Heřmanice U Frýdlantu

Heřmanice U Frýdlantu between Views, Glass and History

Heřmanice U Frýdlantu combines panoramic views, family discoveries, glassmaking, cycling and historical traces into a diverse travel destination.

Views and Shared Discoveries

A notable attraction is the observation tower in Heřmanice. It is 25 m high and freely accessible all year round. Below the observation tower begins “Do nitra sopky,” an outdoor family game that can be played with a mobile app or a practical notebook. The starting point is at a tourist car park, where parking is available. This makes it possible to combine a viewpoint and a playful discovery activity in one visit, without having to limit yourself to just one way of experiencing the area.

Glass as a Craft and Cultural Trace

Sklárna Josef Novotný produces handmade glass products. The range extends from small pieces of jewelry through functional glassware to monumental glass objects. The glassworks can be visited on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; at weekends, opening is irregular. SpiderGlass offers another facet: visitors can see the technological production process, a studio gallery for glass and jewelry, and an exhibition room with original ceramic molds. In Heřmanice, both finished glassworks and their craft and design setting are therefore central.

Cycling Route and Historical Connections

For an active day, Cycle Route 1 runs through Hrádek nad Nisou, Václavice, Albrechtice u Frýdlantu, Heřmanice and Frýdlant. Heřmanička offers another perspective on the region’s past. It was a former narrow-gauge railway from Frýdlant to the border-area village of Heřmanice. Historically, it connected Frýdlant via the Saxon narrow-gauge railway network with present-day Bogatynia and Žitava. These railway connections belong to the history of the place and should not be understood as present-day railway operations.

Rock Formation, Figures and Local History

Kodešova skála is a basalt rock massif with a rock face where the fan-shaped arrangement of the basalt columns is clearly visible. The name commemorates the Frýdlant teacher Otakar Kodeš, who was shot there on September 22, 1938, by a member of a Sudeten German organization. Landscape detail and historical memory stand closely side by side here, without reducing the rock formation to a purely natural attraction.

Heřmanické peklo is another unusual attraction. The freely accessible attraction shows wooden figures of five adult devils, one female devil and two small devils, as well as three bears. There is also a hell mask with a spider web and a hell throne for sitting. In December, children meet Mikuláš, devils and angels at Heřmanické peklo. For families, this creates another place alongside the outdoor game, with a distinctly unique visual language and a seasonal connection.

For comparing other destinations, you can also consider Hlavice, Hejnice, Příšovice, Žďárek, Chotyně, Jindřichovice Pod Smrkem, Dolni Rasnice and Čtveřín.

For the broader travel overview: Liberec District.