Refresh and rewind

Two customs traditionally associated with the Czech lands are glassmaking and beer; any opportunity to combine the two is always welcome. Add beautiful mountains and year-round outdoor activities, and you have the perfect weekend destination, also known as Harrachov.

Now that spring is finally making an appearance, it's the perfect time to head for the Harrachov hills for either the last gasp of winter - the ski season in the Krkonoše Mountains typically lasts through April - or the first breath of warm, fresh country air and green underfoot.

Located close to the Polish border in north Bohemia, three hours by bus from Prague, the ski town of Harrachov is home to some of the country's best downhill runs and ski-jumps. In warmer months, the extensive network of cross-country skiing trails become lush and rolling forested paths ideal for hiking or mountain biking.

But there's much more to the area than hidden waterfalls and wooden chalet pubs. Harrachov is home to the oldest functioning glassworks in the world, the Novosad & Son factory. Dating to 1712, the glass factory uses traditional handcrafting techniques to create a range of stemware, decorative and utility glass and chandeliers. Tours of the factory are offered in several languages, including English, and guests at the adjacent hotel (where a double en-suite room costs around 900 Kč) get a free tour as well as access to the Glass Museum, which showcases centuries of local glassmaking trends.

Tours of the glassworks provide an up-close view of the artisans at work. The glass blowers and kiln workers are all artists by trade, and it's impressive to see the speed, precision and coordination with which they work: Each worker has a specific task, be it firing the kiln, placing and removing with pokers the glowing molten glass, blowing the shape of wine glasses and vases, or shaping the stem and the base - all before passing it on to the next person in line.

The glass makes its way to the cutting room, a vast area flooded with natural light and filled with enough cutting stones and benches for 300 craftsmen. Until 2008, the room was worked to capacity; in these post-recession times, sadly, only three glass cutters remain.

With kiln temperatures reaching 1,450 Celsius, the factory floor gets extremely hot. To help keep glassworkers hydrated and cool, the glassworks opened a microbrewery in 2002. To this day, you can spy workers sipping on the original unfiltered, unpasteurized 5° lager as they wipe the sweat from their brows. The low-alcohol beer can also be purchased at the brewery, and, following the popularity of the beer, which is brewed using Žatec hops and water from an onsite mountain spring, the Novosad Pivovar began producing the 12° František lager and a dark lager, both of which are served on tap at the restaurant. In February, the František light lager won Beer of the Year at the recent 21st annual Prestige Beer Test Tábor 2011 awards, an impressive feat for a microbrewery.

Sipping on a cold, quality craft beer is the perfect end to a day spent adventuring outside, and there is no shortage of activities for hard-core sports enthusiasts or families. The information center, located centrally on Harrachov's main street, has information in English about ski rentals and bike rentals. For example, renting a pair of cross-country skis for half a day costs about 150 Kč.

From the myriad trails, one route that is particularly pleasant (and popular) is the 2.5-kilometer trek to the fairy-tale Mumlava Falls, a 10-meter high waterfall with a natural paddling pond on the Mumlava River, which winds its way down a mountainside. There are several other winding paths that will lead you there, as well, and a map of the trails is available free from the town information center. The truly ambitious can tackle the Krkonošská magistrála, a cross-country skiing and hiking causeway that runs along 90 kilometers of the mountain ridge, starting in Harrachov and heading east to end in Žacléř.

There is also plenty to do within Harrachov itself. An adrenaline rush awaits at the family-friendly bobsled track, and each winter, a lifesize castle made entirely out of ice hosts regular medieval jousting exhibitions and concerts for as long as it stays solid, which is often until early summer. The Chapel of St. Elizabeth, located just outside the brewery, was built in 1901 and features stained-glass windows created by the glassworks, as well as a glass bell that chimes the hour. For ultimate relaxation, the Novosad Pivovar recently opened a beer spa in the hotel, where guests can soak in a bath infused with František lager while sipping on the same (30-minute treatment, 700 Kč).

The town's website, Harrachov.com, provides comprehensive information on weather conditions, activities and accommodation. There's something for everyone in Harrachov, and any time is the perfect time to visit.

Fiona Gaze can be reached at
fgaze@praguepost.com