3 different approaches to making cities SHINE this festive season
Every city is unique: it has own particular culture, style, architecture and way of doing things. That’s why every city deserves a tailor-made approach to festive lighting, not matter how large or small it happens to be.
This month, we thought we’d introduce you to three exceptional but very different approaches to cities in Germany and Austria to show you how we combine global expertise with a deep local knowledge to create the perfect atmosphere for the season.
Making a fountain the heart of the festive celebrations in Miltenberg
When Miltenberg, a small town in Bavaria, Germany with around 9,000 inhabitants, won 2nd place in Germany’s 2018 “Best Christmas City” awards in the “small town up to 20,000 inhabitants” category, they decided to reinvest their prize money into making their beautiful town even more charming.
Working with the city and the local trade and tourism association, our team in Germany helped Miltenburg light up one of the most important sights in the two, the market fountain or “Marktbrunnen” situated in the historic market square over the Advent season.
The town, sometimes called the “pearl of the Main River”, was first documented in 1237 so it has a rich and interesting history, and it boasts many magnificent half-timbered houses, which form the backdrop to the fountain.
Creating a magical, animal-filled wonderland in Leipzig’s Grimmaische Straße
Grimmaische Straße is an exclusive street in the heart of Leipzig lined with beautiful, historical buildings and rather than focus one particular highlight, our brief was to create something completely new and unexpected to celebrate advent in the street.
Working with our premium partner, NEL, we helped to transform this popular part of the city into a real winter wonderland filled with light sculptures of woodland animals. The result was a magical festive atmosphere that drew crowds on the day of the switch-on and that has continued to attract both local residents and visitors who want to experience the Christmas cheer for themselves.
Making the streets of Innsbruck a delight over the holiday season
Innsbruck, often called the “pearl of the Alps”, is a beautiful city of around 120,000 residents, and over the winter season and the holiday season in particular, the population swells to around 2.5 million people who visit the city for its Christmas markets, festive atmosphere and easy access to winter sports.
To keep the city bright and inviting throughout the chilly, dark nights, the city worked with MK Illumination to not only light up some of the local markets, but also popular shopping streets and tourist areas including Maria-Theresien-Straße, Anichstraße and Wilhelm-Greil-Straße with beautiful over-street lighting, 3D light motifs, photo points and more.
Finding the right light for your city
There’s no need to settle for an off-the-shelf festive lighting solution for your city. Regardless of size or scale, creative thinking, an understanding of your space and the right choice of light and design can help you create a special lighting experience for visitors to enjoy and share and remember.
Why settle for less?
It’s never too early to start thinking about the festive season
The years seem to fly by at high speed, so why not get in touch with your local MK Illumination team and start planning your 2020 festive light in advance? We’ll share ideas, help you find the perfect lighting products and show you how we can put them together to make your city sparkle over the holidays.