In the period from March 25 to March 27, 2026, at the initiative and with the strong support of the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, H.E. Damijan Sedar, students of Slovenian language and culture classes from BiH again visited one of the national symbols of Slovenia – Planica Nordic Centre.
This year, in addition to students and companions from the “Triglav” Association, the trip also included students and companions from SD “Cankar” Sarajevo, Slovenian Association of Citizens “Jožef Špringer” Kakanj, “Lipa” Prijedor and the Association of Slovenians Tuzla.
The first day of the trip was immediately filled with various events and excitement. Upon arrival in Ljubljana, we had the opportunity to explore and get to know the capital of Slovenia a little better, but also to learn more about culture, customs and traditions. That day we had the honor of being received by the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Mrs. Nataša Pirc Musar, at the Presidential Palace and enjoyed talking with her. The meeting took place in a pleasant and inspiring atmosphere, and the students presented their knowledge of the Slovenian language to the president and shared their impressions of learning and connecting with Slovenia. In this way, they showed how they preserve the Slovenian language, culture and identity. The students had the opportunity to ask her interesting questions and hear how she sees the relations between Slovenia and BiH. During the presentation of the Association "Triglav", president Ivan Memon presented her with bilingual books and newsletters published by our Association, with a special note that the author of the bilingual picture book "Under the Sea", student Milica Marjanović, was among the visitors, and the president congratulated her and asked her to sign a copy for her.
After the reception with the president, we also visited the Office for Slovenians Abroad, where we were greeted by Suzana Martinez and Tina Mlakar.
The second day of the visit, Thursday March 26, 2026, was reserved for Planica Nordic Centre, or rather enjoying the snowy atmosphere among more than 10,000 visitors and fans with a unique view of the ski jumpers competing on one of the largest ski jumps in the world. At the Nordic Center Planica, we were welcomed by the State Secretary, Vesna Humar, with whom we immediately tried out the fan equipment.
On the last day of our visit, and on our way back to BiH, we stopped by Novo Mesto where we met our dear Branka Bukovec, who, as always, hosted us and fed us for a safe journey back.
Thank you for the warm hospitality and support that Slovenia provides to preserving Slovenian identity beyond its borders.
Ana Marjanović
