Sevnica
Melania Trump's hometown pivoted from closed textile factory to First Lady tourism; castle sells branded products, unemployment fell below 10%.
Sevnica became globally famous in 2016 when its native daughter became First Lady of the United States. Melania Trump—born Melanija Knavs in 1970—grew up in this Sava River town during Communist Yugoslavia, her mother working at the textile factory that then anchored the local economy. The factory closed; Lisca lingerie manufacturing persists, but tourism now generates growth.
The mayor embraced the connection. Sevnica Castle sells Melania-themed products: red wine, gold-leaf chocolate, local salami, handmade teacups. "Melania put us on the world map," officials acknowledge. The attorney Melania hired to protect her name and likeness—Nataša Pirc-Musar—later became Slovenia's president in 2022, an unexpected political consequence of celebrity branding.
The town of 5,000 sits in green valleys along the Sava, surrounded by pine-forested hills. Before 2016, Sevnica was known for its underwear factory, salami festival, and sport fishing. The tourist infrastructure that celebrity created now supplements manufacturing recovery. Unemployment fell below 10% as factories regained competitiveness within EU supply chains.
By 2026, Sevnica will likely maintain its dual identity: hometown of a former First Lady and working town on the Sava. The celebrity connection fades from headlines but persists in gift shops. What Sevnica demonstrates is how accidental fame can be institutionalized—converted from news cycle to economic strategy.