The Clock of Light in the Heart of Vratislavice

Head to Vratislavice nad Nisou and discover the Clock of Light by Preciosa, a renowned glassmaking company from the Crystal Valley. Let yourself be drawn into the interplay of light and glass – a precise clock mechanism illuminates more than forty glass tiles that come alive with colors in the evening, in harmony with the church tower. Here, time flows differently: precise, magical, and with a poetry that makes you pause in the middle of the square.

The North Bohemian Museum is lit up by chandeliers from the Crystal Valley 

If you like visiting the North Bohemian Museum (and we’re sure you do), don’t forget to lift your gaze up high next time you’re there. That’s because the museum collections are illuminated by a diverse range of exquisite chandeliers from the Crystal Valley, which are also definitely worth checking out! Amongst other treats for the eyes, you’ll see a unique Baroque chandelier from the late 18th century, which was donated to the museum’s collections in 1904 by Count Franz Clam-Gallas, as well as a light bracket from the former Regional Gallery in the Liebieg Palace. These historical lights are nicely complemented by contemporary chandeliers – from world-famous companies such as Preciosa, Lasvit and Wranovsky, as well as by renowned designers like Rony Plesl, Bořek Šípek and Jakub Berdych Karpelis. Take a stroll through the museum and choose your favourite. We’re curious to know whether you like the gentle frivolity of Šípek’s Galaxy Luminia chandelier, the philosophical power of Awake The Stars (apparently symbolising mankind’s lifelong efforts to fly to the stars and achieve the unachievable), or the stunning dominance of what is aptly called the Empress Chandelier. A beautiful and literally dazzling spectacle!

A glass ladder running up through the Crystal Tower 

Have you seen the world’s longest glass ladder, the one that adorns the "Crystal Tower" of the North Bohemian Museum? This amazing work was conjured up by brothers Jan and Ondřej Salansky and runs up through two floors of the tower, which is a replica of the tower of the original Liberec Town Hall. The first part consists of the ladder itself, which is silvered on the inside to look like stainless steel. In the second part, there are silver clouds made of hand-blown metallurgical glass floating around the ladder. You might not believe it, but the twenty-four-metre ladder weighs an impressive 140 kg, and the clouds another 120 kg. So although it seems that the tower is decorated with ethereal glass, in reality it weighs over a quarter of a ton. The rungs rise up out of a pile of siliceous sand, as this is the basis of the art of glassmaking, and as they ascend (up the stairs) visitors are presented with a path of glass ending with a view of the Crystal Valley. Enjoy a walk through history, when this region was a source of exceptional quality glass sand, when streams provided water and beech trees yielded excellent hardwood, enabling beauty to be crafted at the hands of glassmakers before which the whole world bowed down in awe. This is all accompanied by an impressive video mapping show to guide you!

Flowers of Fire Adorn the Botanical Garden

If you look closely around you (and even above) during your visit to the Liberec Botanical Garden, you might also notice flowers that were born from fire. By the carnivorous plant exhibit, for example, there are the stunning pitcher plants, and from the pond in the lily pavilion open in the summer season, the sparkling bloom of the Victoria regia emerges.

Glass flamingos have nested at Liberec Zoo

Some time ago glass flamingos took up residence on a previously disused little island in the lower part of Liberec Zoo, and while live flamingos come in various shades of pink, the glass ones are a multicoloured feast for the eyes. More than 30 elegant flamingos stand on the little island in the Jizera stream. These flamingos are truly exceptional as they come from the Pačinek Glass workshop! You can admire the flamingos in all their different colours and sizes all year round.

The Crystal Trail shines at iQLANDIA

Large exhibition spaces can be found in Liberec’s iQLANDIA, which presents the diverse world of nature, science and technology. You can also play an educational game as you wander around iQLANDIA, revealing the story of glass and how it is used. Take a walk along the Crystal Trail and light up iQLANDIA! Seven stops show you what glass is made of, how it is produced, and what role natural elements such as earth, fire, water and air play in making it. You'll also find out what DNA glass has and that its colours don't actually exist. And that's still not everything! At the end of the trail you'll come to the Molecule interactive light installation, consisting of 167 crystal balls that light up beautifully after you enter the correct password.

The crystal dragon breathes fire

A piece of original mural art, inspired by the glassmaking industry, has been "lit up"  by the Crystal Valley in cooperation with studio __Stroy on the Preciosa building in Františkovská Street. The glass dragon, measuring some 11 metres, spits fire in the painting, melting its glittering tail to portray the idea that glass is eternal. This message is accentuated by the inscribed motto "Glass Is Our History, Present and Future."