Kristalldalen i Tjeckien - guide till Crystal Valley

The Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic, or Crystal Valley as it is known in English, is an area in the north of the Czech Republic known for Bohemian crystal, glassworks and glass art. In the area you can also experience beautiful nature and taste beer from countless local breweries. Here's a guide for those who want to discover the region.

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The Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic

It was in the 17th century that glass began to be melted in Bohemia, and the glass soon became known as Bohemian crystal. It was also here that both Swarovski and Riedel started their outstanding careers in glass and crystal production. Today the Crystal Valley is filled with glassworks, glass art, crystals and jewellery. Travellers can combine cultural experiences with nature and Czech beer.

With roots in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic: Riedel, Swarovski and Preciosa

The Riedel family ran a successful glassworks in the Bohemian forests, but when the Germans invaded during World War II, they chose to blow up the factory to prevent it from falling into German hands. When the Soviet Union invaded, the company was seized and Walter Riedel was sentenced to prison in Russia.

The only remaining building of the former glassworks of Kristianov, where Riedel started its production in the 18th century.

Walter Riedel's son, Claus Riedel, became a prisoner of war in Italy, but at the age of 16 managed to escape on a train journey through the Alps. Claus owned nothing more than the clothes on his back, but in a nearby village he met a man named Daniel Swarovski.

Claus Riedel later got the chance to buy a glass factory in Austria, and both Riedel and Swarovski have become two hugely famous brands. Although these brands are now located in Austria, both have roots in Bohemia, in the present-day Czech Republic. Today, the company is located here instead Preciosawhich produces crystal and exclusive jewellery.

Visiting the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic

If you want to visit the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic, there is plenty to see and experience. Our guide is based on places we have visited ourselves, starting with the Svijany brewery and ending with the natural phenomenon of Panská Skála. Please note that there is, of course, much more to see and do in addition to our tips. The Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic is stuffed of glassworks, museums, breweries and nature experiences.

On this trip, we travelled by car and stayed in hotels, so we'll be recommending hotels in this article. If you are travelling with a motorhome or caravan, or if you prefer to stay in a cabin, there are of course also plenty of campsites. You can find campsites at Camp.zc.

1. Pivovar Svijany - Kristalldalen brewery and hotel in the Czech Republic

We started our trip in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic with a visit to "Pivovar Svijany", which simply means Svijany brewery. They make 11 different types of beer, all of which are unpasteurised. It is possible to book an English-language guided tour, which we did. Interesting!

The guided tour was followed by dinner at the hotel's restaurant. Here you can choose a tasting tray, with several of the brewery's beers. Tasty and interesting!

We also had a very good dinner here. For starters we tried two different cheese dishes, both of which were very good, and for the main course we had chicken.

We stayed at the hotel for the night, and we have to say that we were very happy here. A cosy stop!

2. Hrubá Skála - unrivalled nature in Bohemian Paradise

Hrubá Skála is located in Bohemian Paradise in the north of the Czech Republic. Here you will find an imaginative castle hotel on a cliff, tall rock formations and beautiful hiking trails in the green nature.

READ MORE: Hrubá Skála in Bohemian Paradise, Czech Republic

3. rough ice - handmade UNESCO-listed Christmas decorations

Handmade Christmas decorations in the Czech Republic, made from blown glass beads, have a long tradition. Now the production process has been included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. You can visit the Rautis company, where you can take a guided tour, participate in workshops and even buy Christmas decorations.

READ MORE: Handmade Christmas decorations in the Czech Republic - a UNESCO heritage site

Handgjort julpýnt - Kristalldalen i Tjeckien

4. Novosad & Son - glassworks and brewery

You might think that a glassworks and a brewery sounds like an unlikely combination, but in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic it is not, quite the opposite. Every second entrepreneur here seems to run a glassworks or a brewery, and why not a combination? One advantage of the combination, of course, is that the brewery can produce its own beer glasses.

We had lunch at the brewery's restaurant, and since the portions in the Czech Republic can be large, we chose only the starter here. Goulash soup and bread, with a beer, was a great lunch!

After lunch we went on a guided tour of the glassworks. Here we learnt about the multi-stage production process and could also see everything from glassblowers to cutters and painters at work.

Of course, we could also see a lot of the finished products. Before you leave, there is also a museum that you can visit, as well as a small shop where you can buy different kinds of glass.

5. Jablonec nad Nisou - with the Museum of Glass and Jewellery

In Jablonec nad Nisou you can stop to visit the "Museum of Glass and Jewellery". This museum is impressively large, with lots of glass in the form of jewellery, lamps, trinkets, goblets and just about anything you can imagine. In fact, the museum houses 12 million (!) different items.

In Jablonec nad Nisou we also visited the Preciosa showroom. This may not be where you shop as a private customer, but remember the name for the next time you see it!

6. Liberec - beautiful city surrounded by nature in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic

Liberec in the Czech Republic is the fifth largest city in the country. Here you'll find beautiful historic buildings, and the surrounding area is full of high mountains and dramatic scenery. Here you can go on a city walk, visit the town hall, go to the top of Ještěd Mountain or experience nature at Prezidentska, at the Jizer Mountains.

READ MORE: Liberec, Czech Republic - 7 things to see and do

Stadshuset i Liberec - Kristalldalen i Tjeckien

7. Pačinek glassworks - exhibition in garden and church

Pačinek Glassworks was one of the greatest experiences during our journey through the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic. What amazing creativity and skill! Visiting the jewelled garden and the decorated church is an experience.

READ MORE: Pačinek Glassworks, Czech Republic - decorated garden and church

Pačinek Glass - Kristalldalen i Tjeckien

8. Sklárna Svojkov - glassworks with historic glass

The Sklárna Svojkov Glassworks is a small family-run glassworks in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic, and was one of the most interesting glassworks we visited throughout the trip. The two glassblowers, father and son, specialise in blowing glass from historical and archaeological models.

It was incredibly fascinating to see these men at work. We realised that blowing glass in the old way is a slightly different process and that the whole glass is made in one piece, without cutting it.

The small glassworks produces glass for museums in Scandinavia, such as historical museums and Viking museums, and also makes glass for various events and films. They have participated in the Medieval Week on Gotland and made glass for the immensely popular TV series. Game and Thrones.

During our visit we were offered a small sip of Slivovice (men) and Visnovice (women). It tasted great, but most importantly, we got to drink from the superfine glass!

9. Borgen Sloup - dramatic cliff in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic

Located in the Bohemia / Bohemia region in the north of the Czech Republic, Sloup Castle is a 35 metre high cliff rising straight up from the ground. This is a very special place for a castle, and visitors can take the stairs all the way up.

READ MORE: Sloup Castle in the Czech Republic - a fascinating place to visit

10. Nový Bor - with glassworks, glass art and breweries

One of the places to visit during a tour of the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic is the town of Nový Bor. Here we visited a fantastic glass exhibition, which is located together with a glassblowing centre and the HUT restaurant.

The exhibition space features glass art from both Czech and international artists. There was a lot of "thinking outside the box" here. We thought it was really fun to look around here!

From a vantage point on the premises, you can look down on the glassblowers at work. There were several young guys working here, which is positive. We realised that it is relatively difficult to recruit new talent, as it is hard work, but not very well paid.

We also took the opportunity to have lunch here, which is done with a glass wall between the restaurant and the glassblowers.

In Nový Bor there is even more to see, and we peeked into a glass exhibition that was next door to the first exhibition/restaurant.

We also popped into Galleri Egermann, which offered some unusual glassware and lots of clever and quirky products and fun gifts.

Also worth mentioning is Lasvit, a historic building used for glassmaking since the 18th century. Since 2019, there is both the "black house" and the "glass house", which is supposed to represent the contrast between light and darkness. It also hosts various international events and meetings for glass producers and glass artists.

Last but not least, we chose to check out a ... brewery! In this part of the Czech Republic, there is always a nice local brewery at hand and here we found brewery BORN. In the picture you see us, together with our travel company from the Czech tourist office and the bus travel company Scandorama.

11. Hotel Kleis - brewery and hotel in Cvikov

Towards the end of our trip we visited the Kleis hotel, restaurant and brewery in Cvikov. This was a very nice visit. Here is a restaurant with a nice atmosphere, good beer, fresh hotel rooms and the opportunity to look around the brewery during a guided tour.

The guided tour was interesting, and we were also impressed by the modern and stylish equipment. The premises themselves have a very long history, especially the basement vaults, so a lot of resources have been put into renovation and development.

We also liked this hotel very much, where the style was almost a bit Scandinavian. The hotel also has its own bakery, which contributed to a really tasty breakfast.

12. Panská Skála - fascinating natural phenomena

Panská skála is a fascinating natural phenomenon in the northern Czech Republic, consisting of tall pentagonal or hexagonal basalt columns. The shapes are so precise that one could almost believe that this is man-made, but this creation came about through volcanic activity many millions of years ago.

READ MORE: Panská Skála - a natural phenomenon in the Czech Republic

Curious about a tour of the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic?

Although we have travelled a lot in the Czech Republic, the tour in the Crystal Valley was a surprise for us. We have to say that we were very positively surprised by everything there is to see and experience here! Have you been here? Or do you have any thoughts? Feel free to write a comment!

3 Comments

Add yours →

BP says:

There are so many things here that I "want". First of all, the outdoor octopus. What fantastic creations:-)
It is the same in Austria and Bavaria as in the Czech Republic - the food portions are gigantic and would be enough for at least two meals. Too bad you can't take doggy bags if you're on a press trip;-)

30 October 2021 - 18:19

Comment by post author

Helena says:

This area really surprised us! So much to see and so much variety! As for the food portions, I wish they could reduce them a bit, throwing away food is not fun. You can try to order less, but it's not easy 😉.

31 October 2021 - 22:23

Emanuel Avidan says:

Hey, hey, hey, hey,
We are looking for a Glass jar in Czech Republic with the name Cerva and grateful for information and contact with companies.

With kind regards
Emanuel Avidan
CEO at Metechan (life Science AB

09 March 2023 - 7:00

Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic - guide to the Crystal Valley

The Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic

With roots in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic: Riedel, Swarovski and Preciosa

Visiting the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic

1. Pivovar Svijany - Kristalldalen brewery and hotel in the Czech Republic

2. Hrubá Skála - unrivalled nature in Bohemian Paradise

3. rough ice - handmade UNESCO-listed Christmas decorations

4. Novosad & Son - glassworks and brewery

5. Jablonec nad Nisou - with the Museum of Glass and Jewellery

6. Liberec - beautiful city surrounded by nature in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic

7. Pačinek glassworks - exhibition in garden and church

8. Sklárna Svojkov - glassworks with historic glass

9. Borgen Sloup - dramatic cliff in the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic

10. Nový Bor - with glassworks, glass art and breweries

11. Hotel Kleis - brewery and hotel in Cvikov

12. Panská Skála - fascinating natural phenomena

Curious about a tour of the Crystal Valley in the Czech Republic?

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