{"id":10695,"date":"2025-10-17T10:56:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T08:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/?p=10695"},"modified":"2026-02-09T12:59:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T11:59:21","slug":"a-weekend-in-crystal-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/a-weekend-in-crystal-valley\/","title":{"rendered":"A Weekend in Crystal Valley: Discover the Art of Czech Glassmaking"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"10695\" class=\"elementor elementor-10695\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-49f1b3c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default wpr-column-slider-no wpr-equal-height-no\" data-id=\"49f1b3c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a66a3be\" data-id=\"a66a3be\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc36920 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cc36920\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>In the Liberec region, a special open-studio weekend called <a title=\"Discover the rich tradition of Czech glassmaking thanks to the Glass Valley 2025 event!\" href=\"https:\/\/crystalvalley.cz\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">K\u0159i\u0161\u0165\u00e1lov\u00e9 \u00fadol\u00ed<\/a> (Crystal valley) will take place on 18\u201319 October 2025, opening dozens of small glassworks, ateliers and museums to visitors \u2014 a wonderful chance to step inside the world of Czech glassmaking.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>There are places in the Czech Republic that stay with you long after you leave them, and the northern glass region is one of those places. I still remember the first time I wandered into a small glass studio there: the sudden heat from the furnace, the quiet concentration of the makers, and the moment when a lump of glowing glass began to change into something delicate and alive. It felt almost like a small kind of magic.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-99c1f59 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"99c1f59\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-ajeto-glassworks-2-1024x683.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10683\" alt=\"A glassmaker from Ajeto Glassworks shaping a molten glass piece during a public demonstration.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-ajeto-glassworks-2-1024x683.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-ajeto-glassworks-2-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-ajeto-glassworks-2-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-ajeto-glassworks-2-1536x1025.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-ajeto-glassworks-2-2048x1366.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-ajeto-glassworks-2-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Precision and tradition \u2014 Czech glassmaking at Ajeto Glassworks.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f39a077 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f39a077\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>This weekend is a perfect moment to discover that world for yourself. K\u0159i\u0161\u0165\u00e1lov\u00e9 \u00fadol\u00ed brings together small producers, schools and museums; many of them are opening their doors on a scale they haven\u2019t before, and the atmosphere is fresh and friendly. If you\u2019re curious about Czech craft and design, or simply want a weekend trip away from the usual Prague route, now is the time to go. <\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b937a10 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b937a10\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-novotny-glass-1024x685.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10681\" alt=\"Overhead view of Novotn\u00fd Glass workshop during an open day event.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-novotny-glass-1024x685.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-novotny-glass-300x201.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-novotny-glass-768x514.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-novotny-glass-1536x1028.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-novotny-glass-2048x1370.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-novotny-glass-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Inside Novotn\u00fd Glass \u2014 open day insights into Czech glassmaking.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f71ea18 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f71ea18\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>One delightful thing about visiting small glassworks is the personal contact: you can often ask the maker about a technique, see tools up close, and sometimes try a simple, supervised activity yourself. For <a title=\"Join in and start to speak Czech!\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/group-language-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">learners of Czech<\/a>, these moments are also great practice. Staff at smaller studios often speak less English than staff at large tourist sites, so you\u2019ll have more opportunities to use the language in real situations. A friendly phrase to try is: <span style=\"color: #008000;\">\u201cDobr\u00fd den, m\u00e1te otev\u0159eno?\u201d<\/span> \u2014 \u201cHello, are you open?\u201d It\u2019s a simple, polite way to start a conversation when you pop into a studio or museum.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-200890d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"200890d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-houdek-art-1024x742.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10684\" alt=\"A crystal art object by Houdek Studio on display at Crystal Valley 2025.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-houdek-art-1024x742.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-houdek-art-300x218.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-houdek-art-768x557.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-houdek-art-1536x1114.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-houdek-art-2048x1485.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-houdek-art-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Contemporary Czech crystal design by Houdek Studio.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4d38ea2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4d38ea2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>If you can, make time for the <a title=\"Get to know the rich and still living tradition of Czech glassmaking!\" href=\"https:\/\/www.msb-jablonec.cz\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou<\/a> \u2014 it\u2019s a quiet treasure trove with a vast collection that traces the region\u2019s history of glass and costume jewellery and shows how craft and industry have shaped local life. Even a short visit gives a good sense of the region\u2019s traditions and contemporary creativity.<br \/><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-961247f elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"961247f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-mullerova-hrobka-vagner-glass-1024x692.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10680\" alt=\"Visitors viewing a suspended glass installation by V\u00e1gner Studio inside M\u00fcller\u2019s Tomb in Hr\u00e1dek nad Nisou.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-mullerova-hrobka-vagner-glass-1024x692.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-mullerova-hrobka-vagner-glass-300x203.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-mullerova-hrobka-vagner-glass-768x519.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-mullerova-hrobka-vagner-glass-1536x1038.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-mullerova-hrobka-vagner-glass-2048x1384.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/crystal-valley-mullerova-hrobka-vagner-glass-18x12.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Site-specific glass installation by V\u00e1gner Studio in the historic M\u00fcller\u2019s Tomb.\n<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6fbae13 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6fbae13\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>It\u2019s also worth remembering why this moment matters: 17 October is the International Day of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and traditional hand-made glass production was recently added to <a title=\"Products made of Czech glass have a truly global reputation!\" href=\"https:\/\/ich.unesco.org\/en\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UNESCO\u2019s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage<\/a>. This week of events (13\u201319 October) is a way of celebrating and sharing that living tradition \u2014 and perhaps also a lovely reminder that learning about Czech culture can go hand in hand with learning the language. Whether you\u2019re planning to <a title=\"Learn Czech intensively at SOLARIS Language School!\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/individual-czech-language-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>learn Czech<\/em><\/a> for everyday life, <a title=\"With SOLARIS, you can prepare for the Czech language exam!\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/preparation-for-czech-exams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>study Czech<\/em><\/a> more seriously, or join one of our <a title=\"Choose a group course according to your needs!\" href=\"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/group-language-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Online jazykov\u00e9 kurzy<\/em><\/a>, exploring events like this helps you experience Czech culture behind the words.<br \/><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the Liberec region, a special open-studio weekend called K\u0159i\u0161\u0165\u00e1lov\u00e9 \u00fadol\u00ed (Crystal valley) will take place on 18\u201319&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10682,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,1],"tags":[64,62,56,63,57],"class_list":["post-10695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-uncategorized","tag-craft","tag-crystal-valley","tag-czech-art","tag-czech-glassmaking","tag-learn-czech"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10695"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10905,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10695\/revisions\/10905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarisschool.cz\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}