Jablonec nad Nisou, 12 km up the valley from Liberec, was for a century the world capital of costume jewellery. Glass beads, buttons, bangles and imitation gems made in the workshops of the Jizera Mountains were traded from here to every continent, and the export houses built a prosperous Art Nouveau and modernist town on the proceeds.
The trade still exists on a smaller scale, and Jablonec remains a good place both to understand it and to buy it. Add a functionalist town hall, some fine early 20th-century churches and a large reservoir right in the town, and you have an easy half-day out.
What to see and do: Jablonec nad Nisou: Glass & Jewellery
Museum of Glass and Jewellery
The one essential sight. The museum presents centuries of Bohemian glass and the whole glittering history of Jablonec jewellery, buttons and beads, and has a large display of glass Christmas decorations. A crystal-shaped extension opened in 2020.
Town hall and centre
The town hall of the early 1930s, with its plain tower and long horizontal lines, is one of the best functionalist public buildings in the country. Nearby are the brick Church of the Sacred Heart and the Art Nouveau Old Catholic church, both by the Jablonec-born architect Josef Zasche.
Mšeno reservoir
Built in the first decade of the 20th century to tame floods, the reservoir is now the town’s lido: a paved path for walkers, skaters and cyclists runs round it, with beaches and kiosks in summer.
Shop for beads
Factory shops and specialist stores sell beads, crystal and jewellery at prices well below those in Prague. Ask at the museum or the tourist office for current addresses.
Go up
The Petřín hill above the town has a lookout tower, and the Černá studnice tower on the ridge to the south gives one of the widest views in the region.
How to get to Jablonec nad Nisou: Glass & Jewellery
- Liberec and Jablonec are linked by an interurban tram through Vratislavice, by frequent buses and by train. The tram line has been rebuilt in stages in recent years — check whether replacement buses are running.
- By car it is about 20 minutes on the dual carriageway.
- Jablonec is also a starting point for buses to Bedřichov and the eastern Jizera Mountains.
Insider tips
- The museum is closed on Mondays.
- Allow an hour and a half for the museum and another hour for the centre.
- In summer bring swimwear for the reservoir.
- Combine Jablonec with Bedřichov or with the train ride on to Tanvald and Kořenov.
Tours that fit: Jablonec nad Nisou: Glass & Jewellery
These GetYourGuide experiences pair well with Jablonec nad Nisou: Glass & Jewellery:
Private walking tour from €82 per group Liberec / Reichenberg Guided Tour in English or Czech
The only bookable guided walk in the city itself, and a well-reviewed one. A local guide takes your group through the historic centre of Liberec — the town the German-speaking world knew as Reichenberg — in English or Czech. Because the price is per group rather than per person, it is excellent value for families and friends travelling together.
- The historic centre with a local guide
- Offered in English or Czech
- One price for the whole group, up to 20 people
Guided hike from €123 From Prague: Bohemian Paradise – Full-Day Hiking Trip (Maloskalsko)
The sister tour to the Hrubá Skála hike, set in Maloskalsko — the northern, quieter corner of the Bohemian Paradise, only about 20 km from Liberec. The same format, but just one review so far, so we show no rating.
- The Maloskalsko area on the Jizera river
- Rock formations and deep pine forests
- Historic landmarks along the trail
