For those curious about Slovenia, it’s hard not to associate it with one of its most (in)famous children: Melania Trump. The former first lady of the United States gets many opinions from everyone, even getting an ironic statue in her hometown. So, where’s Melania Trump’s statue in Slovenia?
Sevnica is a town in Slovenia where Melania Trump, the First Lady of the USA, spent her childhood and adolescence. You will find many things in the general area, including a new bronze statue representing the former first lady. Specifically, it is erected in Rozno, a rural settlement in the nearby town of Krsko.
If you’re looking for Melanie Trump’s statue in Slovenia, Sevnica and Krsko are the places to go. You’ll find more than just the statue too! Here the eyes can relax while looking at the vast green landscape enriched by the Sava.
Who Is Melania Trump?
Before we learn where is Melania Trump’s statue in Slovenia, we need a good background first. Who is Mrs. Trump? Who was she when she lived in this small, beautiful country?
Melania Trump, born Melanija Knavs, is a former Slovenian model, and designer. From January 2017 to January 2021, she served as the First Lady of the United States of America as US President Donald Trump’s wife.
She was born Melanija Knavsová (Melania Knavs) in 1970 in Novo Mesto in Slovenia. At the time, she grew up in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Her father, Viktor Knavs, was from the nearby town of Radeče and ran a car and motorcycle shop for a state-owned car manufacturer.
Mother Amalija Knavsová (nee Ulčniková) has her roots in the village of Raka, located in the village of Krško. She worked as a tailor at a children’s clothing manufacturer “Jutranjka” in Sevnica.
Neither Melania nor her parents Viktor and Amalija have ever experienced any political repression, which she indirectly mentions here and there in her rare speeches.
Melania grew up in a modest apartment block in Sevnica before moving to Ljubljana. Here, the young upstart attended a secondary design school and then enrolled in architecture studies. Even then, Melania left it after a year and ventured into fashion.
From Local Youth To Fashion Model To Trump’s Wife
More than in academia, Melania found herself in fashion. Posing was no stranger to her, as she was discovered by fashion photographer Stane Jerko at the age of 16. Two years later, she signed a contract with a fashion agency in Milan.
During her stay, she changed her surname Knavs to the more international “Knauss.” She worked for fashion houses in Milan and Paris. The co-owner of the Metropolitan Models agency Paolo Zampolli, a friend of her future husband, was credited for continuing her career in the United States.
Eventual details are history. She became wife to supposed hotel mogul Donald Trump and became the First Lady of the United States.
Where Is Melania Trump’s Statue?
The statue of Melania Trump is in Rožno, a village near Sevnica. This came from American artist Brad Downey, and the figure is an ironic homage. The original statue erected was a wooden effigy with very little detail to it. Not only is the location weird, but also the image of the statue leaves many people open-mouthed.
During his first visit to Slovenia, Downey asked himself where was first lady Melania Trump grew up. He eventually found the details and considered how the locals or Slovenes monitor and mark “this indisputable historical fact.”
Downey eventually commissioned and sponsored the production of a wooden sculpture, to be put on a stump overseeing Melania’s hometown. The order was awarded to a craftsman and sculptor Aleš Župevc, known as Maxi.
Maxi used a chainsaw to create a weird, low-detail effigy complete with powder blue paint. The details on the torso, with the powder blue paint reminiscent of the dress that the former First Lady wore during her husband’s inauguration.
Around the 4th of July in 2020, the original wooden statue was burnt and vandalized by unknown people. To prevent people from burning it, Downey and Maxi opted to rebuild the statue. This time, they used bronze to prevent it from burning.
Although the statue stands in a seemingly inconspicuous field along the Sava at Rožno, a few kilometers south of her hometown of Sevnica, Downey carefully chose the location for the sculpture.
“In the middle of the field, on one side is the Sava, on the other a church, it’s beautiful,” he said at the first installation of the wooden Melanie in 2019. This event resonated in the world media.
What Other Activities Can You Do In Sevnica?
Now that we know where Melania Trump’s statue is, what else can you do in Sevnica? What things can you do in the town where the former first lady grew up in?
After Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the eyes of the whole world are also on Sevnica. How well do Slovenians know her? This place along the Sava and its surroundings can be a pleasant excursion destination.
If you want to get to know Sevnica through the eyes of Melanie Trump, you can go take a look at her former home and the school she attended. But even if we deduct the future first lady of the USA, many interesting things can be seen in Sevnica and its surroundings.
Sevnica does not have a motorway connection, but it can be reached by very solid roads from three directions. You can reach it from Celje via Laško and Zidani most, from Trebnje via Mokronog, and from Krško.
Sevnica also has good railway connections, it lies along the Ljubljana-Zagreb line, which is joined in Sevnica by the line from Trebnje.
The Sevnica Castle transcends the downtown area, from where you have the most delightful perspective on the city. You’ll see the beauty of the local with its lush greenery.
The beautiful hills are more gorgeous with small churches and altars. In the event that you are into more experiential activity, you can’t miss the Ajdovski gradec archeological site. The site was the proof of the first pilgrims in this locale of Slovenia. The combination of rich history, beautiful nature, and present-day city air will persuade each taste.
Visit The Sevnica Castle
The Sevnica Castle is hard to miss because the majestic fortress stands like a silent guardian over the town. It shines in all its splendor and you can get to know its past.
For starters, married visitors can renew their vows and experience an unforgettable wedding in the romantic surroundings of the castle. You can taste the velvety flavor of Grajska kri (castle blood) wine.
The blood wine itself comes from the castle’s own vinotheque. It uses the Blaufränkisch grape variety that grows on the castle’s southern slope, ensuring high-quality wine.
Enjoy the extraordinary acoustics of the Lutherkeller and admire the wall paintings. A special experience is the castle feast, where you will be transported back to the time when no one knew cutlery. Stroll through the castle park and fill up your energy stores at the energy points by the mighty trees.
Taste The Delicious Sevnica Wines
A visit to Sevnica does not stop at the blood wine. If you love your wines, Sevnica and its surroundings are a standout amongst other wine-developing terroirs. Its favorable climatic conditions and the local soil composition.
The Bizeljsko-sremiška and Upper Dolenjska Wine Roads go through Sevnica. From here, you will find yourself acquainted with the more common wines of this Slovenian region. From Bizeljčan and Sremičan to the special Cviček from Dolenjska, you’ll taste the most sophisticated wines.
Among the top wines, don’t miss the rising wine star of Sevnica – the Blaufränkisch. The Blaufränkisch Festival, which you can visit in the Sevnica Castle in summer, is committed to this sort of wine.
With all this talk of wine, one naturally gets hungry. Fortunately, near Sevnica, in the hills towards Trebnje, is the Repovž Inn, one of the best in our country. Even closer, at Vrh pri Boštanju, you can concretely refresh yourself at Dolinšek, another well-known and popular inn in these places.
Right in the center of Sevnica, you will find the old market in Vrtovšek. Here, they prepare hearty home-made food and are primarily known as the famous Sevnica salami festival venue.
See The Sevnica Mountain Trails
The awesome greenery with rolling hills near Sevnica offers a wide array of activities. Any visitor would love some of the most dynamic things that nature provides. Treat yourself to gorgeous nature encounters and the local culture with a bicycle!
Go for a climb on the Sevnica mountain climbing trail. From there, you can go and see the magnificent views and invigorate yourself in local homesteads en route. Climb the Lisca, perhaps the highest peak in the Posavje Mountains. From here, where your heart will beat faster with the magnificent perspective of the Sava Valley.
Conclusion
Finding where is Melania Trump’s statue in Slovenia is a matter of curiosity. Whatever your opinion is about the former first lady, it created a positive buzz for the places she grew up in. Sevnica has recently become one of the most recognizable cities in the world.
Sevnica was allowed to show off its hidden beauties and impress tourists with special culinary offerings with such a rise in visibility. Sevnica and its surroundings are more than what one person can present.
Slovenia is a small, beautiful country. Explore other locales in Slovenia, from castles and chateaus to mountains and karts. Taste the best Slovenian wines and enjoy the delicacies of Slovenian cuisine! Visit fascinating cities now, and let us help you see more of this idyllic paradise.
