History - Turnov

City of Turnov was founded on the tongue of land above the Jizera River by Jaroslav and Havel of the Markvartic Dynasty in the middle of the 13th century. The important Vartenberk and Smiřický Dynasties from Bohemia became the next city owners. The city had been often afflicted by the military raids. It was burnt to the ground in 1469 by Lusatian Crusaders and in 1643 by Swedes. Also, an extensive fire jeopardized the city in 1707. In despite of all these misfortunes, the handicraft trades were quickly being developed here. Already in the 17th century, the first glass factories were being established here producing the “burnt glass composition”, i.e. manufacturing synthetic gemstones out of glass. In the 16th century, a number of cutting workshops were in operation here that used to modify and cut the local and imported gemstones. Their trade flourished especially in the 18th and 19th centuries when they were being exported worldwide. The tradition of jewelry production has been developing in Turnov up to this day. As the first of its kind in Europe, the Vocational School of Jewelry was established here in 1884.

Tours - Turnov

Aside from its own tourist attractions, the city is an ideal solution for peregrinations through the regions of Hruboskalsko, Maloskalsko, and Klokočské skály (the Bladdernut Rocks). We remind you of the gothic Church of St. Nicolas renovated in the renaissance style in the 14th century, and into the baroque style in 1722. The city’s dominant feature is the Church of Virgin Mary with an unfinished tower from the 19th century. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi from the 17th century had been damaged several times by fire and the last time was rebuild in the 19th century. The City Theater from 1872 – 1874 is a scaled-down resemblance of the Provisional Theater in Prague. There is an extensive exhibition of gemstones, jewelry, geology, archeology, history and ethnography in the District Museum of Český ráj. Worth of mentioning is the unique panoramic painting of Mikoláš Aleš called "Pobití Sasíků pod Hrubou Skálou" (Massacre of the Sasíks below the Hrubá Skála). The following belong among the very frequent tourist destinations: Hrubý Rohozec manor house, Valdštejn castle, and Dlask’s farmhouse in Dolánky u Turnova. The CHKO Administration of Český ráj.