Precious stones from the Bohemian Paradise

The brothers Jan and Václav Fišers from Turnov. Their alleged voyage to Venice, five years of efforts to seize the local secret of secrecy, return to Turnov, dozens of wasted attempts and then - finally success! In 1711 they made the first glass for the production of artificial stones.

THE GLASSHOUSE IN NOVÝ SVĚT

It was in 1712, when Elias Müller built his glassworks on the estate of the Harrach Counts in Jilemnice. It continued in the traditional production of glass, which was produced on the border of the Giant Mountains and the Jizera Mountains in the middle of the 14th century. Even today, you can see not only metallurgical production and blowing glass, but also a hundred-year-old grinding shop. It is driven by a water turbine and transmissions used to distribute the driving force.

ELIAS PALME

Elias Palme, one of the most famous luminaire manufacturers, continued the tradition of chandeliers in Kamenický Šenov. Industrial production of chandeliers was started in 1724 by Josef Palme in Prácheň.

ELDORADO OF BEADS AND SEED BEADS

Surely you would not find in the whole Principle and in the broad surroundings of a person who would say a crooked word about Jan Šourek. After all, it was as if he had come to the Principle of Prosperity and Welfare. As soon as he took possession of the reeve, life in the village began to turn for the better. He was one of the first to venture into the world for business.

JOSEF RIEDEL

Josef Riedel, king of the Jizera Mountains glassmakers, was born in Hejnice in 1816. He was the representative of the sixth generation of the glass family and imprinted his footprint indelibly on the slopes of the Jizera Mountains.

FRIEDRICH EGERMANN

JOSEF PFEIFFER

Josef Pfeiffer - Jablonec entrepreneur and mayor, who was involved in the development of jewelery exports. Everything is confirmed at the imperial court and in 1866 Jablonec became a town during his reign.

BLOWN BEAD and its way to the tree

People can make sense of time and numbers, but not us, beads. However, I have heard that they have been blowing me in the mountains for more than a hundred years. As a bead would put it, that is a long time. You, who have never seen how a bead is born, you don´t know how beautiful life can be....

MELTED GLASS SCULPTURE

In 1920 the first Czech glass school was founded in Železný Brod, thanks to which the town became a center of glass art.

Mapa

Czech glass captivates Belgrade. The eighth wonder of the world abroad

The traveling exhibition “Crystal Valley – The Eighth Wonder of the World” is being presented outside the Czech Republic for the first time. From October 16 to December 13, 2026, it will be hosted by the Czech Center in Belgrade, where it will introduce visitors to the unique glassmaking, costume jewelry, and fine jewelry traditions of the Liberec Region. The exhibition’s opening took place as part of the international forum Creative Glass Dialogues 2026, which is part of Glass Week Serbia.

The exhibition presents the Crystal Valley as a globally exceptional center of glassmaking. It traces the evolution from handcrafted glass production—inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2023—to contemporary technological innovations and industrial production.

The exhibition is curated by art historian Petr Nový from the State Museum of Glass and Costume Jewelry in Jablonec nad Nisou. The Belgrade installation focuses on the themes of Craft, Industry, and the Future. Visitors can admire, for example, Jiří Pačinek’s glass strawberries, a vase by Ladislav Ševčík, the crown for Czech Miss 2015 by Šenýr Bijoux, jewelry from the Granát Turnov and Soliter brands, and lighting fixtures by Lasvit and Preciosa Lighting.

The future of glassmaking is represented by the MESMERA exhibit from Preciosa. The glass changes its hue depending on the type of lighting and is made from recycled waste from electric motors in collaboration with the Czech Academy of Sciences.

The exhibition in Serbia opens up new international opportunities for Czech glass and jewelry and demonstrates that tradition, craftsmanship, and technological progress can together appeal to audiences around the world.

More information about the Czech Center in Belgrade HERE

20.10.2026