About the trip
Bohemia has been producing glass for over 600 years, and this tour takes you to the region that made it famous worldwide. The foothills of the Lusatian Mountains in northern Bohemia — centred around Nový Bor — became the world capital of decorative glass production from the 17th century onward, when Bohemian crystal and painted glass began reaching the courts of Europe and the palaces of the Middle East. At its peak in the 19th century, the region employed tens of thousands of glassmakers, and the technical and artistic traditions they developed still define how the finest Czech glass is produced today.
This private tour combines two complementary experiences: a working glassblowing demonstration where you watch skilled craftsmen shape molten glass with techniques unchanged for centuries, and the Nový Bor Glass Museum — one of the most comprehensive collections of Bohemian decorative glass in the world, tracing the craft from early forest glass to 20th-century studio pieces.
The drive from Prague takes approximately 90 minutes north through the Bohemian highlands. The Crystal Heart tour works equally well for visitors interested in craft, design history, or Bohemian industrial heritage. It rewards those who approach it slowly — with time to watch the glassblowers and to examine individual pieces in the museum collection rather than moving quickly through both stops.
You might also enjoy: Liberec & Jested Tower, Terezin & Litomerice, Bohemian Paradise.
Pricing: Car tour — price per kilometre, stops, and waiting time. Vehicle: Hyundai Staria (up to 8 passengers). Glassblowing demonstration: included in studio visit or with small workshop fee depending on format. Nový Bor Glass Museum entry: approx. 80 CZK/person.
Tips: The glassblowing demonstration is the highlight for most visitors — allow at least 90 minutes at the studio to watch a full production sequence and browse the finished pieces. The working furnace operates at approximately 1400°C; the radiant heat is noticeable and part of the experience. The museum collection is extensive — a focused 60-minute visit covers the main historical arc without rushing. Nový Bor town centre has a good café and traditional restaurant options for lunch between the two stops. The region is particularly interesting for visitors who have already seen Czech glass in Prague’s shops but want to understand where and how it is actually made.
Stops
The Glassmaker Tavern 2 h
The Glassmaker Tavern is a working glass studio offering live demonstrations of traditional Bohemian glassblowing — the craft of shaping molten glass using iron blowpipes, pontil rods, and tools whose forms have changed little over centuries of practice. The glassblowers work with the same fundamental techniques developed in Bohemia during the medieval period, though the decorative vocabulary evolved continuously to encompass engraving, cutting, enamel painting, and gold gilding across subsequent centuries.
A full demonstration covers the complete process: gathering molten glass from the furnace, shaping it through blowing and rotation, applying handles or bases, and transferring the finished piece to the annealing oven for controlled cooling. The sequence moves quickly and requires precise coordination between the master glassblower and their assistant — watching the transformation from an orange glob of molten material to a finished vessel in under three minutes is genuinely arresting. Standing at working distance from the furnace means feeling the intense radiant heat of a 1400°C flame, which adds a physical dimension to the experience that no glass shop or museum can replicate. Finished pieces are available to purchase directly from the studio.
Nový Bor Glass Museum 1 h
The Nový Bor Glass Museum houses one of the most significant collections of Bohemian decorative glass outside Prague, with pieces tracing the craft from early forest glass (Waldglas) through the full arc of Baroque engraving, 18th-century gilding, Biedermeier cut glass, Historicist painted pieces, Art Nouveau designs, and internationally recognised 20th-century studio glass by Czech designers.
The museum’s core collection documents how Bohemian glass transformed from a functional product into a luxury export commodity that defined European decorative taste for two centuries — the trade networks, guild structures, and aristocratic patronage that drove this transformation are carefully explained alongside the objects themselves. The 20th-century section includes pieces by designers who shaped international glass aesthetics between the 1950s and 1980s, when Czech studio glass was considered among the finest in the world. The museum is housed in a renovated historic building in Nový Bor’s town centre, a 5-minute walk from the glassblowing studio, making the two stops a natural pairing for a morning or afternoon in the region.
Price per vehicle with driver (max. 8 persons)
Frequently asked questions
Planning your trip with Private Tours Czech is simple:
- 📍 Choose your pick-up location.
- 🗺️ Plan your route and stops.
- ⏱️ Select the length of each stop or 🛏️ overnight stay.
- 📍 Set your final destination (which can be the same as your starting point).
- 👶 Choose additional services – child seats, a tour guide, 📸 a photographer, or a special photography tour with a photography course.
🚐 Travel in comfortable, spacious vehicles and complete your booking easily online.
💡 If you don’t want to plan the entire trip yourself, you can choose from our Popular Tours section with recommended routes and then customise them to suit your needs.
💳 Payment is made directly to the driver – you can pay in cash or by card in your chosen currency (CZK / EUR / USD upon request).
✅ The price includes everything listed in your confirmed booking – for example, transportation in a comfortable vehicle, professional driver services, and selected additional services.
❌ The price does not include expenses such as parking fees, entrance tickets, local guides, meals, overnight stays, or other personal expenses.
⚠️ Please cancel at least 12 hours before the scheduled pick-up time. For quick cancellation, use the cancellation link in your confirmation email.
🔄 There are two ways to change your booking:
- ❌ Cancel your existing booking using the cancellation link in your confirmation email and create a new one.
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🚐 We use fully equipped Hyundai Staria 4×4 vehicles for up to 8 passengers, with a fixed price and large luggage capacity.
Perfect for airport transfers, transporting multiple passengers and luggage, weddings, families with children, and trips.
All vehicles feature:
- 🛋️ Leather seats
- 👶 Britax Römer child seats
- 💧 Vittel water
- 🚪 Electric doors
- 🕶️ Tinted windows
- 🛡️ Modern safety systems
- 📶 USB and air conditioning
👨✈️ Drivers are carefully selected, follow strict quality codes, and are regularly checked.
✍️ If you have special requests – such as assistance for passengers with reduced mobility, transport of sports equipment, specific vehicle equipment, or route adjustments – include them in the “Notes” field when booking.
💬 You can also contact us via email or chat for personalised advice.
📌 Don’t want to plan from scratch? Choose from our range of Popular Tours with carefully designed routes and itineraries.
You can customise each one – change the order of stops, adjust the length of visits, add services, or include your own stops.
