Bead Tours in Jablonec?
 

We will be in Prague next week, and I want to see how Czech beads are made as well as purchase them. I know Jablonec is the town where most factories are located. Has anyone taken a day tour you would recommend?
Thanks!

This sounds like a lot of fun.

Bookmarking.

I've only seen that offered as private tours, so they can get pricey, several hundred euro or so.

There is a bus that goes there from Prague but the schedule I just saw takes 2.5 hrs each way, which is kind of crazy as it's only 100 km.

I was in Jablonec a couple of weeks ago. Don't know about guided tours, but the glass/bijouterie museum covers the whole process of manufacturing, and the exhibits are excellent, too. I know there are flyers about a trail with places of interest on glass beads (factories, shops etc.) available in the Tourist Info.

Check www.idos.cz for schedule of buses/trains. Unlike Christina I found buses that take about an hour from Prague, if you go through Liberec close to 2 hours. They depart e.g. 8.30 am and 10 am from Cerny Most in Prague. Price one way is 100 CZK, that's roughly 4 Euro.

I used a different website as I think idos was only in Czech? I couldn't figure it out. I used this one which seemed to have a bus at 7:30 that doesn't get there until 10:15 or so
https://amsbus.cz/

Prices were cheap, though, abuut 5-6 euro.

idos.cz is in English and German, too. It's the standard website for public transportation in Czech Republic, like bahn.de in Germany and sbb.ch in Switzerland e.g.

I use Idos a lot when I am in the CR , if you scroll down the page a little you will see a link to the German and English versions

I found a tour, which could take more people but he's not booked with anyone else, so it will just be my husband and me. For anyone interested, the website is www.bananas4beads.com.
Keith says we'll get to at least 2 factories to see how lampwork and pressed fire beads are made, and of course, shopping. The cost is about $100 per person, beads not included...
I'm a jewelry and textile artist, so this is a dream day for me. My husband is an archaeologist, so seeing a town and watching a process that has been around for centuries will keep him interested too.
Thanks for your replies.

Writing from Prague on our last day. The tour with Keith (www.bananas4beads) was a success! I had a wonderful day, as did my non-bead-buying husband. Keith understands the process and can both translate and explain. We got to make a lampwork bead in the first studio after watching the craftswomen, then buy from them. We visited 3 places, the last I did after we dropped my husband at the bead museum.
The tour was 2400 Kč each, and I'd say well worth it to get into factories to see how the beads are actually made. Plus, I got a discount in 2 of the places being with him.
I write a blog for anyone interested, though sometimes it's more personal and about my own artwork, but it's a trip report while I travel. www.pattwithtwots.blogspot.com

Jamie and Guy of Wild Things Beads out of California, USA offer 7 day button and bead tours of Jablonec and surrounding areas. Being doing these tours for about 12 years, we are direct bead and button importers. We visit about 7 or 8 bead factories and warehouses, observe first hand how the beads and buttons are made and can purchase right off the overstock shelves or go into production. We take 15 people on these tours, flying into Prague then rent a bus to drive into the Jiserske Mountains for the next 7 days. This is a business trip with the opportunity to make contact with factory sources. Perfect for bead store owners and designers or someone wanting to grow their wholesale business. We also visit glassware factories and antique stores. Contact us at www.wildthingsbeads.com for more info.

Our next tour is May 17 through May 24, 2017