Liberec is the fifth biggest city in the Czech Republic, located in the far north of the country the town is located in a basin surrounded by mountains. Previously known as Reichenberg, Liberec has been a textile centre since the 16th century.
By car, Liberec is just under a one-hour drive from the country’s capital Prague. If coming by bus, the best way to get from Prague to Liberec is by catching the RegioJet bus from Prague Cerny Most bus stop 6 for 119kc which takes one hour.
Prazksa Street – Town Hall – Wallenstein Houses
Once you get to Liberec, walk from the bus stop up Prazska Street toward the old town square. Admire the town hall and stop for a coffee or snack at one of the Cafes or pizza places.
The town hall was built between 1888 and 1893 and was designed by a Viennese architect. Now it houses the city council offices and is therefore free and accessible year-round. In summer you have the option of going on a guided tour to visit the ceremonial halls, and corridors and climbing the tour for 100kc per person.
Around the corner from the Liberec Town Square, the oldest preserved residential buildings in Liberec are located and are worth a visit. The Wallenstein Houses were built in 1678 and originally housed the workers who made the fabric for the duke’s uniforms.
Museum – Art Gallery
From Old Town Square you can walk up to the Art Gallery and Museum opposite each other on Masarykova Street which is only a 15-minute walk from the Town Hall.
The Museum is free and expect to spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours looking into the Bohemian region’s history and the German influence on the town and architecture.
The Gallery costs 160kc for an adult for the full exhibitions and you can expect to spend around 30 minutes to 2 hours there. Connected to the gallery is a cafe offering pastries and beverages, a great lunch option.
https://www.ogl.cz/navstivte-nas
Radnice Lunch
For traditional Czech food, return to the Town Hall where you can experience a unique lunch by eating at Radnice Sklipek underneath the town hall. Some must-try dishes include Svíčková (beef with a vegetable sauce, cream and cranberries), Guláš (pork stew) and Moravský vrabec (pork served with sauerkraut and dumplings).
For other restaurant and food recommendations check out our Best Places to Eat Liberec Post.
Jested
After lunch make your way to the Saldovo Namesti tram stop (located in front of the entrance of Liberec Plaza) where you can board tram 3 to Horni Hanychov taking roughly 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the cable car that usually runs to Liberec Hotel is currently not operating therefore if you would like to see the top of Jested you must either go by car or be prepared for an approximately 30-minute to 2hour walk uphill depending on the route you choose and your level of fitness.
From the peak of Jested, you are able to see views of the city as well as into Germany and Poland in the far distance.
You can enjoy a coffee or drink at the restaurant located at the top before returning down the mountain and catching Tram 3 to Fugnerova where the bus will depart for Prague where you were initially dropped off.
Liberecká Výšina (Liberec Heights)
An alternative to going to Jested is to stay on the Museum and gallery side of town and either catch the tram to the end of the line to the Lidove Sady stop and walk 15 minutes uphill to Liberecká výšina or walk from the museum and gallery around 30 minutes down Masarykova street (one of the nicest streets of Liberec full of old villas), past Liberec zoo (the oldest zoo in Czech Republic) and then uphill through a forest.
Liberecká výšina is a small castle built in 1900 by a textile factory owner, it now has a restaurant and lookout tower, which for 50kc you can climb for fantastic views of Liberec.