Austria

The day trip to the old Innsbruck and the Swarovski Crystal Museum in near by town was quiet the romantic experience. The day was cloudy and rain would occasionally force us to go under an umbrella. That mixed with the feel of the city, Innsbruck created a lasting impression on all of us.

Innsbruck, a city located in western Austria is a popular destination for skiing in Winter and mountaineering in Summer. But I have to say that the city of Innsbruck itself specially the old Innsbruck had a great many things to offer with it's mountain backdrop and cultural buzz. One of the most notable structure in the old city of Innsbruck was Goldenes Dachl, built to commemorate the Wedding of Emperor Maximilan l and Bianca Maria Sforza. The balcony under the golden roof is where the Emperor and Empress would observe the events that took place in the square below.
After few hours of lazy walking in the old town, we took a bus to the nearby small town Wattens to have a tour at the Swarovski Crystal Museum. The mountainous landscape that passed by us during the bus journey took our breath away. The museum itself was an other worldly experience itself. The crystal structures and arts pieces was used to create such an eerily amazing feeling that made us feel like we stepped into some fantasy world where everything is symbolic and abstract. By the time the tour was complete just after an hour, we were all in a daze as we came out in the day light from the fantasy land full of shiny crystals.