Betlém, Open-air museum in Hlinsko, Czech Republic
Betlém is an open-air museum in Hlinsko featuring preserved craft houses where shoemakers, weavers and toy makers display their work. The buildings house functioning workshops equipped with original tools showing how regional craftspeople operated in their trades.
The site preserves working conditions and craft practices from the 19th and early 20th centuries. These buildings reflect how this region depended on skilled artisans for its economy and daily life.
Visitors can watch local craftspeople at work using traditional methods in their operating workshops. The demonstrations show how regional artisans have practiced their trades across generations.
The museum is best explored with a guide who explains each craft and how the workshops function. Plan enough time to walk through multiple buildings and watch the craftspeople at work in detail.
One workshop demonstrates hand-forged file making, a metalworking specialty that reveals less-known regional skills. This craft shows the precision and patience required in a trade that few people encounter today.
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