With the arrival of spring, it is also time for the traditional Prague Tourism Fair at the Letňany Exhibition Centre. On the weekend of 14-16 March, domestic and foreign travel agencies and companies dealing with tourism will present themselves here. Among them, the world-famous Kant family, the leading Czech glassmakers specialising in stained glass, will not be absent this year.
At their presentation booth, interested parties can find out everything important about the overview of workshops and cultural events, including concerts at the Stained Glass Museum in Libya. As part of the so-called experiential tourism, there will also be information about glassmaking events and excursions at the Jitka and Richard Kant manufactory in nearby Lubenec.
The studio and workshops of the Kants are located in the centre of the charming village of Karlovy Vary - in Lubenec. Nearby is a European unique - the Czech Museum of Stained Glass, which Richard and Jitka, together with other enthusiasts from the Association for the Rescue of the Church of St. Jilja in the aforementioned sanctuary in Libynia, built after a complete reconstruction. The Gothic monument from 1338 commemorates Emperor Charles IV, who had the church built for his visitors during his long journey from Prague to Karlovy Vary. Today, one of the proverbial wonders of the world can be seen here in the form of a unique stained glass ceiling. It is as if during its reconstruction, the appointed artists had tried out a large stained glass window for the New York train station, for which they had been commissioned some time ago after a number of previous works for France or the USA.
In the museum, visitors will certainly be surprised by the beauty of stained glass windows, stained glass accessories of the Gothic interior, a unique stained glass altar and last but not least, the specialty of the artisan Jitka Kantová, which are stained glass sculptures combining natural stone with glass. There are also areas for information and souvenirs, and the church pews are often used for concerts.
It's a few proverbial steps from Libya to Lubence. This is the seat of the family business of Jitka and Richard, who graduated together from the glass school in Valašské Meziříčí. The classmates eventually became husband and wife, and since 2000 they have been artistic partners in their family business. The company is decorated with a sales gallery and above all offers opportunities to observe the complex production of various stained glass objects in the Lubenec manufactory as part of a tourist excursion.
Something for everyone
Of course, not every reader will go to the above-mentioned Tourism Fair in Prague's Letňany. However, since it would be a pity not to know, and not to make a nice trip in time as part of adventure tourism, we have therefore consulted the rich programme of the Association for the Rescue of St. Jilja Church, which we obtained from the Kants. We choose from the rich offer and calculate it telegraphically:
7.-12. 4. Glass symposium in Lubenec - Libynia and 12. 4. Easter workshop for the public, suitable reservation at skloart@skoart.cz
25. 4. Opening of the exhibition of amateur photographers from the competition "The Land of the Blue Chrysanthemum", founded on the anniversary of the 85th anniversary of the death of the lover of the region, writer Karel Čapek
3. 5. from 18.00. Concert of the band BLUE BONE with the book launch of the band's frontwoman Jana Michalcova in the new background at the church of St. Jilja on the occasion of the opening of the tourist season
3. 5. Opening of the tourist season 2025 - church and tower in Libynia
21 .6. Workshop for the general public - production of stained glass trinkets, glass bell-ringers and decorations in the building of the spejkhar in nearby St. Petersburg during the annual garden festival
19 July at 9 p.m.. Night of Lights and French Chanson - St. Jilja Church, Libyň
8. 8. from 18.00. Organ Concert - St. Lawrence Church Lubenec
9. 8. Workshop - mosaics in the premises of the company Skloart in Lubenec
25. 10. End of the tourist season - church and lookout tower in Libynia
More on: skloart@skloart.cz or www.vitrazovemuzeum.cz
gnews.cz - Ivan Černý
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