390378 3 Location 490427 <p>The museum of the world renowned Austrian crystal maker lies just a few kilometers east of Innsbruck and Hall in the town of Wattens. Here you will find displays of art all revolving around the theme of crystals. </p><p>Some of the highlights include the worlds largest crystal weighing in at 64 kilograms, a wall of crystals 11 meters high and 42 meters long, a crystal dome and works by Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and a room of sight and sound by Brian Eno. </p><p>The museum grounds are also quite beautiful featuring a large head fountain in the front of the museum and a shrubbery maze. </p><p><i>The whole Swarowski museum of crystals is built half underground and its roof is covered with grass, so there isn't any exterior building like is any museum. The entrance to the museum is below a giant head with crystal glowing eyes and a fountain coming out from its mouth. </i></p><p>The Crystal world (entrance fee 8 EUR, of which you get 2 EUR back when buying any Swarowski article) was designed by Andre Heller at the occasion of the 100 years anniversary of the company. </p><p>I was quite impressed by the vast use of so many effects you can achieve with highly refractory artificial crystals and laser technology etc. Some of the rooms (Crystal Dome for example) are awesome, others a bit "kitschy".</p><p>After seeing the biggest and the smallest crystal of the collection, you arrive in front of a crystal horse. It was a special order from a maharaja of India for his beloved horse. He wanted him to glow with all the lights under the sun - you can imagine what an effect that will make. Almost impossible to look at... Anyways great Idea - I am a big fan of the Swarowski work and this is his masterpiece if you ask me! </p><p><i>Planet of Crystals and the Crystal Echo Dome were the best. </i></p><p>The giant globe was made out of optical cables that were slowly changing in color while the earth was turning... In the same room you can read about the history behind the creation of the Swarowski crystals. A guy from the cradle of crystals in Bohemia / Czech ´Republic invented a new way to cut and work crystal - a very precise machine. As the laws in his own country were not in his favor, he came in Tyrol and started his business...the rest is history of the most sold and most famous crystals in the world... </p><p>This is also a huge tourist trap. They will lead you into their shop and try to make you buy their stuff. </p><p><b>Phone</b>: 05224 51080</p><p><b>Directions:</b>Just follow the signs "Kristallwelten" which you find everywhere in and around Wattens .</p><p><b>Website:</b> http://kristallwelten.swarovski.com/main.htm </p> 2006-08-04T16:47:30-07:00 543162368 2006-06-13T17:00:00-07:00 0 -9223372036854775790 188308 1908760 390378 0 173748 0.24689313395641 2006-06-12T17:00:00-07:00 Published 151.0 2006-08-04T16:47:30-07:00 89178 0