Czech Craftsmanship on UNESCO List. Become a Glassmaker in Prague!
Prague city centre is a world-famous location with a vast number of cultural monuments of incalculable historical value. No wonder, the area of 866 hectares, has been inscribed in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List already since 1992, creating one of the largest UNESCO sites globally. But it is not only the buildings listed, the UNESCO includes also so-called intangible heritage.
Czech Glass-Making Art Lands in UNESCO List
Intangible heritage, as the name suggests, consists of specific regional customs, traditions, or crafts. There are already nine items listed in the UNESCO intangible heritage from the Czech Republic, including the most recent one - handmade glass production - inscribed in December last year. However, this craft is well-known also in other countries, the Czech Republic is proud to maintain all the known techniques of glass making over time, while elsewhere only some of them have survived.
Handmade glass production has a long tradition on our territory dating dozens of centuries back to Celtic culture. The golden era of the craft has arrived in the 13th and in the end of the 16th century. Later on, the quality of Czech glass reached such a level that it earned the nickname “Bohemian Crystal” (referring to the historical region of the Czech Republic: Bohemia) and even surpassed the world-renowned Venetian glass in popularity. Until present day, there are many glass factories and family workshops employing more than 5,000 glassblowers, grinders, jewellery manufacturers and other experts.
Becoming a Glassblower for a Moment
You don’t have to travel around the entire Czech Republic visiting the regions with glass-making tradition to experience glass-related activities. You are welcome to discover the glass-making art in Prague, where you can try to blow or paint your own product using your unique creative style and crafting your personalised and one-in-the-world souvenir!
Paint your own glass during the incentive activity in Manto Gallery for up to 100 pax, delivered by the local DMC Liberty Incentives & Congresses. Or experience a glassblowing workshop for up to 10 pax in Prague Glass Experience (Pragl), where you can not only blow your glass but also sandblast different motifs on beverage glasses. Reach out to the Passion for Prague DMC, or Liberty Incentives, to choose a tailor-made Pragl workshop for your guests. And since the production of glass cannot be done without very high temperatures, this workshop includes a tasting of Cvikov beer.
For those who would be interested in making stained glass, try engraving or discover the secret tips on how to take photos of glass products, all with refreshments and wine tasting available, Prague can offer a workshop at the glass atelier of Petr Vydra.
If you are not able or willing to travel to glass factories to try the glass making process, there is a solution too! Rent a mobile glass furnace for your event via the Czech glass factory Floriánova huť. Thanks to this rental, your guests will be able to try to make their own glass products almost everywhere.
Keep Your Eyes Open for Czech Glass Art
Workshops and factories are not the only venues where you can see Czech glass products. Unique artworks can be spotted all around Prague – even in such as unexpected spots as the conference & meeting spaces.
A relatively large collection of glass artworks by the most renowned Czech creators of the 20th century, who also provided some pieces of glass decoration for the St. Vitus Cathedral or New Scene of the National Theatre, can be found in the Prague Congress Centre. When cris-crossing the venue on a busy conference day, keep your eyes open for A woman with a dove in the Congress Hall Foyers, glass chandeliers, or the Sun artwork at the foot of one of the staircases. Don’t forget to look up when entering the O2 universum to see a chandelier consisting of 650 hand-blown glass balls of various shapes and colours made by Preciosa Lightning. More chandeliers from this world-famous Czech glass producer can be found also in The Julius Prague, Andaz Prague hotel, or Design Hotel Josef. Some other pieces are placed at the Ambiente Myšák café, Buddha or Cotto Crudo restaurant of Four Seasons hotel. Another well-known Czech glass company – Lasvit – created a glass installation called “Falling Leaves” at the Hotel Aria.
Take a Piece of Czech Glass Tradition to Your Home
To discover (and buy) various glass artworks is a piece of cake in Prague. Lasvit, Preciosa Lightning or famous Moser companies have their showrooms here. Some of them can be even used for holding a small private event with a luxury touch. Don’t hesitate to visit them and take a true Czech souvenir back home! Should you need some assistance with choosing the right gifts from the City of the Hundred Spires, browse through our recent blog post on typical local souvenirs.
Photocredit: Passion for Prague
