A Post-Christmas Weekend in Jablonec nad Nisou: Friendship, Culture, and Adventure

Written by Bjanka

After Christmas, I had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Jablonec nad Nisou, staying at my friend’s place with her family. The plan was to communicate in English, and I secretly hoped my Czech language would improve while I listened to other people talking. To my surprise, it turned out that her family went many times on summer vacations in Croatia, and they had picked up Croatian over the years! It was nice to be able to talk with them in Croatian—a language I’ve understood since I was young but isn’t my native language. Living in Prague, I don’t have anyone to regularly speak Croatian with, so it made me happy to discover that, even though I don’t use it often, I haven’t forgotten it. It felt comforting and nostalgic to use a language that’s been a part of my life for so long. This fact combined with the warmth of her family made me feel like I was home.

Known as “the town of glass and jewelry,” Jablonec nad Nisou has a fascinating past. It blossomed during the 18th and 19th centuries as a center for glassmaking and jewelry production. The area’s skilled craftsmen and innovative techniques made their creations famous worldwide. Today, Jablonec continues to be recognized as a hub for exquisite glass and jewelry, preserving the town’s rich cultural heritage and artistry, and the legacy is beautifully showcased in the Glass and Jewelry Museum, which we had the pleasure of visiting. The museum brings together the fields of glass and jewelry, featuring an impressive collection of jewelry crafted from various materials and techniques. It houses the second-largest glass collection in the Czech Republic, one of the most significant in Europe, and the world’s largest public collection of glass Christmas decorations can be found here. There are 12 million unique items in the museum’s entire collection.

The rest of the trip was focused on hiking! We explored the beautiful trails surrounding both Liberec and Jablonec nad Nisou. I was thrilled to learn that parts of the Spiderman movie starring Tom Holland were filmed in Liberec. This fun fact made exploring the city even more exciting, even though I still have not seen the movie. One of the highlights was our hike to Ještěd Mountain. The views from the top were stunning, with snow-covered landscapes stretching endlessly into the horizon, so the anxiety from hiking on wild paths sometimes covered with ice was worth it!

To round out my Czech experience, I tried a traditional dish called Svíčková. This delicious meal features marinated beef served with a creamy vegetable sauce, dumplings, and a drop of cranberry sauce. It was exactly what I needed after a day of hiking in the cold weather. Czech cuisine truly knows how to warm both the body and soul.
Looking back, my weekend in Jablonec nad Nisou was an unforgettable mix of culture, history, nature, and amazing food. It was a trip that left me feeling connected, enriched, and already dreaming of returning one day!