On 17 and 18 October, you can explore the world of glass, jewellery and costume jewellery right where these original pieces are created. As part of the Crystal Valley Weekend event, more than 50 glassworks, art studios, production facilities, schools and museums across the Liberec Region will open their doors. Take a look behind the scenes of traditional crafts and take home an original souvenir made by your own hands in one of the creative workshops.

The Crystal Valley is a globally unique region for glassmaking and jewellery, where an extraordinary variety of glass products and craft techniques are concentrated within a relatively small yet picturesque area. Here, you can enjoy the beauty of art against the backdrop of autumnal scenery in the Lusatian and Jizera Mountains, the Krkonoše Mountains and the Bohemian Paradise.

Right up close to the furnace and glass beads

Well-known brands such as AJETO, Lasvit, Pačinek Glass, Granát Turnov and Perlex Bijoux Jablonec are inviting visitors to their open days, as are smaller workshops and studios. These include Bystro Design and AZ-Design, where you can try your hand at glass cutting. You can find out what it’s like to be a glassmaker at the Novotný Glass site. If jewellery-making appeals to you more, pop along to the Preciosa Ornela factory, Petra Lorenc’s studio, or the GB Beads Museum of Jablonec Bead and Jewellery Production.

Churches and museums

Rautis in Poniklá is organising a night-time tour and a demonstration of the pearl-making craft by the light of kerosene lamps. Also well worth seeing are the breathtaking chandeliers donated to the Church of the Nativity of St John the Baptist in Horní Polubná by the famous master glassmaker Franz Riedl. Get into the Advent spirit at the Mini-Museum of Glass Nativity Scenes in Železný Brod or at the Nativity Scenes in Kryštofovo Údolí, where you can try your hand at sandblasting glass or making beaded decorations.

The Crystal Valley Autumn Weekend is being organised for the seventh time by the Liberec Region Regional Development Agency. For the second time, it is being held in conjunction with ‘Glassmakers’ Week’, organised by the State Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou. This event will also feature in the programme for the Crystal Valley Autumn Weekend. Other museums will also be taking part, such as the Kamenický Šenov Glass Museum, the Nový Bor Glass Museum and the Municipal Museum in Železný Brod. Some art schools will also be open to the public.

Book your place in good time

Admission is free at most venues, though some charge an entry fee or require a booking. You can find a list of all the places you can visit during Crystal Valley Weekend via this link, organised by location or marked directly on the map. Simply choose where you’d like to go.