The Children of Triglav now have a place to play at the Dom na Gospodični mountain lodge. This popular excursion destination, which is situated halfway up the slope of Trdinov Vrh in Gorjanci, now has a new play area. It replaces the previous outdated play area, which was more than a quarter of a century old, and is designed to encourage hikers of all ages to take up active and healthy outdoor pursuits. The new acquisition was opened, as part of Zavarovalnica Triglav’s “Let’s Clean Up Our Mountains” campaign, by Boštjan Grobler, president of the Krka Novo Mesto Alpine Club, and Tomaž Taufer, head of corporate sales at Triglav’s Novo Mesto office.
New playground at a popular excursion destination
Gorjanci, a popular destination for days out in Dolenjska, is visited by around 100,000 people every year, including a large number of families with children. Their visits often include a stop at the Dom na Gospodični mountain lodge, which stands at a spring that, legend has it, restores health and youthful vigour to anyone who drinks from it. The youngest hikers can now enjoy themselves at the new playground that has been installed at the lodge. The new acquisition, which stands in a safer and more orderly position, replaces the previous playground, built more than 25 years ago, whose worn-out equipment made it less than safe for playing.
“The children’s playground is an important addition to Dom na Gospodični, as it provides a further incentive for children to move around outdoors, and to any visit to the Gorjanci, which are regarded as the ‘lungs of Novo Mesto’. I believe that any incentive to exercise in surroundings such as these also make a positive contribution to the health of residents, hikers and tourists. The Gorjanci hills see around 100,000 visitors every year, and we expect that this new playground will increase this number still further. And they’ll be even keener to visit our mountain lodge after this,” said Boštjan Grobler, president of the Krka Novo Mesto Alpine Club.
Playgrounds are places where families come together
Playgrounds are the main spaces in which children explore the world, familiarise themselves with outdoor play and develop their motor skills. In many environments, they provide a place where young families can come together, and are also the main space for different generations, united by the pleasures of the great outdoors, to meet and make contact. The new playground at the Dom na Gospodični mountain lodge is the latest in a series of more than 50 outdoor play areas refurbished or constructed by Zavarovalnica Triglav as part of its “Children of Triglav” campaign.
“Zavarovalnica Triglav uses a variety of methods to encourage youngsters, as well as other generations, to adopt safe and healthy lifestyles. This is also the reason behind the ‘Children of Triglav’ campaign, which supports the construction of children’s playgrounds in urban, rural and mountain areas. We also traditionally connect the opening of playgrounds in mountain areas with the ‘Let’s Clean Up Our Mountains’ campaign. This campaign is now in its 14th year and is aimed at encouraging hikers to visit the mountains in a safe and responsible manner. We were therefore happy to throw our support behind the idea put forward by the Novo Mesto Alpine Club for a new playground at Gospodična that would enable the youngest visitors, in the company of their parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, to play safely on one of Slovenia’s most popular peaks,” explained Tomaž Taufer, head of corporate sales at Zavarovalnica Triglav’s Novo Mesto office.
Opening of the playground an expression of responsibility towards nature
The opening of the refurbished playground took place as part of the “Let’s Clean Up Our Mountains” campaign, which Zavarovalnica Triglav have been running for 14 seasons and aims to equip hikers of all ages with tips on how to enjoy the mountains safely. The campaign also encourages hikers to create as little waste as possible when hiking, and to bring any waste they do produce down from the mountain with them, along with their unforgettable memories.