Ehrwald to Wattens

Left our Guesthouse in Ehrwald and on to Wattens and the Swarovski Crystalworld. Had a great time in Ehrwald hiking and just taking in the fresh air and surrounding area, which was rich in picture perfect vistas. Below is a pic taken from a restaurant in Lermoos, which is one of the three villages in the Valley and a couple miles from Ehrwald.

On the way to Wattens briefly stopped Innsbruck, the capital of Tirol and host city of 2 Winter Olympics. Didn't spend much time there, although we did stop and see the Ski Jump.


Wattens is just a short distance East of Innsbruck and the location for major Swarovski facilities and the Crystalweld, which is a major tourist attraction out of the Innsbruck area. This is also the location Daniel Swarovski, its founder set up crystal manufacturing after leaving Bohemia. The location was chosen for its hydroelectric power, which is required for the crystal manufacturing equipment. The manufacturing process and equipment are a closely held secret, in fact the equipment is built in-house.

Anyways, the Crystalweld (Crystal world) museum, starting with the fountain head, which resembles an Egyptian Sphinx,  is impressive.  The numerous displays showcase artistic creations by various artists using crystals. The shop with its displays and associated pricing is even more impressive. Hold on to your CCds as these creations can put a big dent in your budget.    

OK, on to Salzburg and many more posts, including observations.