Swarovski's Kristallwelten
The love of a man may go through his stomach but the love of a woman very frequently sparkles. Now, I don’t mean this in a gold digger kind of a way, it’s just that few items make for a personal, recognizable and emotional gift like jewellery. Even if it is not a gift, jewellery can make, break or transform an outfit in no time and thus has a special place in many a female heart. If there is one instantly recognizable brand in the diverse world of sparkles, that would be Swarovski. Dating back to 1895, the family run business of Swarovski is famous mostly for their uniquely cut crystals which have made their way through the years into stage costumes, home decor, jewellery, fashion clothing, accessories, and even a Swarovski crystal encrusted vacuum cleaner worth 17000 euros which incidentally made it into the Guinness book of records for being the most expensive vacuum cleaner ever. I wonder, do the 32000 crystals hover and do the cleaning for you?! The Swarovski factory itself is located in Wattens and hosts its own crystal museum where reality and fairy tales blend in curious crystal creations. Waiting for a prince to show up on his fancy white horse? By all means direct your man to fetch a crystal-covered equine from the Swarovski museum or simply wander around the gardens and wait for someone to ride out on it. Fancy a shimmering bra? Options are available at the very end in the costumes exhibit. Wondering where Cinderella left her shoe? Apparently just a few metres away from that shimmering bra. Feel like meditating? Crystal covered objects are there to help you reach a state of mindful zen in no time. Certain photographers may or may not have gotten the worst case of vertigo from said objects but I’ll take it my chakras were boycotting me that day. The best part is that you get to walk straight into a still lake reflecting clouds made of crystals. The level of sparkle there is outstanding! The worst part? There is a shop in the end - one with beautifully crafted pieces of jewellery. Contrary to that sarcastic anti-consumerism sign at the museum entrance, that shop is all about stimulating your consumerist tendencies and your credit card. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
