Ambras Palace - Schwaz Silver mine - Rattenberg - kisslinger glass factory

Route: Innsbruck - Ambras Palace - Schwaz Silver mine - Rattenberg - kisslinger glass factory - Innsbruck
Duration: 5 h
Our first stop in this tour will be at Ambras Palace which  is one of the main attractions in Innsbruck. Its cultural and historic significance is inseparable from the personality of Archduke Ferdinand II , who promoted the arts and sciences as a true Renaissance prince. He established the magnificent Ambras collections and had a museum facility built in the lower castle to house them, designed according to modern criteria from the time. Today, the upper castle is home to the Habsburg Portrait Gallery, which features portraits from Albert III to Emperor Francis I over three storeys. The collection contains over 200 portraits, including valuable works by famous artists, such as Lukas Cranach, Anton Mor, Tizian, van Dyck and Diego Velásquez. The ground floor of the upper castle houses a collection of late medieval sculptures and the centrepiece is the St George’s altar that belonged to Emperor Maximilian I.Our next stop will be at the "mother of all mines", the historical silver mine  in Schwaz! Where you will learn about the miners' tough life, about the influence of the Fugger family from Augsburg and experience an exciting journey into Europe's history. Deep in the silver mine, a guided tour will give you a fascinating insight into the important role played by Schwaz during the Middle Ages, when miners prospected the mine for silver and copper. The temperature in the mine is a constant 12 degrees – we recommend that you wear good shoes and appropriate clothing. Next we will visit to the Historic Rattenberg is the smallest town in Austria. Towering high above Rattenberg is an ancient fortress built in the 10th century. The town itself is characterised by narrow alleys with shops and boutiques in the medieval centre and a number of brightly painted townhouses. Rattenberg is particularly famous for its long tradition of glass-blowing, which is why it is often referred to as "the glass town". There we will visit to famous kisslinger glass factory.Hannes and Silvia Kisslinger are the eleventh generation of their family at the head of the internationally successful company Kisslinger Kristallglas, where the ancient tradition of glass-blowing continues today. You will visit the factory and see expert glass-blowers in action.  Little has changed in the manufacturing process since the first glass pipe was produced around 2,000 years ago. And when the time comes to pull the glowing red glass out of the 1200°C furnace – that is when the true magic of glass-blowing really begins. From jewellery to vases, candlesticks to sculptures, trophies to tableware, classic to modern – Kisslinger Kristallglas stocks a huge range of glistening hand-made glass items catering for all tastes and occasions. After that we will return to Innsbruck.
Price: Per person