Glass route

The municipality Moldava was first mentioned in historical materials in 1346 when it created a part of the estate of Rýzmburk. In 1398 it was sold together with other property by Boreš of Rýzmburk to Meissen margrave Vilém of the house of Wettin. Some information about glassworks was found in the accounts of this estate from the end of the 14^th century and the beginning of the 15^th century. First mention comes from the year 1399 and the others are from the years 1400 to 1405. The written sources confirmed the existence of glass production but it was not clear if there was only one glassworks or more of them. Explorations accomplished by ČSAV in Prague and its branch office in Most between the years 1976 and 1990 gradually revealed positions of five glassworks.
 

The length of the Glass Route is 13 km and it goes around the municipality Moldava through now defunct medieval glassworks. Single localities and other interesting places are equipped with information boards in both Czech and German languages. The route starts in the upper Moldava in the place of František Koubek’s memorial, near the gas station. The route has its own tourist marking.
 

In case of interest in glass history it is possible to continue through pedestrian border crossing from Moldava to Holzhau and join the Glass Route “Východní Krušné hory” (“the Eastern Ore Mountains”). The route is well signposted and equipped with bilingual information boards. Forty-four kilometres long natural route leads through Saxon Ore Mountain glassworks either defunct or still in operation among municipalities Holzhau (Teichhaus), Deutschgeorgendorf, Neuhausen and Seiffen.
 

(written by: Mgr. Markéta Kvasňová)