Traditional Handicrafts in Tirol

Tirol is still home today to a wide range of artisinal handicrafts which have been passed down through the generations. Glass blowing, bell making and blacksmithery can also be found in other places, but there are few if any locations where you will find hand-made toboggans, nativity scenes and wooden masks.

Visitors to Tirol can not only purchase handicrafts but in many cases watch the craftsmen and craftswomen at work. Rattenberg, for example, is known for its glass blowing. In the town you will find open workshops where you can see the glass blowers at work. The Grassmayr bell foundry also has a museum and allows visitors to take a look behind the scenes at how bells are cast. Last but certainly not least, in the run-up to Christmas there are plenty of nativity-scene makers who open up their workshops to visitors and let them take a look these intricately carved works of art.