Moser glassworks. Moser Museum (Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic)

A tour of the Moser Glass Museum in Karlovy Vary includes a visit to the Glassworks. Masters of their craft will demonstrate how products that are known all over the world appear.

In a workshop

From time immemorial, Czech glass and crystal have been a welcome addition to any home. Their presence symbolized good taste hostesses, prosperity and well-being of the family. Despite the fact that now there is a huge selection of glass products, both cheap and expensive, made mainly in China, Czech glass is not lost against this background. Moreover, it is as relevant as it was several decades ago. And products from it still attract numerous views of connoisseurs of beautiful dishes and glass and crystal masterpieces. Therefore, if you are in the Czech Republic, be sure to visit the Moser Glass Museum (Muzeum Moser v Karlových Varech).

History of Moser glass

A talented engraver - Ludwig Moser was a success new recipe crystal, which conquered many high-ranking persons with its transparency and brilliance, as in home country, and far beyond. But the engraver was also an energetic businessman. He was able to take a worthy place in the close-knit ranks of glass manufactories in the Czech Republic, namely in Karlovy Vary, where several factories already existed long before the appearance of Moser. An important role in this was played by Ludwig's grandfather, a well-known businessman in the city and the owner of the first kosher canteen.

Ludwig understood to survive in competitive environment and to be the first, you must always be a few steps ahead. He has invested heavily in production in order to meet high quality products. But looking ahead, I want to say that the costs soon paid for themselves with interest.

Moser emphasized the quality and exclusivity of its products. And he began to position himself as a manufacturer exclusively for the aristocracy. But before chic crystal sets began to appear on tables, in the collections of political leaders and crowned persons, the tireless engraver and entrepreneur spent more than a dozen years at various exhibitions. He proved to everyone that his products deserve the highest awards.

Later, "Moser" products began to be called "Crystal of Kings". And 44 years after the founding of the factory, Moser becomes a supplier of dishes for the court of the Shah of Persia. A couple of years later - the court supplier of the British king Edward VII. Emperor Franz Joseph gave Moser the title of count, which at that time was a fantasy for a person of Jewish nationality.

Guided tour of the Moser Glass Museum

During the tour of the Moser Glass Museum in Krlovy Vary you will visit the Glassworks. There you will see the entire production cycle and you will be able to purchase products directly “piping hot”. A strong impression on many visitors is made by the very process of the appearance of a glass product, because. “a man loves to watch how water runs, fire burns and another person works”: with the help of fire and glass flowing like water, a wind blower creates a new masterpiece before your eyes.

Then the tour began. It was run by the same woman who sold the tickets. The group consisted partly of Russian tourists and partly of some foreigners. Therefore, the guide spoke in turn in two languages ​​- English and Russian. I am amazed, of course, how she did not get confused.

First we were taken to the glass-blowing shop. When we entered there, we immediately plunged into the work process! The glassblowers were actively working, and it seemed that they were not distracted by the presence of strangers at all. Colorful gentlemen work as glassblowers, we actively observed how they make products of their own unusual shape. I enjoyed taking pictures and videos. Comrades even looked at me in the frame sometimes. By the way, we were told that workers are allowed to drink beer in the workplace!

While I was standing and taking pictures, I suddenly felt a heat behind my back. It turned out that it was a ready-made vase being taken to cool. The guide also said that in the evening, when the glassblowers leave, glassmakers come to their place in the same workshop.

After we toured the workshop, we went to the museum. There, the guide no longer led the tour, you had to examine the exposition yourself, read the description and watch mini-movies on the screens. But this beauty did not require any comments! There was a collection the best masterpieces"Moser". I was especially impressed by painted vases, numerous colored glass and an unusual thing in the form of soldered glasses.

At the end of the inspection, everyone was invited to go to the company store. There were exhibited various glasses, decanters, vases and so on. But without a car, none of this is unrealistic, I think. And I have grape-white Moser cups that my great-grandfather brought. They also have a decanter of the same color, but relatives always said that the decanter of another company.

Among other things, in the store you could buy a strange contraption from soldered glasses, which I saw in the museum. I translated the price from crowns and its cost turned out to be about a million rubles! So those who wish can purchase such a thing instead of a car or a summer house. But still, I have no idea how to transport it and how to care for it. If you split this “happiness”, God forbid, it will be a tragedy. So such exhibits are better suited for the museum, I think.

This is where I end the story. will be about the zoo in the city of Pilsen.

1. Road photo

2-14. The area around the museum

15-22. glass blowing shop

23-84. Museum exposition

Surely those who rested in Karlovy Vary - the most popular resort town Czech Republic - visited the Moser glass museum or at least knows about its existence.

The Moser glass factory, which is over 160 years old, is known throughout the world, but few people can afford their products. Only the richest people in the world can afford to drink wine from Moser crystal. Unfortunately, I am not one of them, but I was lucky to visit the museum and see for myself that it is not for nothing that Moser glass products cost fabulous money.

1. How to get there

The Moser Museum and Glassworks is located in Karlovy Vary. We traveled from Prague by sightseeing bus, it took more than three hours due to traffic jams, but we had to keep within two hours.

If you travel from Prague, you can buy an excursion and transport will be included in the ticket price. We paid 120 euros for two.

If you go from Karlovy Vary, then buses number 1, 2 and 22 run from the Rynok stop. The museum is located nearby, you can get there in just 15 minutes.

You will definitely not pass the right stop, because the building is surrounded by giant glass sculptures that are visible from afar.

The exact address:

MOSER, a.s., Kpt. Jarose 46/19, 360 06 Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

2. Cost of the tour

We bought an excursion in Prague, paid 120 euros for two (the price included not only a visit to the Moser Museum, but also a tour of the city itself).

A ticket to the museum costs 80 CZK. But if you want to look into the glass-blowing shop, which is located in the immediate vicinity, you will have to pay an additional 100 crowns on top.

At the time of our stay there, the workshop was closed for repairs, so we only visited the museum.

The tour lasts a little less than an hour, includes a visit not only to the museum, but also a visit to the branded store, where you can look after souvenirs for yourself, if funds allow, of course. We managed only contemplation of beauty

When buying a ticket, audio guides are issued, you need to ask the employee to give you desired language. We had a group of French and Spaniards with us, audio guides were found in their languages.

The audio guides work well, you can adjust the sound. The voice is pleasant, melodic, the text is read clearly and without unnecessary pauses, as was the case in the Dresden Gallery.

3. The territory of the museum and the factory

The area adjacent to the museum and directly to the Moser factory is very ennobled. Green, beautiful, clean. All buildings are made in the same style. A lot of flowers and glass sculptures around the perimeter. The windows and doors are decorated with flowering plants.

Importantly, at the entrance to the territory of the factory, a separate house was equipped for tourists, where you can go to the toilet and wash your hands. After a long drive and shaking in a hot bus, I was very grateful for this oasis of freshness and comfort.

There are benches where you can relax after the tour. There was also ample parking for tour buses. There was no cafe on site.

The museum itself is enough big size, contains more than two thousand exhibits. The halls are large and well lit by daylight.

Museum reception:

4. History of the Moser factory

In the museum, most of the narrative is devoted to the history of the formation and development of Moser. We listened with pleasure to the stories about the creator, whose name the brand is named after. For those who are interested, this information can be found on the Internet. Moreover, it is really worth getting acquainted, because today the factory is 162 years old.

At the exhibition in the halls of the history of the brand, enough attention is paid, it is immediately clear that they honor their history. There are many images and photographs of the brand's creation on the walls. You can immediately see that all glass products were created by hand from the very beginning.

However, this was not always the case. For the first 30 years, Moser did not build a factory, but bought up finished products and hand-painted glassware, and then sold it. It is clear that no one wanted to breathe factory waste during the production process.

For the convenience of visitors, in addition to audio guides, there is a large TV in the hall, which broadcasts a video with the direct process of manufacturing products. Having looked at it, we saw for ourselves how painstaking such work is, it requires unreal composure, concentration, honed movements and a “full hand”.

From the video, which lasts about half an hour, you can learn the entire history of the brand from its foundation to the present. It will also tell you such interesting information as: who from famous people owns collections of Moser crystal, for whom the products were made to order, which royal person was presented with a set of gilded tableware for a wedding, and much more.

5. Moser Products

During the entire 50 minutes of the tour, we freely walked through the halls, examined crystal products that were in transparent glass cabinets. Of course, such an assortment is amazing, and if you estimate by eye the total cost of all this stuff, you can go crazy with the number of zeros.

Moser crystal is very clean and high quality, but not all pieces are hand-blown. A huge advantage of this product is the fact that crystal products are made without lead. This (and not only this) explains the high cost of the final product.

Some useful and interesting information from the Internet:

The production of Moser products is exclusively handmade, all processes: blowing, grinding, gilding with 24 carat gold and engraving are delicate, almost jewelry work top level. The reason for the special brilliance of the gilded parts of the product is the unique polishing. It is made with agate and hematite bars, which then gives a bewitching play of light. One more distinctive feature Moser products are considered the technique of oroplasty (gilding and etching of products) and hand engraving. Each engraved item is a piece of art. Metal oxides are used to produce traditional Moser colors. These shades are perfectly combined with porcelain products and have a similarity with flowers. precious stones. Worldwide interiors and holiday tables many famous people adorns the production of this particular brand. The modern assortment includes painted or engraved coats of arms and monograms of many heads of state, representatives of sports and culture. Impeccable design and high quality workmanship have earned recognition in many museums around the world. These are the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Glass Museum in Corning, the Glasmuseum in Passau. There is a museum in Prague decorative arts, which also features Moser products. She was honored by the galleries of Moravia and Brno, the Museum of North Bohemia in Liberec and, of course, the Moser Museum of the same name in Karlovy Vary.

Many products struck me with their beauty and grace, of course, I would very much like to have something similar at home, at least not for direct destination, but just for the sake of beauty in a sideboard, as in Soviet times.

Many crystal products are of historical value, or even a relic. Some of them were held in the hands of representatives of the royal families, presidents and other high-ranking officials.

All crockery is arranged in glass cabinets in accordance with the year of production and signed (there is a marking next to each copy). The cabinets are arranged in such a way that they make it possible to view products from all 4 sides, even if there are many visitors.

At the time of the tour, we were only 10 people, we did not interfere with each other and there was enough space for everyone. But for an excursion group of 15 people or more, there may not be such favorable conditions in terms of the fact that the aisles between the cabinets are not very wide.

6. Moser Store

Immediately after the tour, we were invited to the store, which was located across the road. For my husband and me personally, it was a continuation of the exhibition, since we were not going to buy anything, because we could not afford it. With pleasure we looked at the products presented for sale, once again admired their beauty and grace.

Moser Glass Museum (Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic) - expositions, opening hours, address, phone numbers, official website.

• Tours for the New Year to the Czech Republic
• Hot tours to the Czech Republic

The modernly designed Museum of the Moser Glassworks invites its guests to get acquainted with the history of the company, which dates back more than 150 years. This plant is famous all over the world for its products, it was supplied to the royal courts of Europe and is still used in organizing celebrations for the first persons of different states. The museum exhibits a wide variety of products that the plant produced during this century and a half, including the oldest, antique gizmos and elite newfangled crystal products.

IN museum exposition only about 1000 exhibits are presented. In addition to them, during the tour, visitors are shown short film about the history of the manufacture.

Those wishing to see the museum on a guided tour can choose several options, including a combined one, with a visit to the glass-blowing shop (or just a tour of the shop without visiting the museum).

A visit to the glass-blowing workshop of the plant can leave a truly unforgettable experience: after all, the plant is still in operation, and beautiful products from glass mass are blown in the workshop today.

A visit to the glass-blowing workshop of the plant can leave a truly unforgettable experience: after all, the plant is still in operation, and beautiful products from glass mass are blown in the workshop today. The visitors are shown separately the raw materials from which the glass mass is subsequently obtained, various tools and technologies used in its processing. During the tour, which is especially nice, photo and video shooting is allowed.

Visit to the Moser factory and museum

The company store at the factory attracts many no less than a tour of the museum. And no wonder: this is the largest shop in Moser, from where you can take home both just a nice souvenir and a real work of art. In addition to all kinds of dishes, jewelry, costume jewelry and other accessories are sold here. If desired, your product can be engraved.

The visit to the glass blowing shop ends with the glass blowing shop. That is, you will not see the subsequent processing steps and decorative design blanks.

A small pleasant addition to the tour is the opportunity to take a break in the modern and even somewhat futuristically designed Moser coffee house. In summer, a terrace is open here, which overlooks the square. Ludwig Moser, and from where you can admire the fountain surrounded by crystal sculptures.

Practical information

Address: st. Captain Yarosh, 46/19.

You can get to the museum in about a quarter of an hour by city buses No. 1, 2, 22 from the Rynok (Trzhnice) stop to the Sklarzhska stop.

Opening hours: the museum is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00. The glassblowing shop is open daily from 9:00 to 14:30, a break from 10:30 to 11:15. The brand shop and coffee shop are open from 9:00 to 18:00.

Tours of the glassworks take place every half hour.

Entrance: visit to the museum for adults 80 CZK, for schoolchildren and students 50 CZK, family ticket (two adults + two children) 180 CZK. Inspection of the glass blowing shop for adults 120 CZK, for schoolchildren and students 70 CZK, family ticket (two adults + two children) 260 CZK. Tour of the museum and glass-blowing shop for adults 180 CZK, for schoolchildren and students 100 CZK, family ticket (two adults + two children) 390 CZK.

Prices on the page are for September 2018.

The Moser Factory Museum is one of the must-see attractions in Karlovy Vary. This is a museum of glass products, located on the territory of a glass factory. Also in Soviet time our people, after visiting this marvelous city, always brought home the so-called "matryoshkas" - a variety of crafts made of colored glass, salad bowls, vases, plates.

How it all began

The Moser Museum was founded in Karlovy Vary in 1875. Its founder Ludwig Moser led the company for sixty years. Why Moser chose this particular resort is unknown, but there is an assumption that it was all about Ludwig's simple calculation. Rich and beautiful ladies rested in Karlovy Vary, who could be interested in beautiful and brilliant products.

Museum Tour

The Moser exposition includes a huge number - more than two thousand - amazing samples. Visitors can see both the masterpieces of past masters and the best works modernity, which will help to understand what the delicate work of glassblowers is. Crystal is obtained without the use of lead, using unique paints. In the manufacture of polishing and artistic engraving is done by hand.

The Museum also has several screens showing videos about the history of the plant.

Photos are presented on a separate stand famous personalities who once visited the Museum.

The guide will offer tourists to plunge into Magic world a factory where you can watch the craftsmen at work and learn how this exciting process of turning ordinary glass into inimitable works of art proceeds.

The factory is very hot - be prepared for this. However, this is not a reason to refuse a tour of it - when else will there be such a unique opportunity to observe the work of glassblowers. It's really interesting, and hardly anyone can remain indifferent.

Leaving the stuffy and hot factory, you find yourself in the last destination - the Moser brand store. Here you can buy a unique handmade crystal souvenir for yourself and your loved ones, which will serve as a reminder of this wonderful place many years later.

Museum of the 21st century

Today, the Moser Museum-Factory belongs to a modern joint-stock company and is considered the best manufacturer of crystal products. This fact allows the Museum to be included in the list of the most important sights of the Czech Republic. Therefore, if you are staying at one of the Karlovy Vary hotels, be sure to visit this cozy place. good emotions And vivid impressions You are guaranteed. And from here head to