Bohemia Crystal Experience – blow out a vase and wind beads yourself

TOUR INFO

Day trips from Prague to northeast Bohemia, the birthplace of Daniel Swarovski

Discover the secret of handmade glass. During this trip you will learn about the enthralling manual production of Bohemia crystal and beadmaking in Bohemia. Visit the birthplace of Swarovski, and try to blow out traditional glass and wind beads yourself! Along the way, you will enjoy the captivating beauty of the Czech countryside as you ride through picturesque villages in northeast Bohemia. We will also stop for lunch at a traditional Czech restaurant.

Prague – Crystal factory – Bead pressing workshop: 7-hour Itinerary

1,5 hours Prague to Crystal factory transfer (to glass region in Northern Bohemia)
45 minutes Crystal factory excursion
30 minutes Blow out your vase experience
30 minutes Refreshments at a traditional Glass factory tavern
45 minutes Crystal factory to Bead pressing workshop transfer
1 hour Lunch at a traditional Czech restaurant
1 hour Bead pressing workshop excursion
1 hour Bead pressing workshop to Prague transfer

This is a private tour, so the itinerary can be adjusted as you wish.

Bohemia Crystal experience: Hold a glassmaking pipe and blow out a vase yourself

Discover the secret of Bohemian handmade glass. What is it like to stand in front of a red-hot furnace, hold a glassmaking pipe and blow out a vase from glowing, hot material? With the assistance of a glassmaking expert, you can discover the secret of handmade glass and immerse yourself into the unique world of this ancient manufacturing technique. Time: 1-2 hours. The price includes a tour of the glassmaking factory with a guide, creating your own glass with the assistance of a glassmaking expert and, of course, your own piece of work.

Entrance fees:
Crystal factory excursion: 80 CZK / person
Local English-speaking tour guide: 350 CZK / whole group

Costs of products you can make yourself:
Small vase: 150 CZK
Beer glass: 300 CZK
Carafe: 350 CZK
Vase: 400 CZK

These products have to cool down for a day, so it is not possible to take them with you after the excursion. However, you can have them shipped to your home address.

Beadmaking in Jablonec, Northeast Bohemia

The first button mold for pressing glass buttons was invented in 1732, and the first glass bead mold was introduced in 1832. Learn about the intriguing lives of glass and beadmakers in Bohemia. During a visit to the bead pressing workshop, you can watch demonstrations of functioning technical equipment that was used as far back as the 18th century. The excursion also includes practical demonstrations of production, and you will have the opportunity to make your own wound beads.

Excursion fee: 1000 CZK / whole group

Did you know Swarovski was born in Bohemia, where he learned glassmaking?

Daniel Swarovski (1862 – 1956) was an Austrian glass cutter and jeweler born in Bohemia. His father was a Slovak glass cutter who owned a small glass factory, and Swarovski first learned the art of glass-cutting in his father’s factory. Swarovski invented new technologies such as machine cutting for crystal beads. He moved from Jablonec in 1890 and settled in Wattens, Austria.  On our tour we will go to a bead pressing workshop that Swarovski’s descendant visited in 2010, when he learned how to use his ancestor’s technical equipment.

Bohemia Crystal – Similar Tours

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