Crystal Factory and Karlštejn village with beautiful gothic castle
Duration:
Approximately 7 hours. Starting time is
usually 9:30 AM. The tour is available Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays from the beginning of March through October.
Aim: To learn how hand cut, mouth blown Czech
crystal is being made - and to see a famous gothic castle.
Focus: The production and tradition of hand crafted
Czech crystal. The chance to buy products of a very high quality at
low prices, with absolutely no pressure at all to buy anything. To
experience a unique and quaint microbrewery for lunch. To see
stunning Bohemian landscapes. Finally to know the history of and see
the amazing
Karlštejn
castle.
Transportation: By car, by horse-drawn carriage and
by foot.
Meeting point:
Your address in Prague (if accessible by car)
Food/drinks: Lunch at a very unique microbrewery
with low prices for food and drink (not included). If the guests
want it, also a coffee break in the
Karlštejn village.
Group size: 1-6 persons
Price: a total of Czk. 6.000,- (€ 240,- or $ 275,-)
for the
whole group. Surcharge: Entrance at the crystal factory and
transport by horse-drawm carriage: approximately Czk. 250,- (€ 10,-
or $ 12,- per person).
You can enjoy this on the tour to a Czech Crystal Factory and Karlštejn village with beautiful gothic castle:
We’ll
drive through some beautiful landscapes in western Bohemia to the
little village Nižbor, where we’ll visit one of the best
known glass/crystal works in the Czech
Republic, Rückl. I’ll give an introduction to the whole process of
glass making before we enter the factory and see, how skilled
craftsmen blow the glass according to the old traditions. We’ll also
see how crystal is cut according to approximately 6.000 different
designs, unique for this specific factory. You’ll be able to follow
the work closely, and of course you’re welcome to take photos of
everything (but without flash). There will be only us in the tour
group; I am one of the few guides allowed to make the tour just for
my own special guests. After the tour of the factory you can visit
the factory’s onsite shop with a better quality and lower prices
than most crystal shops in Prague.
There will be
absolutely no pressure or
obligation to buy anything.
Before
heading towards Karlštejn, we make a break at a unique microbrewery
in the town of Beroun. We’ll have a surprisingly cheap lunch and you
can sample the hand crafted beer (or soft drinks, of course). The
beer is only served here, and you can buy some of
it “to go” at very low prices (app. 2-3
Euros for 1½ liter).
We
continue by car through beautiful countryside sceneries and park
below the village of Karlštejn. We can walk through the village
towards the marvelous castle (quite
steep), or we can go by a horse-drawn carriage (Czk. 150 per person)
to the top and walk back down again. We won’t do a tour inside the
castle, that part is not too interesting, but we’ll enjoy the
beautiful buildings from the outside and the great views of the
area. I know the "sweet spots", where you can get
the best photos of the castle and the village. Of course I’ll
tell you about the history of the castle, which dates back to 1348
and is one of the best known landmarks in the Czech Republic. The
village of Karlštejn has a lovely atmosphere with charming antique
shops and souvenir shops cheaper than in Prague and also cozy
restaurants and cafés, so we’ll not rush but enjoy the afternoon
before heading back to Prague.
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