Coinciding with the eighth anniversary of the Hiša stare trte as a shrine to the local wine tradition, a mosaic by Igor Orešič comprised of a million pieces was unveiled on Friday.

With pieces a centimetre square, it winds its way through the 16th century house depicting the nearby river Drava, Maribor's symbolic lifeline.

Orešič is best known as an architect and interior designer but he has been making mosaics for three decades.

He has spent 2,000 hours painstakingly putting together the green, brown, white and black mosaic pieces, creating a meandering piece reminiscent of Ancient Roman creations.

Aside from bringing the river into the house, the mosaic also tells the history of the city and its protagonists.

"Initially we wanted to create the Drava accompanied by a few signs. Later we decided to use the opportunity and depict in the Drava the history of the city and the vine," the author told the STA.

This is his second major work in Maribor after a wall mosaic erected in the old town in honour of Maribor's stint as the European Capital of Culture in 2012.

Orešič has also worked on restoring major mosaics in cathedrals in New York and New Jersey.

Hiša stare trte is located on the banks of the Drava and its exterior has been preserved largely unchanged since the 16th century thanks to a vine that has been growing there for over four centuries.