How the Snow Globe Was Accidentally Created
The dreamy little orbs containing your favourite landmark – a pocket-sized diorama encased in a permanent magical winter wonderland – can be found in nearly every gift shop in the world. They came into existence by sheer coincidence, created by an Austrian inventor in 1900. Here’s the full story:
A light bulb moment
In 1900, the Austrian surgical instruments mechanic, Erwin Perzy, was investigating ways to improve the brightness of the recently invented electronic bulb. Inspired by the shoemakers of the time – who used water-filled glass spheres mounted in front of a candle to get more light – Perzy wanted to recreate their method with a bulb instead of a candle.
During his experimentation, Perzy poured semolina powder into a glass globe and discovered that it created an atmospheric effect similar to snowfall. Recognising the potential of this accidental invention, he abandoned his original idea, and instead created a miniature diorama of a church scene inside the globe.
Five years after Perzy invented the snow globe, mass production began in Vienna. It soon became an essential Christmas decoration and its popularity hasn’t decreased ever since. The Perzy family is still in charge of the company (with Mr Perzy III currently running the show) and they make around 200,000 snow globes annually.
The museum
Today, the snow globe museum in Vienna is a popular tourist destination, comprising an atmospheric display of globes. The guided tours available here narrate the extended story of the invention. Also, there are hundreds of globes (around 350 designs!) available in the gift shop and these beautifully contain various Viennese landmarks ranging from the Stephansdom Cathedral to the iconic Wiener Riesenrad Ferris Wheel.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
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