Take a look at what´s cooking in the red-hot glassmaking kitchens of the true masters of their craft. Have you ever seen glass being given its form? Human hands take up molten glass mass from the furnace into a blowpipe and begin fine-tuning it to create pure, fragile beauty. They blow, cut, smooth and cool it down... An unknowing person cannot possibly tell what the outcome will be. One cannot help but stand still in amazement at the result!
An excursion to the Ajeto glassworks in Lindava can be complemented by lovely moments spent in Sklářská krčma, where you can try the glassmaker´s garlic soup or their delicious homemade strudel. On top of that, you might appreciate taking a very close look at master glassmakers at work and you will also be able to try it yourself and take home an original souvenir! Just imagine - only a few people have a glass beer mug or vase of their own making at home. You can give your loved ones a wonderful experience giving them a gift voucher for glass blowing at the Slavia glassworks in Nový Bor. All Saturday, your own creations will be made under the supervision of a master glassmaker, which you will then be able to collect when they have properly cooled down (after about 3 hours).
If you wish to introduce your beloved to the mysteries of glassmaking, you should visit Harrachov. In the Novosad and Son glassworks, the oldest glassworks in Harrachov, and possibly the oldest in the world, not only can you take a tour, you can also try beer from the local brewery. A little tip - stay for the whole weekend and visit the beer spa as well. You will surely appreciate it after taking a walk to Certova hora (Devil´s Mountain) or to Mumlava Waterfalls.
Christmas tree ornaments have always been a popular export. You can stop by in Poniklá at Rautis. You will be enchanted by the quaint beauty of their decorations made from glass pearls and the skill possessed by those who still make them today. During your tour, you are going to see the whole manufacturing process from manual glass-blowing to silvering, painting and assembling of the ornaments. You can also try some of these activities in the creative workshop. The glassworks is seeking to be listed by UNESCO, as it is absolutely unique in the world.
When exploring the glass-making region, Jablonec nad Nisou is not to be missed. Not only is there the Museum of Glass and Jewellery documenting the never-ending story of Jablonec jewellery from its inception to the present day, there is also Palace Plus Centre - the largest jewellery shop in central Europe. More than 4,600 types of jewellery made by 32 regional companies are available in a space of 700 m². In case you don´t choose anything here, you can make your own jewellery that best suits you in the local creative workshop.
You don´t need to worry about your children - they certainly won´t be bored. In Železný Brod, they can take a journey called In the footsteps of a glass pixie. Certain companies offer a 10% discount on Thursdays on purchased goods, while others organise glassmaking workshops. If you visit a minimum of six places out of twelve as part of the Winter Glassmaking Thursdays event and you get a stamp from each individual company on your ticket, you will receive the Střípek pixie figure at the Tourist Information Office in Železný Brod. You can collect the stamps over multiple Thursdays; it is not necessary to collect all stamps on the same day.
Your next trip will be all about glass.
