Swarovski Crystal’s Surreal Theme Park

Atlas Obscura on Slate is a blog about the world’s hidden wonders. Like us on Facebook and Tumblr, or follow us on Twitter.

Hiding in the verdant hills of Wattens, Austria, is a foliage-covered giant who spews a waterfall from his mouth and guards over a dozen fantastical crystal chambers beneath a hill. And it is all owned by Swarovski.

Swarovski’s surreal museum/theme park Crystal Worlds was first opened back in 1995 to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the company’s founding. Like something out of a fairy tale, the park’s main attraction is the “Chambers of Wonder” exhibition, which is contained within a green hill, the entrance of which is made to look like a crouching giant. The exhibition itself consists of over a dozen different rooms decked out in Swarovski crystals, creating uniquely themed, glittering spaces that could just as easily be a dwarf king’s treasure hall.

In 2015, the park was given a facelift and expanded to almost double the original size. Now it also features a large, outdoor green space with attractions throughout, including a playground tower for children and a “Crystal Cloud” made up of over 800,000 separate gems. There is even a hedge maze shaped like a giant hand.

Whether or not you could actually afford anything studded with actual Swarovski crystals, Crystal Worlds is an incredible sight for anyone with a love of fantasy.

If you liked this, you’ll probably enjoy Atlas Obscura’s new book, which collects more than 700 of the world’s strangest and most amazing places: Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.