16. January 2025
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Museums & Exhibitions

Swarovski Kristallwelten (Crystal Worlds)

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Swarovski Kristallwelten

24 EUR
Swarovski Kristallwelten
3.5

Rating

 3.5/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Impressing exhibition
  • Nice range of additional services

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Remote location
  • Issues with shuttle bus
  • Insufficient information if you use the public bus

Daniel Swarovski has created the foundation for a global industry empire in 1895. His company opened in 1895 in Wattens near Innsbruck in Austria is nowadays the market lead in crystal glass products. The Swarovski jewelry and other sparkling products have become a popular accessory and gift all over the world. At their headquarters, the company is sharing some insights of the history of the company. This is the mission of the Swarovski Kristallwelten (“Swarovski Crystal Worlds”). I had a visit in late October 2024.

 

Swarovski Kristallwelten – Location & Admission

Wattens is located some 20 minutes East of Innsbruck. The Swarovski headquarters and Kristallwelten are East of the city. There is a shuttle bus (12 EUR return, 8 EUR one trip) from Innsbruck Main Station and Central Innsbruck. You can also use a public bus. The bus lines 456 and 650 stop at Wattens Kristallwelten / B171. There have been some serious issues with the shuttle bus during my visit, though. You should also note that the official shuttle stops close to the ticket booths, while the public bus makes you approach the site from a different entrance. This has been an issue during my visit.

The Swarovski Kristallwelten are opening daily from 9:00 to 19:00. Last admission is one hour before closing. You should be aware of that some attractions are closing earlier. During my visit, not all of these adverse opening times were clearly stated on the website. If you decide for a certain date beforehand, the online ticket is 24 EUR for adults. A flexible online ticket or buying the admission at the grounds is 26 EUR. The Innsbruck Card is accepted for both, the official shuttle and the exhibition.

 

Swarovski Kristallwelten – The Visit

You enter the exhibition through the “Giant”, the face leading you into the hill. The exhibition is below its surface. The Wunderwelten (“Wonder Worlds”) welcome you with several exhibits made of the famous “gems” created by the company. Visitors also get a small bag of very tiny stones. One of the first rooms I visited was Silent Light, a winter-themed room with artificial snow and a mixture of ice and Swarovski crystal exhibits. The room’s temperature is about -10 C. There are coats in case you need them. A very impressing place is the Kristalldom (“Crystal Dome”), which is full of crystals and some exhibits like crowns.

In The Art of Performance, you see outfits and accessory from different celebrities like actors and musicians. You see the crystal slipper from Cinderella, Elton John’s Rocket Man boots and many other exhibits. In Ready To Love, there is a reference to Indian culture, coming with light effects and music. You also lean about the company as such and their different departments, like their optics section. During my visit, some of the typical exhibits could not be visited, so that there was an additional exhibit at the end. It was quite impressing in which extend the company is nowadays present in culture and nowadays life.

 

Park and Outdoor Exhibits

I visited the Kristallwelten rather late during the day. As I came from the public bus stop (as that bus is operating more frequently), I did not get the information about closing times like the Spiegelwasser (“Mirror Water”) lake, the excavation site of a former Romer settlement or the Spielturm (“Play Tower”), which I would have loved to visit. Unfortunately, they were already closed. There is also a carousel and a labyrith, which were also locked during my visit.

 

 

 

Swarovski Kristallwelten – Services

At the end of your visit, you enter a huge gift shop. There is a wide range of souvenirs, from small statues to jewelry. The prices are not too different from street prices. The very posh shopping options can be explored in a VIP room.

The Kristallwelten also drive a restaurant and a cafe. Unfortunately, the cafe was already closed during my visit as well.

 

Transportation Issues

For the return trip, I opted for the shuttle bus included in my Innsbruck Card. It was rather cold outside and there is no covered waiting area or room. I went for the last shuttle at 19:05, the display at the stop showed that the bus in time. I later understood that the bus did not have GPS tracking or similar and just ran according to the schedule. However, the bus did not arrive. After some twenty minutes, I tried to call the museum, asking when or if the bus would still come. However, the service line was not operating any more and there was no staff around. Luckily, our group of some 15 people ran into the maintenance staff, who should close down the last facilities like the park’s toilets.

This person was extremely friendly and willing to help. However, even for him, it took over 20 minutes to find out anything about the bus, which was stuck in traffic, but also could not reach anybody at the head office to report his delay. Finally, the bus had a delay of roughly one hour. I later complained at the Kristallwelten about this incident. Their reply was just a standard mail and did not lead to the impression that they regret the situation.

 

Swarovski Kristallwelten  – My View

The Swarovski Kristallwelten are impressing. However, if you are in Innsbruck, they also require quite some commuting from the major Tyrol city to Wattens. The lack of service at the evening and the disgusting shuttle bus incident finally spoiled my visit. Many people also come there just for shopping and to get the headquarter’s shopping bag with their souvenirs. However, there is also a company store in the heart of Innsbruck.

 

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