It is not by chance that the Jablonec region is included in the history books as a region of glass and costume jewellery. These two industries have significantly influenced the history of the region and have made their mark on its appearance. Jablonec nad Nisou became the world centre of costume jewellery in around the year 1900.

You can visit the local museums to learn about the history of glass and costume jewellery. Jablonec nad Nisou is home to the specialized Museum of Glass and Costume Jewellery, part of which is the Belveder Gallery, while the Monument to Glassmaking is located in the glassmaking settlement of Kristiánov in the Jizera Mountains. Another attractive glass exhibition is located in the Municipal Museum in Železný Brod. An independent part of the museum is the gallery of Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, two internationally renowned glass artists. Rich collections of historical glass are to be found in Liberec (the North Bohemian Museum) or in the small glass museums in Kamenický Šenov and Nový Bor.

The tradition of glass and costume jewellery making has been kept alive partly thanks to numerous applied arts schools. The oldest schools are those in Kamenický Šenov and Nový Bor. An applied arts school specialising in the requirements of the local costume jewellery industry was established in Jablonec nad Nisou in 1880. A second, similarly oriented glass school was opened in Železný Brod in 1920.