What a wonderful tour at Waterford! If you own and love Waterford crystal, you owe it to yourself to take this tour. You get a nice talk about the history of Waterford crystal and a look at various trends over the years (including the Millennium Toasting Glasses, of which we own the complete series). Then a short video followed by about 20 minutes watching the artisans at work blowing, shaping and finishing pieces relatively up close. That is followed by another 20 minutes watching the artisans who do the carving, sculpting and etching of the special creations for bowls, vases, sculptures and even trophies. This you definitely see up close and personal. At no time are you rushed through, and all your questions are answered. As expected, the tour ends in the shop, but it doubles as a sort of museum. You see just about everything Waterford makes, from the simplest wine glass to a full size cut crystal saxophone that you can buy for a mere 30,000 euros, more or less. It's all on offer and it's all beautiful. Last but not least is a small cafe near the gift shop that serves wonderful Irish scones with clotted cream and jam and a good pot of Irish tea. It's a total experience and I highly recommend it.
My family and I came here for a tour of the factory on our trip around Ireland. It was impressive and amazing to see how the crystal is made. Even my kids enjoyed the tour. The tour guide was friendly and funny. We enjoyed it all. I'm so pleased that they are continuing this beautiful craft and I hope it never has to close down again.
A must if you're visiting Waterford
If you can the cost and tour are worth the stop. The tours & history of Waterford Crystal is fascinating. You'll see glassblowing, lining, carving & more. Parking is an issue if you drive but not to hard to find.
I felt like I was in an episode of how it's made. They really take you thru the processing line and I can't imagine there are many places like this. If you enjoy that kind of stuff you'll enjoy this. I had a good time here and I think you might too!
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