ואטנס

Wattens is open all year. Spring to autumn is best for walking and cycling in the valley. The crystal attraction is an indoor visit and suits rainy days. Winter brings snow to the hills, and ski areas near Innsbruck are close.

• Swarovski Kristallwelten is the town's main attraction, a crystal-themed underground world with a giant head and fountain at the entrance, opened in 1995.
• Museum Wattens is the local museum.
• Schreibmaschinenmuseum shows old typewriters.
• Brennerei Rochelt is a distillery known for fruit brandies.
• Wildgehege is a small game park with local animals.
• Eppensteiner Weiher is a small pond for a quiet walk.
• Alpenbad Wattens is the town swimming pool.
• Two parish churches, the Marienkirche and the Laurentiuskirche, stand in the old part of town.

• Visit the crystal attraction.
• Cycle along the Inn.
• Hike on the hills above town.
• Taste local fruit brandy.
• Take the train to Innsbruck.

• Innsbruck is about 20 minutes away by car or 15 minutes by train.
• Eben am Achensee is about 30 minutes away by car.
• Seefeld in Tirol is about 40 minutes away by car.
• Mayrhofen is about 45 minutes away by car.
• Kitzbühel is about 1 hour away by car.

• Innsbruck is the nearest preferred destination.
• Mayrhofen, Eben am Achensee and Seefeld in Tirol are the other Tyrol options nearby.

• By air: Innsbruck Airport is about 25 minutes away by car. Munich is about 2 hours.
• By train: Regional trains on the Inn valley line link Wattens with Innsbruck in about 15 minutes. Check times on ÖBB.
• By car: Leave the A12 Inn valley motorway at Wattens.

The centre is small, and the crystal attraction is a short bus ride or walk from the station. Local buses link nearby villages. Cycling along the Inn is easy.

A car is not needed for Innsbruck, but it helps for the hills. The A12 can be busy in summer and on winter weekends. Winter tyres or chains are required in snow. Motorways in Austria need a vignette.

Tyrolean food includes Tiroler Gröstl, fried potatoes with meat and egg, Kaspressknödel, cheese dumplings in broth, and Kaiserschmarrn, a sweet shredded pancake. Mountain huts serve simple, hearty meals.

Wattens is very safe. Tap water is clean and safe to drink. The emergency number is 112. The mountain rescue number is 140.

Wattens grew from a small Inn valley village into a company town after Daniel Swarovski founded his crystal business here in 1895. The firm brought work, housing and later tourism. Today the town mixes industry with the nearby Tyrolean mountains.

Quick practical facts for Austria at a glance: