A 25 m-high observation tower, an outdoor game, glass in both handcrafted and exhibition forms, and local history give Heřmanice U Frýdlantu a variety of highlights. When planning, it is worth distinguishing between the attractions based on their specific features: the game has a named starting point, glass visits have set times, while the railway and rock history mainly offer historical context.
Observation Tower, Game and Cycling Route
The observation tower in Heřmanice is 25 m high and freely accessible year-round. Check its condition locally before your trip. The outdoor family game “Do nitra sopky” starts below the tower at a tourist car park, where parking is also available. The game can be played using a mobile app or a practical notebook. This clearly identifies both the starting point and the two possible ways to play, so you do not have to commit to just one format.
The Cyklotrasa 1 offers a different way to find your bearings: it connects Hrádek nad Nisou, Václavice, Albrechtice u Frýdlantu, Heřmanice and Frýdlant. Heřmanice is therefore part of a route whose other named places can be explored along the way. This sets the cycling connection apart from the locally rooted themes of the tower and the game.
Glass: Products and Insights
Sklárna Josef Novotný makes handcrafted glass products. Its range extends from small ornaments to utility glassware and monumental glass objects. The glassworks can be visited on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; weekend opening is irregular. If a visit is important to your stay, check the visiting arrangements in advance. The difference between the stated weekday hours and irregular opening is particularly relevant if you are visiting at the weekend.
At SpiderGlass, visitors can see the technological production process, a studio gallery for glass and jewellery, and an exhibition space featuring original ceramic moulds. This brings two distinct glass-related focuses together: at Sklárna Josef Novotný, the production of handcrafted items is accompanied by a specific product range; at SpiderGlass, insights into the process and several exhibition areas are part of the visitor experience. The combination of glass, jewellery and ceramic moulds gives the subject a broader scope there than a list of finished glass objects alone.
Railway and Local History
The Heřmanička was a former narrow-gauge railway from Frýdlant to the border town of Heřmanice. Historically, it connected Frýdlant via the Saxon narrow-gauge railway network with what are now Bogatynia and Žitava. Local history therefore encompasses both the connection between Frýdlant and Heřmanice and a cross-border context. Both aspects relate to the historic railway, not to a current transport connection.
Another historical subject is Kodešova skála. This basalt rock massif was named after Otakar Kodeš, a teacher from Frýdlant who was shot there on 22 September 1938 by a member of a Sudeten German organisation. The fan-shaped arrangement of the basalt columns is clearly visible on one rock face. Kodešova skála thus brings together a distinctive geological formation and a specific story behind its name: the rock is characterised both by its basalt structure and by the person and event associated with its name.
An Unusual Attraction
Heřmanické peklo is freely accessible year-round. Its features include wooden figures of five adult devils, a female devil and two little devils, as well as three bears, a hell mask with a spiderweb and a hell throne to sit on. These individual motifs make the site a different kind of stop from the observation tower, cycling route or glass visits. If you want to include a variety of themes in your plans, you will find a designed attraction here, while the Heřmanička and Kodešova skála each have a historical connection.
Discover more destinations: Pertoltice, Vselibice, Hodkovice Nad Mohelkou, Rynoltice, Chrastava, Bílý Kostel Nad Nisou, Albrechtice U Frýdlantu, Nové Město Pod Smrkem.
For the broader travel overview: Okres Liberec.
