Czech Republic has so much to offer as a country to visit in Europe. The Liberec Region is an underrated gem that is definitely worth visiting! The closest city to fly into is Prague and, while there are no direct trains from Prague to Liberec, you can take a bus. The Region is known for many different cultural and natural points of interest. It also borders Poland and Germany and has the position as the 5th most flourished city in the Czech Republic. There are so many exciting things to do if you Visit Liberec in Czech Republic.
The Main Square:
As soon as you arrive in the city you should go straight to the main square where you will see the colourful, beautiful houses around here. The main building in the square is the town hall and is just as stunning inside as the exterior design. The building was finished in 1893 and is Neo-Renaissance-style, designed by the Viennese architect Franz Neumann and was based on the town hall in Vienna, Austria.
The town hall is 66 metres high and the best thing to do is to climb up the tower to get the best view in all of Liberec city. You look down on the main square and if you’re a Marvel fan you will recognise this scene from Spiderman Far from Home. Liberec city is very popular in the film industry as it is a cheaper alternative for cities such as Prague.
The ceremonial room is the biggest and nicest hall in the building. Nowadays the room is mainly used for weddings and graduations. You will see a piano on the right of the room and this is played during the ceremonies. Everything in the room is more than 130 years old and the wood was made in Vienna. The glass windows are very impressive and each symbolise something; left to right Science, Art, Trade, Trade, Textile and Administration.
Sunset Dinner at Jested Tower:
One of the most iconic buildings in the Region of Liberec is the Jested Tower. This building serves as both a telecommunicator as well as a hotel. The hotel opened in July 1973 and has only 19 bedrooms for guests to stay. There used to be a cable car that would bring you to the peak of the mountain (1,012m high) but this is now closed. The only way to get up now is by car and you will end up above the clouds.
There is a restaurant on one of the upper floors and anyone can dine there. The restaurant serves traditional Czech cuisine along with a variety of wines. This is a must-see attraction when vising Liberec and I recommend going at sunset for the most incredible views. Beware it was very high up the mountains and therefore very cold so make sure you bring your coat!
Explore Panská Rock:
The Panská skála or Mansion Rock, is an unobtrusive hillock of basalt columns with a height of about 595 metres. Its basalt body originated as a part of an extensive Tertiary volcanic activity in Bohemia. The volcanic rock emerged from the depth of more than 30
km and it is said to be roughly 30 million years old. You can visit this incredible rock for free and can climb to the top for amazing views in just 10-15 minutes. The direct location on Google Maps is below:
The rock itself is a remainder of a lava stream similar to the Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland. During a steady and slow cooling process the pentagonal and hexagonal columns were formed, each having a diameter between 20cm-25cm. They stand almost vertically and reach up to 20m. A former quarry in front of the rock wall was turned into a picturesque pond. On a sunny day the rock reflects perfectly in the pond. The Panská skála is the oldest geological nature in Czech Republic. In 1953, the rock was pronounced a national natural monument and it is the most visited geological formation in Bohemia.
Tour of Sychrov Chateau and Gardens:
This beautiful fairy-tale castle is open all year round and a must visit site in Region Liberec. You can explore the castle grounds for 30CZK. The opening hours are 10am-3pm Monday to Friday and 10am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
This Neo-Gothic castle was once the home of the Rohan family from France and is fully furnished with original pieces and paintings. The gardens are just as incredible as the castle itself, as you will find tall trees, fountains and small wooden bridges. You can hire the venue for weddings and commercial reasons.
The Orangery Café is at the end of the gardens where you can treat yourself to an Italian coffee and home-made dessert. The décor inside the café is stunning and a great place to relax after a walk. Behind the café there is a round tower to the right.
Climb on Top of the Crystal tower in North Bohemian Museum:
The North Bohemian Museum is in the centre of the town and has many exhibitions to see particularly arts and crafts. One section is named the Wild North with exhibits from World War I, the Museum of Nazi Barbarism and iconic items from 1968.
If you get to climb The Crystal Tower, in the museum you will get 360 views of Liberec city. The views are not quite as good as the Town Square but you will get to see the Jizera Mountains. These Mountains are very popular for cycling and skiing and even stretch as far as Poland.
On the circular staircase up to the 44 metres tower, you will see the glass ladder in the middle. This is the longest glass ladder in the world, separated into two parts with each part standing at 12 metres in height.
Visit Crystal Paradise:
In the town of Jablonec you will find Křišťálový ráj or Crystal Paradise. It is a shop run by the locals where you can buy handmade jewellery, crystal and Christmas decorations. They sell 30 different brands here, from Preciosa ( one of the biggest manufacturers in the world) to small local manufacturers. The region has the tradition of crystal making for more than 200 years as there is sand and forest so they had all materials needed.
The best part was that we could make our own bracelets which was a lot of fun. We could pick the colour of beads we wanted and sat down to create. It was a very relaxing activity and I made two bracelets which I was very proud of. Every year there is an event called Fragile Beauty around summer time in the town. Approximately 8,000 people attend the event and you can see how pieces are made as well as workshops and concerts
Hike around Bohemian Paradise:
Bohemian Paradise is a region of many historical monuments and with hiking trails, water tourism and cultural experiences. We went for a walk into the forest to get to the amazing viewpoints on the trail. We started at a restaurant named Na Krasné vyhlídce which has parking and where you can have some traditional Czech food post hike. The region is quite popular with the film industry and some shots from The Chronicles of Nardia was filmed in Bohemian Paradise.
From this point you can take the red, blue or yellow trail each bringing you to amazing viewpoints, ponds and medieval castles. The longest route from here is 12,5KM. Among the most significant castles and chateaux are Sychrov, Hruby Rohozec, Mnichovo Hradistè, Dète-nice, Trosky, Kost and many others. The Bohemian Paradise is not only a protected landscape area but has also been added to UNESCO’s list of geoparks.
Wander the Glass and Jewellery museum in Jablonec:
This was one of my favourite things we did in Region Liberec as there was so many amazing pieces to see in the museum. It was established in 1904 and is the only museum specializing in glass and jewellery in the Czech Republic. There are hundreds of pieces to view that are as old as the 18th century. There is jewellery made from 6 different types of beads (cutted, pressed, imitation, lamp, seed and blown beads. You will also see the longest necklace in the world!
There are two buildings; the old and the new. The new building is specifically for a permanent exhibition of Christmas ornaments. This exhibition only opened in 2022 and holds more than 3,000 decorations. You will see timeline of tradition, starting with the first Christmas tree in Riga, Latvia in 1510. As a Christmas lover, I really enjoyed walking around this room as there were so many bright and brilliant colours all around.
Visit of Pačinek Glassworks:
Have you ever wanted to see artistic glass blowing? Visiting Pačinek glassworks is the best place to do this. The Master glass maker Jiri Pacinek opened his studio in 2007 and has found many talented glass makers to work alongside him. Here they create large-scale, technically demanding decorative sculptures along with daily use glass objects such as vases and glasses. You can visit the studio for 150CZK per person and watch the glass maker work and melt the glass in an oven of over 1,200 degrees!
There is also a church beside the studio where mass is held only twice a year. The church has been decorated with amazing glass pieces. Each piece of glass requires a certain metal to achieve the desired colour (yellow – uranium, green – iron, blue – cobalt, purple – neodymium). Outside there is a garden full of spectacular pieces where you can enter for free and is open year-round.
Thank you very much to Visit Czech Republic for hosting me on this press trip. It was incredible to explore all of these places in the Liberec Region.
I hope you found this blog post helpful and if you are planning a longer trip to Czech Republic, make sure to check out my Prague post.