog or Goldenhorn. This white Alpine ibex with golden horns ones freely walked around the Mountain Triglav. He lived in a paradise on the greenary on the mountain, he has guarded by fairies. But one day al old greedy hunter wanted to steal the gold from his golden horns. When he one day managed to kill the lovely creature his blood flowed down the mountain, from which grew magical flowerd that healed the beast, in the rage the Goldenhorn carged down the mountain destroying everything in It's path, including the hunters heart. the legend reminds people to respect and appreciate the nature and not be blinded by greed. Today the Zlatorog is a symbol of purity, wilderness and resillience. You can spot him on the Laško bottles and hiking railways, on surveniers in tourist shops around Slovenia.

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ŠMARNA GORA/ MOUNT SAINT MARY LOCAL HIKING PATH JUST OUTSIDE LJUBLJANA

If you ever visit Ljubljana and want to experience nature, tradition and stunning views while still getting exercise in, It's not a hard hike depending on different paths you take its around 20 minut hike one way. If you love a good coffe at the top of the hike or a snack Mount Saint Mary is the right hike for you, at the top you have so many diffent food or drinks to chose from... Its the most famoust hike rain way for the locals, some hike it every day before work and after

WAYS TO GET TO MOUNT SAINT MARY

Getting to Šmarna gora is easy, from the city centre of Ljubljana you can take a bus or a bike to get to it, it's not far. You can take a LPP bus number 8 direction to Gameljne, and get off at the stop Tacenski most, from there walk across the vrinfge and you will se a sight Šmarna Gora.

You can also go with a car and put Šmarna Gora into goggle maps. If you are adventurous you can bike to Šmarna Gora and leave your make at the bottom.

šmarna gora is a 669 meter high mountain, when you reach the top it doesn't even feel like hike it feels like a present when you see the whole Julian Alps from the top and the whole Ljubljana...

WHAT TO BRING

You need to wear comfortable hiking shoes because the path can be slippery and rocky, bring a water bottle if you don't mind carrying it, you can also access free water or buy different beverages at the top. Wear layers because mountains can be chilly, but you will warm up quickly If you want to buy anything at the top, you can bring cash or money.

DIFFERENT PATHS TO TAKE

You can take different baths one of them is the Root path which starts from Tacen and lasts about 30 to 40 minutes, The difficulty of this path is moderate This fact is the most famous one that was usually alot of people depending on when you decide to go. You can alo take the Pilgrim's Path wich starts from Spodnje Pirniče last about 45 to 60 minutes, the difficulty is easy which is the less popular path with stuning views and Beautiful view

THE RACE UP MOUNT SAINT MARY

each year Slovenians host a running competition up the mountain Saint Mary, Which is part of the world Mountain running cup. elite athlete run from the base the top in about 12 to 15 minutes, which takes the rest of us 45 minutes. if you're visiting in October, try to catch this event you will see runners from all over the world running up the Mount Saint Mary, which locals usually go up every day with their dogs.

AT THE TOO OF THE MOUNTAIN.

Is the top of the mountain you will be rewarded with The church of Saint Mary from the 15th century, which is still active today. You will also be able to refest at the Gostilna Ledinek wich serves delicious Slovenian soups

like Jota and ričet, my favorite thing is Štruklji wich is not a soup but a sweet treat... you will see the most stunning view points in peace and the fresh air. early morning hikers offer stunning sunrise. If you don't like crowds, avoid the weekend if you have pets dogs are more than welcome...

You don't need to drive to the Alps to experience the Slovenian traditions. Šmarna Gora is where sports and tradition comes together. It's not just about the hike. It's about connecting with the local traditions, and rhytm of life. So next time you are in Ljubljana lace up your hiking shoes and join the locals just going for a quck hike eather before work of in the afternon.