Is Melania Trump Slovenia’s most famous face? It would seem so after four years in the White House and endless column inches detailing her every move, project and even outfit . But where exactly in Slovenia is she from, and what makes her hometown special? We take a look at the small but beautiful town she grew up in and discover that it couldn’t be further from the skyscrapers of Manhattan. She calls the small town of Sevnica home The former first lady grew up in Sevnica, Slovenia. Trump was born in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, on April 26, 1970 – she turns 52 this month . She then spent her childhood in Sevnica, a small town 48km (30 miles) away. Sevnica is located along the Sava River in central Slovenia It has a population of around 17,600, according to its official website. When Melania Trump (then Melanija Knavs) was born, Slovenia was a communist country ruled by President Josip Tito and known as Yugoslavia. Down in the Trumps! How Cristiano Ronaldo lost millions on his Trump Tower apartment Slovenia became independent in 1991. It’s famous for its salami Before Trump’s rise to fame first as a model and then as first lady of the United States, Sevnica was best known for its furniture and clothing factories – and its annual salami festival. Don't mind me, just reading about the Sevnica Salami Festival pic.twitter.com/l9mqndbBRI — Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) April 3, 2017 Sevnica reportedly produces over 150 kinds of salami. Now, Sevnica produces a salami named after the first lady. Sevnica’s tourism doubled in the year before Donald took office as interest in Melania grew, a tour guide told Reuters in January 2017. In 2017, the number of foreigners visiting Slovenia jumped 17 per cent when compared to the previous year, with a total of 3.4 million visitors. The small town capitalised on its claim to fame as the former FLOTUS’ hometown, offering tours, foods and souvenirs named after her, including her very own salami. Humble beginnings As a child, Trump lived in this block of communist-era flats. Her father, Viktor Knavs, worked as a car salesman, according to The New York Times . Her mother, Amalija, worked at a local textile factory as a patternmaker. Trump attended Sevnica’s Savo Kladnik Elementary School. Mirjana Jelancic, a friend of Trump’s and principal of the school, told ABC News in 2016 that the young Trump was “an angel” and “a very good student”. 5 times Barron Trump proved he’s too cool for his dad Donald Her family later moved to a modest house on Ribniki Street. When Trump and her sister Ines were in high school, the Knavs family moved to Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital. At the age of 18, Trump signed with a modelling agency in Milan, which eventually took her to New York and, well, the rest is history. Supporting her supporters – and that statue Trump remained connected to her hometown over the years, donating US$25,000 to a medical centre there in 2005. Trump made the donation after her wedding in 2005, according to The New York Times. Residents of Sevnica gathered to celebrate Donald’s victory in the 2016 election. Trump is the second first lady born outside the US. The first was John Quincy Adams’ wife, Louisa Catherine Adams, who was born in London. American artist Brad Downey commissioned a monument of Trump from Slovenian sculptor Ales “Maxi” Zupevc in 2019 that was erected in a field outside Sevnica. The wooden statue, modelled after Trump’s blue Ralph Lauren inauguration dress, garnered mixed reviews. Some on social media compared it to a scarecrow. A bronze statue replaced the original wood one after it was vandalised and burned in 2020. A plaque at the site says the new bronze statue is “dedicated to the eternal memory of a monument to Melania, which stood in this location from 2019-2020”. This article originally appeared on Insider Want more stories like this? Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .