All activities / Craft Skills (Bladesmithing, Pottery, Glass) / Novy Bor
Craft Skills (Bladesmithing, Pottery, Glass) in Novy Bor
A northern Bohemian town at the centre of Crystal Valley, the region that has blown, cut and engraved glass for over three centuries. Novy Bor has a famous glass school and museum, and its working glassworks let visitors watch and try the craft.
Why here
Novy Bor sits at the centre of Crystal Valley, the belt of northern Bohemia that has blown, cut and engraved glass for more than three centuries. The town runs a famous glass school founded in 1870 and a glass museum, and its working glassworks let visitors do more than watch. At the Ajeto glassworks in nearby Lindava you can stand at the furnace and, with a glassmaker, blow your own glass, and at studios in the town you can try the craft or follow a piece from molten gather to finished object. This is where Bohemian crystal, chandeliers and studio art glass are actually made, supplying galleries, theatres and events worldwide. For a hands-on craft day that ends with a piece you shaped yourself, the glass towns around Novy Bor are the place.
Best months
The glassworks and studios run tours and try-it-yourself sessions year round, indoors, so this works in any weather, and the furnaces keep the halls warm. Live glassblowing usually runs on weekday shifts, with some works pausing production for a summer shutdown, so confirm hands-on sessions and demonstration times ahead. Molten glass is hot, and sessions are supervised.
Getting there & around
Novy Bor is in the Liberec region about 100 kilometres north of Prague, reachable by road or train, and close to the sandstone hills of Lusatian and Bohemian Switzerland. Ajeto is in the village of Lindava a few kilometres away, while the town itself holds the glass museum, school and studios. A car helps to link the workshops, and hands-on sessions are best booked in advance.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
Ajeto Glassworks
OutfitterAjeto is a glassworks in the village of Lindava near Novy Bor, founded on 28 October 1994 with the designer and architect Borek Sipek among its founders and part of the Lasvit group since 2017. Visitors watch master glassmakers at the furnace and can blow their own glass, from a whistle to a vase, alongside guided tours of the works and a glass tavern on site. Ajeto makes art glass and trophies including the Thalia theatre awards and, since 2011, trophies for the Tour de France.
Novotny Glass
OutfitterNovotny Glass is a family glass studio in Novy Bor run by the glassmaker Petr Novotny and his son Ondrej, built around a working hot shop in the heart of Crystal Valley. The complex pairs the glassworks with a glass museum, open Tuesday to Sunday, and the Hut restaurant, so visitors can watch glassblowing, take part in glassmaking experiences and see finished studio pieces. The studio produces original handcrafted work on commission for Czech and international designers and clients.