Bead Buying in the Czech Republic
I have traveled to many places and rarely return to the same city because I have so many others I want to visit and enjoy. Prague is an example of a lovely city I liked, but wouldn't have returned if it hadn't been for discovering the area where glass beads are created in centuries-old factories. In 2017, I was heading for my first trip to Czech Republic when I realized many of my favorite beads come from there. I googled to find bead stores and found Bananas4Beading instead. The company, owned by an Englishman, Keith Dudman, and Simi, his Czech wife, book 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5-day tours of factories in Jablonec. www.bananas4beading.com I emailed and booked a one-day tour for my husband and me in the middle of our week in Prague. What I learned from Keith appalled me—that these centuries-old family-run factories are in jeopardy because they can’t compete with the cheaper Chinese-made beads. Many have already closed. I made it my mission to return and b...