Desná between Riedel heritage and nature

Desná brings together cultural and historical sites associated with the Riedel family, the Černá Desná Nature Monument, and the Černá Říčka ski area.

Nature and winter sports

The Černá Desná Nature Monument protects a valley with a mountain stream, a series of waterfalls, rapids, and rock slabs. It also includes erosion features such as giant potholes and basins. The protected area also includes an adjacent slope forest with the characteristics of an acid-soil beech forest and endangered herb species. Water, rock formations, and forest habitat together shape this protected landscape.

On the edge of Desná, the Černá Říčka ski area lies at an elevation of 685 to 788 metres and offers skiing on natural snow. Its elevation and snow type give winter sports there a distinctive focus alongside the nature monument. As features of the facility may change, check the ski area’s current information before your trip.

Riedelova vila and regional history

Riedelova vila houses a cultural and information centre, a library, and a museum. Its permanent exhibitions focus on regional history and the Riedel glassmaking family; the exhibits include historical documents and glass. The local history and glassmaking tradition are therefore at the heart of a visit to these cultural institutions.

The traditional Sympozium Desná – dřevosochání motorovými pilami (Desná Symposium – chainsaw woodcarving) is held annually on the grounds of Riedelova vila. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the dates and programme in advance, as both may vary.

Buildings, circular trail, and railway line

The Riedelova hrobka is a family crypt built in 1889–1890 in the form of a chapel with a crypt. It combines Neo-Romanesque and Gothic features and stands on the boundary between Desná II, formerly Potočná, and Desná III, Dolní Polubný. Its construction period, function, and location each give the building a distinct historical significance.

The 4 km Po stopách skláře Riedela (In the Footsteps of Glassmaker Riedel) circular trail passes cultural monuments and points of interest near the town centre, as well as places that once belonged to the Riedel family. Its length and connection to the Riedel family are useful points of reference if you would like to combine a walk with cultural history.

The Tanvald–Harrachov cog railway line begins at Desná – Riedelova vila station. Its maximum gradient is 58 per mille. The surviving remains of the Protržená přehrada dam are also located near Desná; they were declared a cultural monument in 1996. A technical detail about the railway line and a designated cultural monument thus complement the themes of Riedel history and landscape. A gradient of 58 per mille is equivalent to 5.8 percent. Unlike the ski area’s elevation of 685 to 788 metres, this figure describes no elevation, but the railway line’s maximum gradient; this distinguishes the track gradient from the elevation.

Discover more destinations: Friedstein, Skuchrow, Drschke, Woleschnitz, Eisenbrod, Großhammer, Bad Wurzelsdorf, Tannwald

For the overview of the wider travel region: Okres Jablonec Nad Nisou.