Glass, costume jewellery and a town hall with summer tower tours give Jablonec nad Nisou a distinct cultural character; Petřín provides a scenic counterpoint. When planning your stay, you can first decide whether to focus on museums and architecture or on views and hiking. This gives you two different ways to explore Jablonec nad Nisou, without requiring a fixed itinerary.

Glass and costume jewellery: two historical perspectives

The State Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou brings glass and costume jewellery together in one museum. You can explore this combination through two different historical perspectives. The exhibition “Čarovná zahrada – české sklo sedmi století” (Enchanted Garden – Seven Centuries of Czech Glass) spans glass from antiquity to the present and is divided into four consecutive chronological sections. This four-part structure gives the subject a clear timeline: you can follow the long development of glass section by section, rather than viewing the periods as a collection of disconnected points. By contrast, “Nekonečný příběh bižuterie” (The Endless Story of Costume Jewellery) focuses on the development of Jablonec costume jewellery from its beginnings to the present. The distinction is clear: one exhibition traces glass across a long period, while the other explores the history of costume jewellery with a connection to Jablonec.

The New Town Hall and its tower tour

The New Town Hall in Jablonec nad Nisou adds a clearly dated architectural history to the cultural focus. It was built between 1931 and 1933 and has been a national cultural monument since 2024. The dates refer to two different milestones: 1931 to 1933 marks its construction, while 2024 marks the start of its protected status. This distinguishes the period in which it was built from its later cultural designation. In summer, visitors can climb the town hall tower as part of a guided tour. As this is a seasonal offering, check the tour dates before travelling. If you plan to climb the tower, this gives you another seasonal cultural activity alongside the exhibitions.

Petřín: views, architectural history and a hiking trail

From Petřín, you can see across Jablonec nad Nisou, the reservoir and a large part of the Jizera Mountains. The view brings the town, the water and the mountains into a single panorama, offering a different perspective from the museum’s chronological themes. Petřín’s history is also marked by a specific year: in 1906, Richard Fellinghauer built the “Zur Nickelkoppe” excursion restaurant there, complete with an observation tower. The “Za výhledy přes Petřín na Dobrou Vodu a Čertův kámen” hiking trail runs over Petřín towards Dobrá Voda and Čertův kámen. The view and the trail offer different answers to the question of what interests you about Petřín: the view reveals the surroundings, while the route leads towards two named destinations. You can therefore explore Petřín for its views or consider the hiking trail as a separate planning option; the two do not have to be combined into a single excursion.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Tanvald, Maršovice, Bedřichov, Lučany nad Nisou, Rychnov, Zásada, Velké Hamry, Skuhrov.

Back to the regional travel overview: Jablonec nad Nisou District.