JABLONEC

JABLONEC
NAD NISOU
& T H E J I Z E R A M O U N TA I N S
WELCOME to JABLONEC NAD NISOU
The picturesque town of Jablonec nad Nisou is found in North Bohemia at an altitude
of around 500 metres above sea level. The town lies amidst the greenery of the basin
of the River Nisa and has a population of almost forty-five thousand.
You won’t have any great problems finding your way around – the town centre consists
of three squares one above the other. Visitors to the town come face-to-face with
the delicate beauty of glass products and costume jewellery in the history and present
of the place.
Jablonec nad Nisou is home to a wealth of interesting places, prominent structures
and attractive districts. The predominant architectural styles found in the town are neoRenaissance, Art Nouveau and Functionalism. A reservoir was built at the beginning
of the 20th century not far from the centre of the town. This is a unique technical monument that together with the surrounding area is an attractive place for recreation.
Jablonec nad Nisou is an enticing invitation to all those looking for a holiday full of
variety and activity. A visit to the town will allow you to enjoy all the benefits of town life,
such as sightseeing, culture and sport. You can then make for the easily-accessible countryside of the Jizera Mountains. There is something here for all seasons; in summer you
can enjoy hiking and cycling and in winter cross-country and downhill skiing. Or you might
like to head for the resorts of Bedřichov, Severák, Špičák, Jizerka or Harrachov only a few
kilometres along the road. You can even travel to Prague from here in around an hour.
We hope that the time you spend here with us makes for a wonderful holiday.
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3 4
1 > Dolní náměstí (Lower square)
2 > Town theatre (Městské divadlo)
3 > Swimming pool (Plavecký bazén)
4 > The small village of Jizerka and Bukovec hill
DATES IN HISTORY AND INTERESTING FACTS
1356 The first written document referring to Jablonec nad Nisou.
1469 Jablonec is set alight by wartime enemies of Jiří of Poděbrady.
1530s and 1540s – Appears in the Public records as abandoned.
1548 Glassworks are opened in Mšeno nad Nisou, marking the rebirth of Jablonec. The Jizera Mountains beco­
me one of the most significant glassmaking centres in the Kingdom of Bohemia during the 16th century.
1590 A bell for the wooden church in Jablonec is cast by Jakub of Mělník. You can see this, the oldest preserved
monument of the town, in the local Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery.
1643 Jablonec and its surrounding villages are set alight by the Swedes during the Thirty – Year War.
1687 The first thoughts arise of building a town here. Jablonec is first regarded as a place of potential signifi­
cance and a place suitable for trade in the land and duties register of the Malá Skála demesne.
1708 – 1710 The owners of the Malá Skála demesne, the Counts of Des Fours, make the first efforts to elevate
Jablonec to a market town.
1737 The parish in Jablonec becomes independent.
1760 – 1761 The development of glass costume jewellery production in the Jizera Mountains.
1808 The village of Jablonec is elevated to market town status by Imperial decree, with the ceremonial
announcement coming in 1809. A market is established on what is now Mírové náměstí (Peace Square).
1847 Work begins on the “Krkonoše Road” to link Liberec, Jablonec and Trutnov. For Jablonec this means
the first quality link to the rest of the world.
1848 – 1850 Josef Pfeiffer is elected the first mayor of Jablonec.
1859 The first railway line (Pardubice – Liberec) crosses the historical Jablonec district at Rychnov.
1866 Jablonec is elevated to town status, an event accompanied by the construction of the second square
in Jablonec – Nový trh (New Market), today’s Dolní náměstí (Lower Square). The construction of the first
Jablonec town hall (now the town library) begins soon after on the northern side of the new square.
1868 Jablonec becomes the centre of a separate political district consisting of the judicial districts of Jablonec
and Tanvald.
1870 The first Czech society, the “Česká beseda” society, is set up in the German – speaking Jablonec.
1880 A school of applied arts focusing on costume jewellery is founded for the needs of local industry.
1888 A new railway line from Liberec to Jablonec is completed in the valley of the River Nisa.
1894 The railway line from Liberec reaches Tanvald via Lučany and Smržovka, which finally provides fast train
connections between the most important places in the Jablonec area.
1897 A hundred – year’s worth of water floods the Jizera Mountains, having a destructive impact on an over­
whelming part of the region. Protective dams are built on the upper courses of local rivers.
1900 The local electric railway is opened, with the gradient of the track between Rychnov and Janov nad Nisou
something of a European rarity.
1902 Construction work is completed on the Old Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Holy Cross (kostel
Povýšení sv. Kříže), the most valuable Art Nouveau monument in Jablonec and one of the most promi­
nent sacred Art Nouveau buildings in Europe.
1906 The town receives the privilege of a coat – of – arms and the suffix “nad Nisou” (on the River Nisa)
to distinguish it from other towns in the country called “Jablonec”.
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1 > Roman Catholic Church of the Holiest Heart of Jesus (kostel Nejsvětějšího srdce Ježíšova)
2 > New Jablonec town hall
DATES IN HISTORY AND INTERESTING FACTS
1912 The Austrian steamboat known as Gablonz (the German word for Jablonec) sets sail for India from Terst.
1930 – 1933 The architectural finishing touches are put to Jablonec town centre with the construction of two
distinctive new buildings – the Catholic Church of the Holiest Heart of Jesus (kostel Nejsvětějšího srdce
Ježíšova) on the newly – create Horní náměstí (Upper Square) and the New Town Hall.
1938 The historically German – speaking Jablonec becomes part of the German Reich as part of surrendering
the Sudetenland to Germany after the Munich Agreement. The Jewish synagogue is set alight the very
same year.
1942 – 1943 The foundation of a labour camp at the Fein Apparatenbau Carl Zeiss Jena (FAB) Company in Jab­
lonec nad Nisou – Rýnovice and an extension of the Gross Rosen concentration camp in Rychnov near
Jablonec nad Nisou.
1945 – 1947 The nationalisation of major enterprises, the displacement of Germans and the Czech settlement
of the area – a considerable number of local Germans were spared displacement thanks to their profi­
ciency in glassmaking (11.2 % of the population claimed German nationality in 1950).
1948 The creation of the Skleněná bižuterie, Preciosa and Kovová bižuterie national enterprises (companies
that made glass and costume jewellery) and the establishment of Liaz and Autobrzdy (companies that
focused on the motor industry). The Jablonec export houses become part of “Československá akciová
společnost pro vývoz skla” (Czechoslovak Joint Stock Company for the Export of Glass) in Prague, later
renamed Skloexport.
1949 The Jablonec area becomes part of the Liberec Region.
1952 An independent company for the export of so-called Jablonec goods known as Jablonex is created
from the Jablonec branch of Skloexport.
1954 The Jablonec nad Nisou – Liberec tram line is put into operation.
1960 The Železný Brod area and parts of the Turnov area, the Liberec area, the Frýdlant area and the Vysoké
area become part of the existing Jablonec district. Jablonecké Paseky, Vrkoslavice, Mšeno, Rýnovice
a Lukášov become part of Jablonec. New buildings are construction for the costume jewellery industry
and old buildings are modernised (Jablonex, Bižuterie, Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery, Exhibi­
tion Grounds).
1965 The electric railway is closed. This first of many international costume jewellery fairs is held.
1967 The “Jizerská padesátka” (a fifty – kilometre cross – country skiing race in the Jizera Mountains) is staged
for the first time and goes on to become quite famous indeed. The development of sport and physical
education – the construction of an indoor athletics hall.
1970s A wave of tower-block construction that “buries” the village of Mšeno nad Nisou (which neighbours
Jablonec) completely changes the picturesque Jablonec suburbs.
1980s The demolition of the old Hotel Merkur.
1982 Proseč nad Nisou and Kokonín become part of Jablonec nad Nisou.
1993 Jablonec nad Nisou becomes a minting town as local company Bižuterie wins the tender to mint all coins
in the Czech Republic.
2002 The Municipal Authority in Jablonec nad Nisou becomes a local authority with broadened powers as part
of reforms to public administration.
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1 > Podhorská Street and Smetanova Street
2 > Embankment of the Jablonec dam
WHAT YOU SHOULD SEE
IN JABLONEC NAD NISOU…
1 > The Church of St. Anne (kostel svaté Anny) – The oldest church in Jablonec, this single-nave Baroque
structre was built between 1685 and 1687 on the site of the wooden chapel that originally stood here.
A cross of conciliation and a statue of the Virgin Mary are found in the southern part of the church.
The building is now used for cultural purposes as an exhibition and concert hall.
2 > The former manse and statuary of the Getseman garden from 1829.
3 > The New Town Hall – A building erected in line with the plans of German architect from Liberec Karl Win­
ter in 1931 and 1932, now home to the municipal authority. Climb the town hall tower with a guide during
the summer for a marvellous view of the town.
4 > The Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery (Muzeum skla a bižuterie) – Houses the permanent
exhibitions “The Charming World of Costume Jewellery” and “The Magic Garden – Seven Centuries
of Bohemian Glass” in a historically valuable Art Nouveau building.
5 > Galerie Belveder – A permanent exhibition of 19th – century glass buttons, an Empire lounge, and a place
that stages exhibitions of glass, costume jewellery and regional history and geography.
6 > The Dr. Farský Church (kostel Dr. Farského) – Built in Jablonec at the beginning of the 19th century.
The tower is one of the dominant features of the Jablonec skyline. Tel.: +420 483 710 333
7 > The Old Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Holy Cross (Starokatolický kostel Povýšení
svatého kříže) – A rare Art Nouveau structure built between 1900 and 1902 according to the designs
of architect Josef Zasche. An attractive Art Nouveau residential district was built around the church
at the beginning of the 20th century. Tel.: +420 724 292 073
8 > Roman Catholic Church of the Holiest Heart of Jesus (Římskokatolický kostel Nejsvětějšího srdce
Ježíšova) – A triple-nave church built between 1930 and 1932, again according to the designs of architect
Josef Zasche. Tel.: +420 483 312 327
9 > Town theatre – Built in the Art Nouveau style in 1906 and 1907 by the Fellner und Helmer company.
10 > The post office – A historic, neo-Renaissance building erected between 1892 and 1894 in line with
the plans of architect Friedrich Setz.
11 > Old town hall – Built between 1867 and 1869 and now home to the town library.
12 > Jablonec reservoir – Built between 1906 and 1909 as part of a system of water resources on the tributa­
ries of the River Nisa, this unique technical monument is the most attractive place for recreation in the town
and its wider surroundings.
13 > Sokolovna – A monumental neo-Renaissance building built in 1897 on the eastern flank of the town park.
The adjacent town park was opened in 1885 and is one of the main relaxation zones in the town.
A 1936 monument to the victims of the First World War by architect Alfred Wenzel sits in the south-western
corner of the park.
14 > The Hásek Villa – A Functionalist villa built in line with the designs of arch. H. Lauterbach – private.
15 > The Schmelowsky Villa – This Functionalist villa that is reminiscent of a boat was built according
to the designs of architect Heinrich Lauterbach. The current owner has preserved the original condition
and is restoring the historic fittings – private building.
16 > The Kantor Villa – A Functionalist villa by architect Heinrich Kulka built in 1933 – 1934 – private building.
17 > Petřín – lookout tower and scenic restaurant
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1 > Art Nouveau building of the Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery
2 > The Functionalist Hásek Villa
THE CITY MAP OF JABLONec NAD NISOU
WHAT WE RECOMMEND YOU SHOULD SEE
CLOSE TO JABLONEC nAD NISOU
Babylon – Liberec; entertainment centre, aquapark, lunapark (indoor fairground), shopping village, bowling,
casino, Museum of Fun Learning, IQ park, wellness centre, XD Movie Theatre, restaurants, coffee bars, hotel
and much, much more; tel.: +420 485 249 202, www.centrumbabylon.cz
The bobsled track in Janov nad Nisou – tel.: +420 607 160 652, www.bobovadrahajanov.cz
Botanic Gardens – Liberec; 9 tropical glasshouses with a wide range of plants; tel.: +420 485 252 811,
www.botaniliberec.cz
The Bozkov dolomite caves – tel.: +420 481 682 164,7, www.caves.cz
Four–seater chairlift at Tanvaldský Špičák Mountain – TJ Bižuterie Jablonec nad Nisou;
tel.: +420 483 381 602, +420 483 710 999, www.skijizerky.cz
Fipobex – Pěnčín; take a look at the production of glass beads and tour the goat and sheep farm, sample the cheeses
made here and see the farming museum, take in the bead workshop or enjoy a ride on a team of horses
or in the little excursion train to the Černá Studnice viewing tower; tel.: + 420 483 368 468, www.vapen.cz
Kortan – have a look round the company’s glass production plant; tel.: +420 483 390 086, www.kortanglass.com
Frýdštejn – castle ruins; tel.: +420 483 393 060, www.frydstejn.cz
Mining Museum – Harrachov; tel.: +420 602 603 739, www.ados–harrachov.cz
Church of the Visitation of our Lady (Chrám Navštívení Panny Marie) and the International Centre
for Spiritual Rehabilitation – Hejnice, Klášterní 1; tel.: +420 482 360 211, [email protected], www.mcdo.cz
Ještěd Mountain – sports complex, chairlift and cable–car, tel.: +420 972 365 582, www.lanovka-jested.cz
television tower, hotel, bike park; www.jested.cz, www.jested.liberec.cz
Korálek – Jablonec nad Nisou, Kokonín, Maršovická 437; technical monument, historic exhibition with the chance
to try manual production for yourself; tel.: +420 483 302 203.
Krásná – Baroque church, the Kittel House – One rarity here is the personal legacy of the mysterious 18th century
personality Johann Josef Antonín Eleazar Kittel, a miraculously successful doctor from Šumburk in the Jablonec
district who was nicknamed the “Faust of the Jizera Mountains”; http://druidova.mysteria.cz
The Kittelovsko Nature Trail and its 5 information boards can be walked in the surroundings of Krásná; www.kitl.cz
The König Rope Park – Nová Ves nad Nisou, run by SIDMIR, in the centre of the village; unique in the region;
tel.: +420 774 170 540, +420 604 103 975, www.sidmir.com
Lázně Libverda and its unique Obří sud (Giant Barrel) restaurant – Lázně Libverda 186;
tel.: +420 482 322 714, [email protected], www.laznelibverda.cz
The Town Museum (Městské muzeum) in Železný Brod; tel.: +420 483 389 081, glassmaking exhibition,
J. Brychtová and S. Libenský art gallery, the Museum of Local History “na Bělišti”; tel.: +420 483 391 149
Jizerka – Bukovec nature reserve, Jizerka peat moors and the museum in the Old School, with its interesting
exhibition on the history and present of the Jizera Mountains; www.csopjizerka.cz
The Tanvald – Kořenov – Harrachov rack railway – a technical cultural monument, the steepest railway line
in the Czech Republic, www.zubacka.cz
Glassmaking monument at Kristiánov – a small museum dedicated to the history of this former glassmaking
settlement, www.msb–jablonec.cz
Source of the Lužická Nisa River – Nová Ves nad Nisou, not far from the brand new Nisanka viewing tower
Museum of Local History of Smržovka – Smržovka, tel.: +420 483 369 325, www.smrzovka.cz
The Museum of North Bohemia (Severočeské muzeum) in Liberec; tel.: +420 485 246 111, www.muzeumlb.cz
Vranov rock castle and the Pantheon – Malá Skála, offers a marvellous view into the valley of the River Jizera.
Novosad & Son Glassworks and Microbrewery (Sklárna a minipivovar Novosad a syn) – Harrachov, tour
of the glassworks (the production of blown and cut glass), glass museum and microbrewery, ski museum;
tel.: +420 481 528 141, www.sklarnaharrachov.cz
Sychrov Chateau – tel.: +420 482 416 011, www.zamek–sychrov.cz
Zoo – Liberec; the oldest zoo in the Czech Republic, rare white tigers; tel.: +420 482 710 616-7, www.zooliberec.cz
The living open–air folk museum in Jindřichovice pod Smrkem – run by Lunaria, o.s., Jindřichovice 12,
a museum of life in the country, a reconstructed windmill and a nature trail around the village of Jindřichovice;
tel.: 605 345 467 – Ing. Zbyněk Vlk, info@lunaria–jindrichovice.cz, www.lunaria–jindrichovice.cz
VIEWING TOWERS AROUND
JABLONEC NAD NISOU
Bramberk (Lučany nad Nisou, 493 – 787 metres above sea level); the viewing tower is not open to the public
Černá Studnice (Horní Černá Studnice – 869 metres above sea level); tel.: +420 774 305 830,
www.rozhledna.org
Frýdlant viewing tower (Frýdlant – 399 metres above sea level);
tel.: +420 482 313 474, +420 724 045 560, www.mesto–frydlant.cz
Kopanina (Rychnov u Jablonce nad Nisou – 657 metres above sea level),
pick up the key subject to prior agreement on tel.: +420 606 560 262
Královka (Janov nad Nisou 1160 – 859 metres above sea level);
tel.: +420 736 490 492, +420 731 411 863, www.jizerskehotely.cz
Nad Prosečí (Jablonec nad Nisou, Lukášovská 217 – 593 metres above sea level);
open from May to September 2009 on Saturdays and Sundays subject to tel. agreement: +420 725 554 947,
+420 725 554 869, +420 483 300 599 – Mr. Tuček
Nisanka (Nová Ves nad Nisou – 676 metres above sea level);
tel.: +420 488 880 852, +420 724 321 724 www.rozhledna–nisanka.cz
New Town Hall (Jablonec nad Nisou, Mírové náměstí 19 – 513 metres above sea level); the tower is open
to the public during the summer holidays; tel.: +420 774 667 677, www.jablonec.com
Petřín (Jablonec nad Nisou, Petřínská 6 – 608 metres above sea level);
tel.: +420 483 302 861–2, www.hotel–petrin.cz
Liberec Town Hall – viewing tower (nám. Dr. E. Beneše 1 – 370 metres above sea level);
tel.: +420 485 101 709, www.infolbc.cz
Rašovka (Restaurant V Trnčí and viewing tower, Rašovka 79 – 610 metres above sea level);
tel.: +420 485 122 403, www.restauracevtrnci.euroregin.cz
Smrk (Nové Město pod Smrkem – 1,124 metres above sea level); the viewing tower is freely accessible all year
round; www.nmps.cz/okoli_mesta.php
Slovanka (Lučany nad Nisou, Horní Maxov 8 – 820 metres above sea level);
tel.: +420 483 300 886, +420 602 831 420, +420 607 744 593, www.slovanka.eu; freely accessible
Štěpánka (Kořenov – Příchovice, Hvězda Hill – 958 metres above sea level); tel.: +420 603 806 473
Tanvaldský Špičák (Albrechtice v Jizerských horách 355 – 831 metres above sea level);
tel.: +420 483 710 999. A four–seater chairlift runs to the top of the mountain in winter and on Saturdays
and Sundays in July and August; www.skijizerky.cz
Lidové sady viewing tower (Lidové sady 425/1, Liberec); tel.: +420 482 710 649, www.lidovesadyliberec.cz
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3 4 5
1 > New viewing tower on Smrk Mountain
2 > Suché skály rocks
3 > The Kopanina viewing tower
4 > The Frýdštejn castle ruins
5 > The Štěpánka viewing tower
> THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON…
>> TIP FOR A TRIP:
> Jizerská 50 – January; traditional cross–country skiing race, Expedice Peru 70 memorial, www.jiz50.cz
Euroregion Tour – March; tourism fair, www.eurocentrumjablonec.cz
Easter markets – April; sales of traditional Easter goods accompanied by cultural events in the town centre,
www.eurocentrumjablonec.cz
Lantern parade and fireworks – May, www.eurocentrumjablonec.cz
Nisa – řeka, která nás spojuje (Nisa – the river that joins us) – June; a social and cultural festival,
www.mestojablonec.cz
Woodstock nad Nisou – June; festival of tribute bands, www.eurocentrumjablonec.cz
Jizerská 50 cycling race – June; mountain bike race, www.jiz50.cz
Jablonec summer of culture – July – August; cultural events taking place at the Eurocentrum during
the holidays, www.eurocentrumjablonec.cz
Léto tančí (Summer Dances) – July; summer workshops of movement, dance and rhythm,
www.eurocentrumjablonec.cz
Summer exhibitions at the Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery – June – September,
www.msb–jablonec.cz
Folková noc na Frýdštejně (Folk Night at Frýdštejn) – July; folk music festival, www.folkovanoc.cz
Benátská noc – July; rock music festival, www.benatskanoc.cz
St. Anne’s Glass Festival in Jizerka – July, St. Anne’s Fair, www.csopjizerka.cz, www.dudovi.cz
Our Lady’s Glass Fair in Kristiánov – September; traditional fair, www.msb–jablonec.cz
Monument day – September; European Cultural Heritage Day, www.jablonec.com
Jablonec autumn festival – September; traditional town festival with plenty of cultural events,
www.eurocentrumjablonec.cz
Christmas markets – December; the atmosphere of Christmas in the town; sales of gifts, craft demonstrations,
food and drink, www.eurocentrumjablonec.cz
>> A great way to explore the town is to walk either the outer or inner sightseeing trail.
The outer Jablonec sightseeing trail (15 km): The path runs through the forests of the suburbs and the villa
districts on the outskirts, offering wonderful views of the whole valley of the town. This track brings together
the most significant dominant features and tourist sites. The main attractions are the Černá Studnice ridge forest
complex, the popular Petřín Hill, the Proseč ridge and the attractive reservoir area.
The trail is marked out with signs featuring a diagonally-split red and white square.
The inner tourist trail around Jablonec nad Nisou (6.5 km): runs through the centre of the town and links place
of interest around the centre. The trail begins at the town hall and is marked with the blue and white signs.
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1 > The Jizerská 50 cycle race
2 > Exhibits at the Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery
JABLONEC
NAD NISOU
JABLONECKÉ
KULTURNÍ
A INFORMAČNÍ
CENTRUM
Jablonecké kulturní
a informační centrum, o.p.s.
Mírové náměstí 3100
CZ - 466 01 Jablonec nad Nisou
T: +420 774 667 677 | F: +420 483 311 370
[email protected] | www.jablonec.com
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