Look out: fragile!

This museum is seriously an artwork for those who love weird structures made out of a material you barely thought it would be used for that. Optical illusions, reflection games, interactive surfaces... and all that dangerously fragile! I'm talking about Swarovski Kristallwelten and their world-famous tiny crystals. 

Photo: The Giant and its two underground entrances to the Chambers of Wonder.

I would say the complex is divided in three parts. The picture above is what the visitor sees at a first moment. It is the entrance to the underground part of the museum, called "Chambers of Wonder" and includes the most of the artworks of the complex - some of them are from the very same Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol. Right behind the hill, there is a playground for people at all ages and a hand-shaped labyrinth. The last piece of the puzzle is the Crystal Cloud & Mirror Pond, a majestic structure made with 800.000 hand-mounted Swarovski crystals.

Before arriving to Austria, I didn't even know that Swarovski was an Austrian based company. I first saw their store in Innsbruck's downtown - quite an amazing store by the way, much bigger than any other I've ever seen, made in such a modern or even futuristic design, decorated with several crystal artworks, in one of the most luxurious and beautiful streets of the centre. The store offers not only jewelry but also optical products out of their intern brand "Swarovski Optik" and it even has a bar inside!

Photo: Crystal artwork.

Officially an "expensive street"

Zürich, a world-known Swiss city for chocolate and its luxury shops. But this city is much more than just that. The most expensive stores are located in the main shopping street, called "Bahnhofstraβe" because it goes from the central station to the lake Zürich, in the southern extreme of the old town. 

Photo: Tiffany & Co's display window @ Bahnhofstraβe.

This 1,5km-long street is being included year by year in the top 10 of most expensive streets around the world by several studies. The most famous study is made by Forbes, which puts Zürich's Bahnhofstraβe in a 7th place. But if you keep your eyes open, there is something curious about it: the luxury goes increasing meanwhile you move forward direction to the lake. That means that you can find stores such as H&M at the beginning of the street at central station, but keep going straight and you will start seeing design stores, like for example Dior or Tiffany & Co.

A funicular from 1889

Photo: Views over Zürich from University's terrace. 

One of the spots I liked the most of the city was the area around the ETH (German acronym for the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, the technical university in Zurich), which is up on a little hill on the right side of the Limmat river.

There's such a special way to get to that mentioned area: there still exists the Polybahn, the original red funicular which is running since 1889! Its name is taken from the former school's name - Eidgenössisches Polytechnikum. It is only 176-meters-ride, which goes from Central Polybahn (nearby central station, other side of the bridge) to Polyterrasse ETH and vice versa. You will appear at the back side of the school, in a huge terrasse which offers such fantastic views over the old town. 

Capital of fashion

Photo: View over the inner balconies @ Galeries Lafayette.

Everybody know Paris for being one of the capitals of fashion around the world and so it is confirmed with the quality of Parisian fashion institutes and schools. This reaches its highest point during Paris Fashion Week, the biggest event concerning new trends and world's best designers. 

Besides this clothing exhibition, included in the "big 4" together with New York, London and Milan, fashion is at every corner of the city. Its maximum expression is held in the Avenue des Champs Élysées and in the luxurious shopping mall Galeries Lafayette (photo). Best designers around the world have their fancy boutiques in this 5-floor commercial mall, such as Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, Tiffany & Co, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Prada, Jean Paul Gaultier... 

Lafayette is located in the Opera district, nearby the famous Opéra Garnier, halfway from the city centre to Montmartre neighbourhood. The rooftop offers great views over Paris, check it out!