Wattens and Innsbruck

As we crossed the border into Austria, we encountered heavy snowfall in the countryside. Austria is a very beautiful country and it looked exactly like a Christmas postcard in the snow! We drove to Wattens, a place where the hills are so green they would stun you! Here, we visited Swarovski Kristallwelten (English: Swarovski Crystal World), a museum where designers from all over the world have constructed fascinating displays of light and crystal.

The Swarovski shop is huge and is spread out over a very large area. If you intend to buy anything here (and you should, because it is relatively cheaper), you need to give yourself atleast 2 hours to browse through the displays and make a selection. You get basic crystal pendants starting at 9 euros, averaging at 30-40 (in case you want to get a souvenir), and fancy ones for 100-150 and even more. Outside the museum, there are large gardens set against a backdrop of hills. It was raining when we were in Austria, and the low hanging clouds and mist made it fabulous to watch!

Swarovski Kristallwelten

After Wattens we went to the nearby town of Innsbruck, which gets its name from the bridge over the River Inn flowing through it. Innsbruck is a quiet and peaceful place with a very laidback aura. The houses are painted in vivid colors. We walked to the central square (in the old city). The place, like most European cities has cobbled streets with roadside cafes and shops selling lace, garments and other stuff. There is an interestingly shaped building, resembling a wedding cake.

Innsbruck was cold and chilly due to the frequent rains. It was 2 degrees there, and our sweaters, trench coat and umbrella came in handy. We stayed at the Hotel Alpinpark, a small and really nice place. It rained throughout the night, resulting in a very chilly morning (at -2 degrees). As we drove towards Italy, it started snowing heavily, masking the countryside in snowy white. The Black Forest, its pine tops covered with snow, was visible here. The weather was cool, cloudy and foggy, at 11 degrees. We crossed Europabrücke (Europe's bridge), the second highest bridge in the continent. We crossed over from Austria to Italy through a tunnel, with the border lost somewhere inside the tunnel.