Tour Inspiration
Not a set itinerary — just a few of the places and days we can put together. There is no typical tour. Anything is possible.
We can chat and help you plan — including a few nights in Prague. Every trip is planned around you, the time you have, and what you want to see.
How a trip usually starts
You’ll be picked up from Prague Airport by Keith, and taken to either your Prague hotel or Jablonec, whichever you choose to visit first. Prague city centre is about 15 minutes from the airport. Jablonec is about a 1.5-hour drive. From there we build the days together.
Arriving in Jablonec
Jablonec is a beautiful old town — and, more importantly, it is full of beads if you know where to look. The first thing we do is settle into the hotel, your base for the rest of the week. It’s a family-run spot with a restaurant and a function room. There is space there to bead in the afternoons or evenings — and time to sit together, talk through the day’s finds, and look ahead to what tomorrow might bring.
Černá Studnice — the black well
Černá Studnice means “black well” in Czech. It is a peak a few kilometres south-east of Jablonec, long a favourite walk for locals and visitors. A simple rock viewpoint was prepared there in 1885; the granite lookout tower (about 26 metres), designed by Jablonec architect Robert Hemmrich, opened on 14 August 1905. From the galleries you look out over the bead town and the Jizera ridges — a good day out when you want hills as well as shops.
Plays quietly as you scroll past — tap enlarge for a bigger view.
Museum of Glass and Jewellery
One of the finest places to visit is the Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec. It’s a good starting point for the history of Czech bead and glass-making, which dates back to the 18th century.
Shops
There are many shops, all selling something different. Treasures wait in the antique shops if you don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty. You’ll find plenty of brilliant shops if you know where to look. We spread the shopping through the week so it isn’t too overwhelming. Guests often ask to revisit their favourites towards the end of the trip, which is never a problem.
Shopping for beads
When you know where to look, Jablonec is full of bead shops — shelves of seed beads, trays of shapes, and the odd treasure waiting in a dusty corner. We spread the shopping through the week so it doesn’t feel rushed.
Bring your husbands — they love learning about the production, and the scenery in the mountains is amazing. There might even be time for a few beers.
Happy shoppers, quiet rests between shops — and sometimes ice cream.
Bead afternoons
In the afternoons or evenings there is time to sit and bead together. Guests often spread out their finds, stitch a little, and show each other what they have made.
Finished pieces from our Bead afternoons.
Making glass stones and traditional lampwork
Cabochons — glass stones — take shape in the flame at a modern lampwork bench. Some workshops still make beads much as they did some 300 years ago. Both are lovely to watch up close.
Glass stones at the lamp, and beads made the traditional way.
Other places to visit
Czechia is full of hidden treasures beyond the bead shops. When there is time, we can add a castle town, a cathedral, or a quiet historic corner. See our short page on hidden treasures.
Factories
There are many factories, each making something different. We visit more than one so you can see bead production up close — press, polish, cut and fire-polish. We also visit a glass-waxed pearl factory with its own outlet shop. If you’re interested in ordering large quantities, beads can even be made to order.
Lamp-work workshops
We visit lamp-work bead makers. You can watch experienced ladies who make it look easy — and then have a go yourself. That’s when you realise even making a colourful blob of glass is not easy. They have beautiful collections of lamp-work beads to choose from, and fantastic jewellery.
Christmas glass pearls
The Czech Republic has a rich history of Christmas decorations dating back to 1800. We’ll visit a spot where small glass pearls are still made the same way they were 100 years ago. You can join a workshop to make your own decorations using these hollow glass pearls.
Glass factories
Some glass factories date back a very long way — one to 1712. You can get close to the glass production on a tour, and see glass cutting as it used to be done before China started to mass-produce it.
Glass button pressing
We’ll visit a small, very old glass button press — still in action — and then have the chance to buy fantastic hand-painted glass buttons, some vintage, some new. This is one of the last button-pressing masters still at work.
Meals together
There are plenty of good places to eat, offering fantastic value. We’ll dine together every evening, either at the hotel restaurant or one of our favourite local spots. Czech cooking is rich and full of flavour. Menus aren’t always tailored to vegetarians, but staff are often very accommodating. During the whole holiday we are with you in the day, and we spend the evenings with you as well, having good meals out together.
Food on tour
A few of the dishes from our evenings out together.
Who it’s for
First-timers and repeat guests are both welcome. Come to shop, to watch beads and glass being made, or both.
A little practical
There is walking, time standing in workshops, and some dusty antique shops. Evenings are spent eating together.
Completely flexible
The more time we have, the more we can visit. There is so much to see that 4 or 5 days sometimes isn’t enough. We have guests coming for the third, fourth and fifth time; one traveller even managed to visit twice in one year. You can come for a few nights, a week, or longer. By the end of the tour you will look at your beloved beads with a new-found passion and an appreciation of all the work that goes into making them. Our holidays are completely flexible. This page is meant to give you an idea of the possibilities. Repeat guests are very welcome.
Tell us what you like
Beads, antique shops, factories, lamp-work, Christmas pearls, nights in Prague — tell us what you want to see and we’ll help you plan. Send a message and we’ll take it from there.
Prefer a shorter trip? See our day trips. For 2026 prices, see pricing.