Severočeské Kunratice, located near Cvikov, can be found a few kilometers beyond Nový Bor. It's a village nestled in a picturesque valley, sheltered by several hills composed of sandstone. This heavily forested and romantic region, with a history dating back to a written mention in 1296, has become a popular destination for experiential tourism for the past ten years. This is largely thanks to the renowned glassmaking facility of the Pačinek family, a company often referred to by journalists as the "Uncrowned King of Czech Glassmakers."
To reach Kunratice, we turn off the highway connecting Nový Bor, Cvikov, Liberec, and Prague. At the edge of the village, we are greeted by a striking, large blue sculpture called "Sublima," composed of glass bubbles on the right side, indicating that we are on the right track. On the left, we are also likely to be impressed by the unique monument to Emperor Joseph II, a humanist and progressive visionary who, among other things, was known for limiting the influence of the Catholic Church and abolishing monasteries. We pass the school building, and a view of our destination opens up before us. On the right, we see the Church of the Ascension of the Holy Cross from 1833, built in the Empire style, now transformed into what is known as the "Crystal Church." And on the left, we find the Pačinek glassmaking facility, which includes a workshop, a sales gallery, a glassmakers' canteen, a unique Glass Garden, and cottages for visitors who wish to extend their trip with a few days exploring the surrounding area, including the borders of the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, but which requires a trip to the nearby town of Krásná Lípa.
A Glass Paradise
The Pačinek Glass family company is a significant producer of artistic glass, made using traditional Czech techniques of hand-shaping. The company has been operating as an independent brand since 2007 and is celebrating ten years of operation in its own workshop, which was created in 2015 through the renovation of a former agricultural machinery station.
The workshop is open not only to glass artists, artists, filmmakers, architects, and designers from around the world, but also to the general public. The glassmaking facility is open for guided tours year-round. The experience of seeing the glassmakers at work is truly remarkable. Master Pačinek himself often demonstrates his skills to visitors, playing his glass harmonica, and tourists can watch him as he works on his demanding, original projects. These include large sculptures of horses, birds, fish, and plants, as well as other works inspired by nature, which are used to create stunning and unique garden projects for even the most discerning customers. Visitors can experience this firsthand by strolling through the amazing and unparalleled Glass Garden located in a valley just below the workshop.
The Crystal Temple
The highlight of a visit to the glassmaking complex is a tour of the aforementioned sanctuary (a cultural monument), which in 2020 hosted a comprehensive exhibition of modern glass art by Jiří Pačinek, including glass interior decorations. This unique gallery offers visitors an extraordinary artistic experience, enhanced by the spiritual atmosphere of the church, which combines historical sacred architecture with modern glass in the form of large sculptures, lighting fixtures, and installations, including a unique glass altar.
According to David Sobotka, the company's art manager, the venue also hosts regular exhibitions, such as the presentation of works by the painter Hunčovský at the beginning of April this year.
When hands work together, the artwork succeeds.
The opening of the joint exhibition by Karel Hunčovský and the glassmaker Jiří Pačinek, titled CONNECTION, will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 3:00 PM, with the participation of both artists.
Karel Hunčovský, a collector of various objects, a guide to underground spaces, a traveler around the world, but above all a painter, comes from northern Bohemia, where he lives and has been dedicated to painting with oils, watercolors, and pastels for over twenty years. His great passion, travel, led him to Jiří Pačinek's glassmaking workshop, where he was inspired not only by what is created on the glassblowing pipes, but also by the people behind this creation of delicate beauty. This led to a series of paintings in which, alongside the face and figure of Jiří Pačinek, there are portraits of other glassblowers, grinders, and other members of Pačinek Glass, depicted in their work situations, holding glass in various forms in their hands. Literally! As Sobotka emphasizes, the glass fragments become an original "living" part of the painted image, forming a unique and real whole with the person depicted.
We would like to remind you that viewers will be able to admire the collection of fifteen paintings in the magical space of the Crystal Temple, just a few steps from the Kunratice glassworks, where the situations depicted in the paintings took place. Karel Hunčovský painted with a brush, and Jiří Pačinek used a glassblowing pipe.
More information is available at
In conclusion, it should be noted that this exhibition is one of the first events celebrating the tenth anniversary of the glassmaking complex in Kunratice. The main event will take place in May. However, that will be the subject of another article.
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