Nový Bor

The glassmaking capital of northern Bohemia at the foot of the Lužické hory — glass school since 1870, a dedicated glass museum, and the trailhead side of Klíč.

Nový Bor is glass. The town has lived off glassmaking since the 18th century, its glass school has run since 1870, studios and workshops still work around the centre, and the Glass Museum on the square holds one of the best collections in the country. For a walker it is mostly the gateway to the Lužické hory: the bare phonolite cone of Klíč stands directly above the town, and the range’s marked ridge routes start from its streets.

Practicalities are easy — a rail station, buses, plenty of shops and restaurants — which makes the town a comfortable start or finish for a mountain day that needs no car.