In the northern town of Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic, visitors can explore exceptional Bohemian glass art at a special exhibition drawn from the museum’s permanent collection. Titled “Two in One: Czech and Slovak Glass Design 1918–2018,” the show runs through April 14, 2019, and highlights historic and influential pieces that trace a century of glass design. The museum’s holdings are extensive, numbering in the hundreds of thousands and including costume jewelry, books, magazines, buttons, Riedel glass, medals and plaques. Founded in 1904, it remains the country’s only museum dedicated entirely to glass and jewelry, making it an essential stop for anyone interested in applied arts and design.
Back in Prague, in the lively Holešovice district, travelers will find the recently opened Mama Shelter Hotel. The property embraces a playful, bohemian aesthetic with a variety of room types—Medium Mama, Large Mama, XXL Mama—and a 376-square-foot Mama Penthouse that features a bed suspended from the ceiling. The hotel’s design mixes bold colors and quirky details to create a relaxed, creative atmosphere suited to both leisure and urban exploration.
The main restaurant continues the whimsical approach, laid out like an oversized chessboard and furnished with a deliberately eclectic mix of upholstery and stools shaped like chess pieces. Its menu selection is broad and varied, with separate offerings for children as well as dedicated Wines, Coffee, Cocktails, Lunch & Dinner and Garden Bar menus. Guests can try inventive drinks such as an Aztec Biscuit—made with Four Roses Bourbon, nut syrup, chocolate bitters, lemon juice and nutmeg—or enjoy regional and international dishes like a Shopska salad topped with Balkan cheese or grilled čevapi served in a wood-fired pita. Together, the museum visit in Jablonec and the convivial design and dining scene in Holešovice offer a compelling pair of cultural experiences for visitors to the Czech Republic.