Discovering the art of glass – day one
First thing in the morning on the first of your two days in the Lusatian Mountains, head to the Ajeto Glassworks in Lindava – visit the bowels of the glassworks where you will learn how diverse the techniques of glassmaking truly are. Stop for lunch at the Glass Tavern, an integral part of the glassworks. Here, in addition to enjoying traditional Czech cuisine, you can have a go at blowing your own glass pint!
Your next steps will take you to the Rock Castle and Hermitage in Sloup in Bohemia, one of the dominant features of the Lusatian Mountains. After visiting the castle, explore the surroundings of Sloup – you will be surprised by the vast rock town with its diverse formations. Afterwards, walk to the nearby Na Stráži lookout tower and a rock theatre where the theatre comes alive even to this day.
Finish the day in Kamenický Šenov by climbing the Panská skála aka Varhany (Pipe Organ), the most famous geological formation in Bohemia. If you manage to catch the sunset here, you will stand in awe of the surrounding landscape wrapped in a pink haze.
Through the region of St. Zdislava – day two
On the second day, you will visit the second part of the Lusatian Mountains – Podještědí, the region of St. Zdislava. Your day will start in Kunratice u Cvikova in the famous Pačinek Glass, where you can observe from up close how Pačinek’s glass products are made. Go on a stroll through the adjacent Glass Garden full of flowers and animals both famous and imaginary. Directly opposite the glassworks stands the Crystal Temple, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a project of Jiří Pačinek that offers a unique visual experience. On the way back from Kunratice, you can pick up a pint you have blown at Ajeto.
After the fragile experience in Kunratice, what follows is a visit to the monumental Basilica Minor of St. Lawrence and St. Zdislava in Jablonné v Podještědí, a Baroque church from the 18th century which has recently undergone reconstruction. The interior is richly decorated with rococo cartouches and pseudo-Baroque altars. The basilica now houses the tomb of St. Zdislava – traces of her remarkable life can be found throughout the whole region of Podještědí.
From Jablonné v Podještědí, it is just a stone’s throw to Kryštofovo Údolí, one of the most popular and beautiful village conservation areas in the Czech Republic. In Kryštofovo Údolí, you can admire typical Upper Lusatian-Style houses, which are in abundance here. The wooden church of St. Christopher is also something you definitely should not miss. Additionally, be sure to pay a visit to the newly reconstructed Museum of Bethlehems, which is right next to the U Kryštofa pub – here, traditional Czech cuisine and beer from the Beran brewery are served in a first-republic interior.
