Weekend in Ljubljana

Hi, today I’m going to tell you something about my home city, Ljubljana.

You can get around Ljubljana by bus. Many people take a bus to the city centre and back. It’s easier than going by car because it usually takes less time and you don’t have to search for a parking lot. In the city centre you can go shopping, go to a museum or a gallery, have something to eat or just admire the city. In the city you are never bored. I like Ljubljana especially in December, because there are many Christmas lights, and many, many other things. It’s really magical.

If you want to go for a walk, there are many parks in Ljubljana, where you can do that, like the Tivoli Park. The Tivoli Park is known as the most beautiful park, and it is only 10 minutes away from city centre, so you can walk there. There are many statues and several fountains and often there is a photo exhibition. And on the top of the hill in Tivoli, there is a café where you can relax and drink some juice and eat ice cream.

But if you prefer history over walking, you are in the right place. You can go to the Archaeological Park Emona House or the City Museum where you can learn many things about the Romans. There is also a statue of the citizen of Emona in the National Museum of Slovenia and a copy of the statue in the park Zvezda.

There is also a castle in Ljubljana, the Ljubljana castle. There are many events that you can attend at the castle. You can also just walk around and inside the castle. There is also a great restaurant with delicious food where you can have a meal.

And if you like animals, you can visit the zoo. There are many animals that you can see. You can also play with some animals. There is also a café where you can be and a playground.

You can also visit many other beautiful places, like the Botanic Garden or the Skyscraper. So, I hope you learned something new about Ljubljana.

Julija Peterlin

Lake Bohinj is bigger than Lake Bled but isn't as well known among tourists. This enables you to enjoy the nature and avoid the huge groups of tourists roaming around Bled. The path around the lake is 12km long and takes you through the forest. After you're finished, I would recommend having a coffee or a hot chocolate at Hotel Bohinj, a nicely renovated hotel with a view of the lake. While in the area during wintertime, you might enjoy skiing on the nearby mountain Vogel. During summertime you can swim in the lake or paraglide off one of the surrounding mountains.

Novo mesto is the 7th largest city in Slovenia. It was built on the banks of the Krka River and used to be surrounded by a defensive wall, the remains of which are still visible today. While taking a stroll in the nearby forests or having a coffee in the renovated Main square, you will experience Novo mesto as a charming small town. Lately, two new bridges are being built which will connect the forests to the city centre.

While not being the biggest in the country, Celje is certainly one of the most interesting cities in Slovenia. No matter if you’re into science or not, I would recommend visiting the Tehno park Celje, possibly the most interesting technology park in Slovenia. Among other things you can visit the Main square, the city castle or the outskirts of the city, home to a unique tree house. When you’re done with the sightseeing, I would recommend a great Japanese restaurant called Otoki. Wherever you go, Slovenia is a diverse country with a rich history and many breathtaking natural sights.

Niko Habinc, 8a

Are you a superstitious person?

Here’s what our students told us…

In my culture there are many superstitions, but I wouldn’t say I believe in all of them. Some of them are small; for example: If your nose always itches, someone is thinking about you. If you have the hiccups someone is talking about you behind your back. But there is one superstition in my family, that if you don’t take a shot of homemade Rakija on New Year’s, you will get sick throughout the year. That’s more of a tradition than a superstition though. All though I do catch myself knocking on wood (meant to banish evil and/or negativity) and crossing myself when there’s a certain topic or if something bad has happened. I would say it depends on the person if they are superstitious or not and how they were raised into it plays a big role too.

Maja Kovačić, 9d

Friday 13th is one of the most known superstitions. People think that Friday 13th is an unlucky day and something bad will happen to them on that day. I don’t believe in this superstition because I think it’s all made up. I don’t really know of Slovenians are superstitious people. It probably differs from person to person.

One of the superstitions I know is that if you walk under a ladder, you will have bad luck. It is overrated to that point that it will fall on you. Yes, many people believe in this superstition. I don’t believe in it yet, but when something happens, I will. Yes, many people believe in it and there is a simple good reason behind it. We are slaves. The culture in Slavic nations is pretty strong and superstitions are a part of it. I know a lot of superstitions. The most basic one is the black cat one. People say that if a black cat goes in front of your car, it’s bad luck. I know a lot of people who believe in this. I’m not a really superstitious person.

One of the superstitions I believe in is that if you don’t want anything bad to happen, you can knock on something hard, like a desk, wood, some people even knock twice on their heads and then on a desk. They also say that Friday 13th is a superstition and I honestly didn’t believe in it until I cut myself on Friday 13th. I don’t think a lot of people believe in that, especially in Slovenia, except for older people.

One of the superstitions in Slovenia is that if a black cat walks in front of you, you’ll have bad luck. But you can get rid of the evil spell by spitting five times over your shoulders. I think many Slovenians believe in this superstition.

Knocking on wood. This superstition is very known in Slovenia. It’s connected with bad luck. For example, if you are talking about an accident that happened to someone and then you are like “Luckily that has never happened to me” and you knock on the wood so you don’t get bad luck. I don’t believe in it but a lot of people in my country do. I think the Slovenes are very superstitious because they believe in bad luck and they are afraid of it.

Students from Class 9

We live in an international world…

In Slovenia, we watch lots of American films. People drive French cars. We eat Italian food. In our shops, there are a lot of Italian, Austrian, Chinese and Slovene things. People wear Chinese clothes. We eat Indian rice. We wear Swiss watches.

One day I had a question: “Where was my watch made?” It was written: MadeinP.C.R.I didn’t know what that meant. I was thinking that it means MadeinPolandRepublicofc-somethingor MadeinPortugal Regiaandc-something . But I was wrong. It actually meant People’sRepublicof China.

Jurij Omejc, 8b