The light festival that put a small Czech town on the map

  When its beta version was tested as part of an URBACT project in 2017, few could have predicted how popular the Světlo Valmez light festival would become. In just two years this gathering for the local community has grown into a major international event, says Jamie Mackay.   Valašské Meziříčí (CZ), known colloquially by residents as Valmez, is a small town of 22,000 inhabitants in the south east of Czechia. Well-known as a centre for chemical production and manufacturing, as well as its strong retail sector, Valmez is home to a vibrant community that prides itself on balancing modern ambitions with a strong sense of tradition. Back in 2015 the town took part in URBACT’s CityCentreDoctor network, the aim of which was to ...