Bohemian garnet
Bohemian garnet, which can only be found in Bohemia, has always maintained a unique position among other garnet stones due to its unique, fiery red colour and the light refraction. Moreover, it is said to have curative effects. As it has come down since the time of Emperor Rudolph II, the admirer of Bohemian garnets, who had many unique pieces in his collection, Bohemian garnet has been said to help overcome sorrow and bring vital power, spirit, and the feeling of joy. In the course of time, Bohemian garnet, and the jewelry using Bohemian garnet have become increasingly popular, not only in the country of origin, but also across the frontiers of Bohemia. Bohemian garnet jewels are known to have adorned the dresses of Russian tsarinas, at the Vienna congress, after the fall of Napoleon in 1815. During the 1890s, the appearance of Bohemian garnet jewelry has reached the characteristic designs in which garnets dominate over the metal. This characteristic feature of garnet jewels has maintained its position till the present time.
The present-day manufacturer Granat Turnov has been continuing the tradition of manufacturing real Bohemian jewels and spreading their publicity abroad. At present, the sample range of garnet jewelry includes over 3 500 designs produced according to customer requirements in sterling silver, gold-plated silver, 14 kt, and 18 kt gold. New designs, which represent the highly skilled workmanship of stone cutters and goldsmiths, are added to the line every season.
You can see samples of Bohemian garnet jewelry on the displays of renowned fine jewelry shops not only in Europe but all over the world.
Glass
The glass-making industry has a very long tradition, in the Czech Republic, and Czech glass is well know the world over. Glass-making in particular developed, during the 13th century, in the Jizerské and Lužické mountain ranges thanks to locally available raw materials. Beautiful glass, and porcelain are produced, in other areas, such as the Dubí region or in Nová Role.
The most renowned Czech glass comes from Jablonec nad Nisou and Nový Bor.
Glass products from the Czech Republic are prized, on the world market, and appear in a wide range of varieties, the most popular of which is lead crystal, cut glass, and glass figurines, Christmas ornaments, domestic glass, and chandeliers.
Lead crystal
Lead crystal is more sparkly, resonant, and resistant than any other type of glass because lead crystal is made from the finest ingredients. Czech crystal contains, by law, at least, 24% of lead oxide (PbO). Manufacturing methods also affect the quality of crystal - this is why the raw materials, and every single stage of the manufacturing process are carefully controlled.
A typical Czech decor is the so-called lace decor, which perfectly represents the Czech lapidary school. Complex labyrinths of hundreds and thousands of cobwebby slits that decorate products of different shapes with perfect figures are created by the hand of skillful artists. The shimmering beauty of lead crystal is fully demonstrated through this lace decor.
Products with generous Czech patterns are the signature of artists' skills, and hearts for handiwork, which cannot be re-created by any machine. The result is excellent-quality products respected the world over.
Cut glass
For more than 140 years, the Moser glass-making factory has produced luxury table, and decorative glass products of classic, and modern design. The factory was founded, in the middle of the 19th century, by the glass cutter Ludwig Moser. The company was, then, managed by his descendants, who helped it achieve a worldwide fame.
Although it contains no lead, glassware of the world-famous Moser Company, in the Czech Republic, is regarded as crystal because of its complex chemical makeup, remarkable hardness, clarity, and overall high quality. A secret manufacturing formula makes this glass as hard as rock, and as brilliant as lead crystal without the use of lead. Moser is the Rolls Royce of Bohemian glass; it is what world leaders give and receive as gifts. In the more distant past, patrons have included Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I, King Victor Emanuel III of Italy, Pope Pius XI, the Shah of Iran, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, King Hussein of Jordan, King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, and Queen Elisabeth II of England, and dozens of other monarchs, maharajahs, princesses, presidents, and ambassadors; in recent times, including Pope John Paul II, and Emperor Akihito of Japan.
Anything coming out of Moser Glassworks is as good as a collector's item. Among the pieces of the present-day assortment of the Moser Glassworks, perhaps drinking sets are the most popular. Each set was given its name with regard to its character or its name is in direct relationship to a certain prominent personality, locality, or to a historical period (e.g. "prima donna" of the Moser collection Splendid).
The assortment of the Moser Glassworks contains also a type of glass that deviates somewhat in style from the typical Moser production - the Giant Snifters known also as famous "dancing glasses."
Using a glass formula known only to Moser, the stem has a unique flexing quality, enabling the glass to spin on its base. The rotating function arises from the specific shape of the snifters, and a special attention was given to the optimum position of the centre of gravity, which is important for the stability of the rotating glass.
The origin of Giant Snifters was in 1956, when their creator had a well-considered idea about the glasses he would use, as a glass artist, to toast with his friends. He came to the conclusion
that they should be glasses that would be entirely different from anything else known until then. He maintained they should be a surprise prepared for every guest individually, a sort of a tailor-made snifter. He classified, therefore, humanity into six different types and created six snifters differing in shape, height, and volume. He gave each snifter individual names with reference to facial qualities/to physiognomic personification/: Big Bertha, Stout Gentleman, Moonface, Longface, Long Fellow, and Slim Lady. A number of other features were also added: apart from their functional characteristics, they included the acoustic element - the chimes created when the glasses are clinked, which are due to the specific shape of the cup, and the glass thickness, giving resistance to breaking, even when clinked heartily. Each goblet is unique, each has its own pitch and tone and each sounds differently. The toast is accompanied by a charming melody, resembling the chimes of bells.
A number of outstanding personalities were admitted to the Giant Snifters Club. Members of royal families, film stars, and renowned jazzmen are among members of the club even now.
Porcelain
Branded porcelain has been a traditional Czech product for a long time. The best-known products include onion-pattern porcelain and the Thun-branded porcelain made in Karlovy Vary.
The company Český porcelán Dubí is one of four manufacturers of the highly demanded "porcelain of generations," i.e. onion-pattern porcelain. It carries on the tradition that began as early as 1864. Since 1997, the trademark registered in 1993 was enhanced with a designation of country of origin. To make the trademark text more legible, it is presently applied in a green-blue color.
Approximately 70% of the production of Karlovarský porcelán a.s. is exported to more than 90 countries on five continents. The products are manufactured in nine production plants, each one specializing in a certain type. The picture shows the traditional pink porcelain. This has been produced, since 1811, in the original manufactory in Chodov, and in contrast to other manufacturers, the pink color is not the result of glazing; rather, it is the porcelain material itself that is coloured. Since the era of President Havel, this porcelain with special decoration has been used on festive social events organized by the head of state.
Czech jewelry
Much like Czech glass, Czech jewelery is sought after the world over. It has a long tradition and even growing competition has not been able to weaken its position on the market. Jewelery from the Czech Republic remains a favorite among women all over the world.
Beer
The Czech beer is one of the best-known and most requested kinds of beer worldwide. The biggest Czech brewers include Plzeňský Prazdroj, Pivovary Staropramen, Budvar, Bernard, PMS Přerov, Drinks Union, and Starobrno. There are many other smaller, often family-run breweries in the Czech Republic, which are mostly operated in combination with a restaurant, where you can taste the local beer on the spot.
Most breweries offer guided tours, usually giving you the chance to taste the beer while you are there.
Prazdroj
Plzeňský Prazdroj (Pilsner Urquell) is the leading brewery in Central and Eastern Europe. It has the highest annual beer production and is the biggest Czech beer exporter to nearly 50 countries worldwide.
On the Czech market, Plzeňský Prazdroj's four brands - Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, Radegast, and Velkopopovický Kozel – rank, in total, first in terms of annual production, and exports. Plzeňský Prazdroj also owns Pivovar Šariš in Slovakia, the no. 2 player on the Slovak beer market.
Plzeňský Prazdroj is a member of SABMiller plc, the second-biggest beer producer in the world. The flagship of the group is the Pilsner Urquell brand. Its brand name, and quality makes Pilsner Urquell one of the world's favourite beers.
The brewery is among the best known companies in the Czech Republic. For more than 160 years, the Pilsner Urquell company has been making beer, which has become symbolic of the Czech brewer's art.
Even when the first glass was poured 160 years ago, it was obvious that this was a completely original lager. The popularity of the beer grew, as did the number of drinkers, both at home and abroad. As a result, the city of Plzen became known, worldwide, as a city of beer. The public, fascinated by the taste of the new beer, are also often interested in the brewery itself. It is not unheard of for important visitors, including state representatives, politicians, artists, scientists, and people with a high public profile to take a tour of the brewery. Every year, more than 100 000 people visit the Plzen brewery.
Budvar
The direct predecessor of Budvar of Budějovice (Budweiser Budvar) was Český akciový pivovar (Czech Joint-Stock Brewery), founded in 1895 by Czech licensed brewers (entrepreneurs), who carried on the historical tradition of beer brewing in České Budějovice.
This tradition dates back to the 13th century, when beer brewing began. In competition with the German Měšťanský pivovar and two Schwarzenberg breweries in Třeboň and Protivín, Český akciový pivovar won primarily thanks to a high quality and exceptional taste of its beer. Its beer received an award, in 1896, at the Industrial Exhibition in Prague. The lager from Český akciový pivovar was known, abroad, as early as in 1913. And it was thanks to its extensive exports that the brewery was revitalized very quickly after the World War I.
In the period between the world wars, the brewery was significantly modernized. In 1922, the first artesian well was bored and another was added later on. The brewery gauner, thus, a source of a high-quality water, which has contributed to the excellent taste of the original Budvar lager to date. During the World War II, the brewery was controlled by the Nazi administration, and when this was over, it was nationalized. In 1967, a portion of the assets of Jihočeské pivovary, národní podnik (South Bohemian Breweries, National Corporation) was separated, and a stand-alone legal entity of Budějovický Budvar was established, which specialized in exports based on its tradition, valuable trademarks, and beer quality.
The beer range is wide, consisting of Budweiser Budvar Premium Lager, Budweiser Budvar Light Draft Beer, Bud Super Strong, Budweiser Budvar Free non-alcoholic beer, and Budweiser Budvar Dark Lager.
Staropramen
The brewery located in the Prague quarter of Smíchov was founded in 1869, and the Staropramen brand was registered in 1911. At present, Pivovary Staropramen is the second-biggest beer producer in the Czech Republic, holding a 14% market share. The core product is again light draft beer, and light lager, but on top of that, Pivovary Staropramen produces a wide range of beer specialties, e.g. Velvet, Granát, Kelt, etc.
Bernard
The family brewery in Humpolec, established in the 16th century and revived in 1991, was the first purely private brewery opened after 1989. In 2000, the brewery received a capital booster from Duvel Moortgat of Belgium, yet the production of traditional light, semi-dark, and unique dark beers, which are the only non-pasteurized beer products on the market, remained (www.bernard.cz).
Zlatopramen
The Drinks Union, a.s., based in Ústí nad Labem, is mostly known as the producer of the very popular Zlatopramen 11-degree beer.
The biggest beer producer in Moravia, ranking fourth in the Czech market, is PMS, a.s. of Přerov. The company operates a brewery in Hanušovice, which produces the Holba beer products, the Zubr brewery in Přerov, and a small brewery in Litovel, producing beer of the same name.
Starobrno
The biggest and best-known brewery in Brno is Starobrno. Apart from the traditional range of light lager beer and several draft beers, this brewery is famous for its beer specialties – the Baron Trenek 14-degree beer and the Červený drak (Red Dragon) 15-degree red beer.
Small family breweries are associated in the Czech Union of Small Independent Breweries. The best known of these include Eggenberg a.s. of Český Krumlov, Chodovar s.r.o. of Domažlice, Žatecký pivovar, Pivovar Nymburk s.r.o, Pivovar Svijany s.r.o., and the famous Pivovar a restaurace u Fleků s.r.o. in Prague.
Lobkowicz
Lobkowicz, one of the oldest Czech beers is a brand worth trying. The brewery was founded, in 1466, and belongs to the aristocratic family of the same name – also one of the oldest in the Czech Republic. Some 60 000 hectoliters of first-class pasteurized beer are produced, at the brewery, annually. Quality ingredients are necessary for the production of this beer, including water from the brewery's own artesian wells, barely grown in an ecologically pure region, hops and traditional yeasts. It is considered a small brewery with a capacity of 120 000 hectoliters, but its production strategy is to preserve the production of classic Czech beer. It currently produces beer under the brand names Lobkowicz and Démon.
Becherovka
The Jan Becher company produces this drink according to a traditional secret recipe, without adding any chemical preservatives, artificial colors, or emulsifiers. The old-fashioned formula is quite simple - it only contains a high-quality water from Karlovy Vary, a high-quality ethanol, natural sugar, and a very specific and harmonious mix of herbs and spices. Becherovka is known as the „13th spring" at the spas at Karlovy Vary.
Mineral water
If you order mineral water in a Czech restaurant, you will probably get a Mattoni, referred to in spoken Czech as "Matonka." This water comes from an area of healing springs near Karlovy Vary. In addition to the traditional Matonka, you can find other equally good mineral water products from other producers, e.g. Korunní, Bonaqua, Magnesia, and many others. The chemical composition of these waters is very good for human health thanks to the presence of a variety of minerals.
Olomouc curd cheese (Olomoucké tvarůžky)
The curd cheese from the town of Olomouc is a true curiosity and a culinary delicacy. Records documenting the production of this curd cheese, called "syrečky" in Czech, date to the 1500s.
Genuine Olomouc curd cheese represents the only original Czech cheese, the name of which has been registered as an internationally protected designation of origin. The A.W. company based in Loštice, the business name of which bears the initials of the company founder, Mr. Alois Wessel, has produced this cheese since 1876. The company has been certified for exports to EU countries (CZ 712) since 1996 and was thus able to guarantee the supply of its products after the accession of the country to the EU. Mr. Wessel's company produces around 2,000 metric tons of curd cheese annually.
The primary raw material used to produce the original Olomouc curd cheese is a fat-free sour curd. No preservatives are used, in production, apart from common salt, which plays a crucial role both in production and in creating the typical taste. In terms of nutritional qualities, this cheese fully meets the requirements of the modern consumer: it contains very little fat – only 1% - a lot of protein, calcium, and cultivated lactic cultures.
Transportation and machinery
Automobiles
Only four car manufacturers, in the world, can také pride in more than 100 years of tradition. One of these is Škoda. It was founded as a family business by Laurin and Klement in 1895. First, the two young men produced bicycles, in Mladá Boleslav, and, later on, they manufactured motorbikes. In 1905, they produced the "Grandfather Automobile" – L&K Sd Limousine. That was when the successful era of car manufacturing began. After merging with Škoda Plzen, in 1925, great development followed.
The company produced cars with a number of artistic details, which were successful in international car contests. The developing business was dampened by the World War II, and the subsequent nationalization. Nonetheless, the car manufacturer managed to keep up with industry developments in the West. In 1991, Škoda Auto became the fourth brand of the VW group. It employs, at present, about 20,000 people and produces around half a million cars, per zdar, both for domestic and foreign markets.
Trams
Škoda Holding, a.s., continues the production activities commonly connected with its traditional Czech name of Škoda Plzen. Škoda Holding, a.s., was created following a major financial and organizational restructuring. Together with its subsidiaries, Škoda Holding, a.s., employs nearly 3,000 people. The company produces a wide range of transportation equipment (of which the currently best known model is the Škoda-Inekon 10T, a tram you can encounter in many cities worldwide). Other products include machine tools, centre lathes, milling cutter machines, drilling machines, power-generation- and distribution equipment.
Škoda Power is another company belonging to the Škoda Holding. It is responsible for the manufacture of machine parts for steam turbines and heat exchangers in engine rooms. Its clients include power stations (steam and nuclear) and waste burning stations. Additionally, Škoda Power offers a host of related services for the long-term maintenance and upkeep of its products.
Petrof pianos
This company was established, in 1864, by Antonín Petrof, originally a carpenter, and the biggest piano manufacturer, in Europe, has borne his name to the present. Currently, Petrof, based in Hradec Králové, is managed by the fifth generation of this family.
More than 1,000 employees produce five core types of grand pianos, differing in length. Concert grand pianos are manufactured, individually, by the most experienced specialists of the firm. Petrof also produces most of the required semi-finished products, such as pegs, keys, etc.
Many leading music interpreters have fallen in love with the master grand pianos of Petrof, among them Svyatoslaw Richtier, Arturo Benedetti, and Hiroko Nakamurado. Many other artists have been accompanied by these noted musical instruments, e.g. Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti during their concerts in the Czech Republic. Instruments of this brand are also used in La Scala in Milan, in the Sydney Opera House, the Paul IV Auditorium in Vatican City, and in many television and radio studios.
Bata shoes
The Baťa footwear company was founded, in 1894, by Tomáš Baťa, a shoemaker from Zlín, together with his siblings Antonín and Anna. Currently, the company employs 50,000 staff and operates 50 production plants, in 68 countries, around the world, and has sold over 221 million pairs of shoes.