Visiting Swarovski Kristallwelten in Austria - a glittering place

Writer: Helena Bergström

What is it like to visit Swarovski Kristallwelten in Austria? This adventure attraction, located just outside Innsbruck, is a mecca for crystal, art and jewellery lovers. A glittering place to be!

Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Austria

Swarovski Kristallwelten (Swarovski Crystal World) is an attraction created by André Heller, for the Austrian crystal glass manufacturer Swarovski. Here you can expect exhibitions of crystal, jewellery and art as well as a shop, garden, playground and restaurant.

Swarovski Kristallwelten is located in the town of Wattens, in the district of Innsbruck-Land, in the Tyrol region of Austria. The attraction is located just over 20 kilometres east of Innsbruck.

The unexpected story of Swarovski and Riedel

Swarovski's history began in Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic, where Daniel Swarovski grew up in a family with connections to glassmaking. In 1892, he patented an electrically powered machine that made it possible to cut crystal with great precision. A few years later, in 1895, he and his partners established the business in Wattens in Tyrol.

Another world-famous company with roots in Bohemia is the wine glass manufacturer Riedel. The Riedel family had been making glass for generations and had built up an extensive business in northern Bohemia. There was also a connection between the two families: Daniel Swarovski had gained experience in glassmaking with the Riedel family in his youth.

World War II changed everything for Riedel. After the war, the family lost their factories and property in Czechoslovakia. Walter Riedel was taken to the Soviet Union, where he remained for ten years before being able to return in 1955.

His son Claus Josef Riedel had served in Italy during the war and was a prisoner of war. In 1946, at the age of 21, he managed to escape during a prisoner transport through Austria by jumping off a train. He remained in Tyrol and was eventually helped by the Swarovski family.

With support from Swarovski, Claus and his father Walter were able to take over a struggling glassworks in Kufstein in 1956. There, the Riedel family's long glassmaking tradition got a new start in Austria. The company eventually developed into today's Riedel, which has become world-famous for its wine glasses.

Today, both Swarovski and Riedel are internationally renowned brands with roots in the Bohemian glass tradition. In the northern Czech Republic, the tradition lives on through a number of glass and crystal companies. Read more about Kristalldalen in the Czech Republic, where crystal, glass and art glass are still produced today.

Visiting Swarovski Crystal Worlds

You can of course get to Swarovski Kristallwelten with your own vehicle. There are parking spaces for both cars and motorhomes. Another option is to do what we did and take the green shuttle bus, which departs from the centre of Innsbruck a few times a day, according to the timetable on the Kristallwelten website.

The Giant - with Chambers of Wonder

The Swarovski Kristallwelten attraction opened to the public in 1995, and has since been renovated and developed. The main attraction consists of large exhibition rooms, accessed by passing through a large green giant, with a waterfall from its mouth.

From stunning jewellery to glittering celebrity outfits and modern artworks, the exhibition space is a place where imagination knows no bounds. Chambers of Wonder has taken inspiration from the historical chambers of curiosities and art that aristocratic families once enjoyed creating. A shining example of this type of collection can be found at Ambras Castle in Innsbruck, where you can see one odd object after another.

At Swarovski Kristallwelten, the words "wow" and "wow" are often uttered. It is sparkling, beautiful and surprising. Some of the exhibitions are more or less permanent, while others are temporary and change. Here's a little photo bomb from our visit.

Shop

There is of course also a shop on site, where anyone who wants can take the opportunity to buy a necklace, a bracelet or perhaps an earring from Swarovski.

Garden and playground

There is also a large garden and a playground, including a merry-go-round, maze and 'playhouse'. The highlight of the garden is the "Crystal Cloud & Mirror Pool", which offered a truly gorgeous setting. We were here on a rather cloudy day, but as soon as some sunlight peeped through, you could start to experience the sparkle...

Restaurant Daniels Kristallwelten

At Swarovski Kristallwelten you will find Daniels Kristallwelten, a restaurant in wonderfully bright premises with large windows. We didn't think it was exactly cheap here, but the food was fantastic. If you want something simpler, there is also a bar with the aptly named "Crystal Bar".

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Swarovski Kristallwelten is located right next to the beautiful city of Innsbruck, which has a lot to offer, such as palaces, castles, nature, skiing and much more. Here you will find more tips:

• Things to do in Innsbruck
• Restaurants in Innsbruck

Our experience of Swarovski Kristallwelten

Visiting Swarovski Kristallwelten is a special and slightly different experience. We, who are interested in history, would have appreciated a greater focus on the historical aspects of the company and crystal production, but we were still very satisfied with the visit to this sumptuously glittering and fascinating world.