The city of Koper is a port city in southwestern Slovenia, on the country’s Adriatic coastline. Its medieval old town centers around Titov Trg, a square with Venetian-influenced landmarks and it is a popular summer destination for tourists, with its picturesque old city and bustling seaside attractions.

The main tourist season in Koper is summer, thanks to its warm weather and attractions. In 2017, the mayor of Koper approach MK Illumination because he had a vision of making Koper a popular winter destination, too, one that the whole of Slovenia would talk about, and he felt that festive lighting might be the solution.

MK Illumination Slovenia worked with the city to create a unique festive lighting concept that turned the seaside town into a coastal winter wonderland. Locals and visitors were stopped in their tracks by 3D light sculptures including larger-than-life deer roaming the sidewalks, sledging snowmen, a bear holding its cub, and glorious trees. The city’s palm trees were wrapped in string lights, street lamps decorated with 2D motifs and the boughs of some of the city’s larger trees sparkled with lights and lighting motifs.

The city shone with over 150,000 energy-efficient LED light points from early November until early January, delighting residents, featuring extensively in the local press, and attracting visitors from near and far who wanted to enjoy the festive atmosphere.

“When I asked for feedback about the project, the only response that I received was ‘It’s simply magical!’ That’s exactly what we set out to achieve,” said Damijan Zalokar, Managing Director of MK Illumination Slovenia.

The city was so pleased with the result that they plan to expand the festive lighting in 2018.