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Fresh perspective Hotel Schwarz is dwarfed by the mountains; the hotel’s glistening pool and charming gardensAfter a quick visit to the Gothic Hofkirche(Court Church) to view the empty sarcophagusof Emperor Maximillian I, whose mammothcenotaph is surrounded by 28 imposing bronzestatues of ancestors, relatives and heroes, I takea five-minute drive out of the city to the worldfamousSwarovski Kristallwelten.The first thing that strikes you when enteringthe museum-cum-gallery is the sheer sizeof the main crystal on display. The preciousstone, named ‘The Centenar’, boasts 300,000carats and is the largest cut crystal in the world.The next room houses Jim Whiting’s intriguingMechanical Theatre, in which mechanisedmannequin limbs dance to an overproducedtechno beat. This is merely the beginning of thesurreal sensory experience that is SwarovskiKristallwelten.From Andy Warhol’s screenprint Gemsto Alexander McQueen and Tard Boontje’scrystalline Winter’s Dream, you are taken on ajourney that manipulates Swarovski’s crystalsin an entirely unexpected way. It is a world inwhich artistic creativity rules, and guests areinvited along to enjoy the ride. Leaving theexhibit, reality hits home in the form of theworld’s largest Swarovski store, where membersof the Swarovski Crystal Society are invited toenjoy a glass of prosecco in the adjoiningVIP lounge.Before leaving for the Grand Hotel EuropaInnsbruck, I ask a Swarovski representative whythe company decided to set up in Innsbruck,when it could have chosen anywhere in theworld. He replied: “the water, of course.” Icouldn’t help but think that the Swarovski familywere probably no different from the Tyroleansof Mieming, sharing the same passion for themountains and regarding nature as an integralpart of life.Once checked into the Grand Hotel Europa,which is less than a minute away from the city’strain station, it is easy to explore Innsbruck’snightlife. As a region typically revered forits winter sports, you wouldn’t be alone inthinking that it may not have much to offer inthe summer, but the city will quickly prove youwrong. I soon find myself mingling, glass ofchampagne in hand, in the bustling 12th-floorbar of the newly opened Adlers Hotel.Throughout the night, revellers movebetween trendy bars and traditional pubs,enjoying local beers and Tyrolean schnapps.Almost every venue sees friends andcolleagues bumping into one another, sharinga drink and swapping stories. It is the perfectdemonstration of Innsbruck’s incredibly closeknityet welcoming community.The following morning I arrive at Innsbruckairport in time for my afternoon flight. Walkingout to the waiting plane, I take one last look atmy incredible surroundings. The runway sitswithin a colossal valley surrounded by snowymountains, green farmland and flowing rivers.From the people to the landscape, I feel luckyto have experienced some of what the beautifulTyrol region has to offer and can’t help but wishfor one more day in the mountains. nThegoldenbookHotel SchwarzTel: + 43 526 45 21 20www.hotel-schwarz.comGrand HotelEuropa InnsbruckTel: +43 512 59 31www.grandhoteleuropa.atAdlers HotelTel: +43 512 56 31 00www.deradler.com88 September 2013 dotwnews.com