At the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th Jablonec witnessed a rapid economic development accompanied by an increased growth of population. The general development was manifested also in the growing need of new public administration buildings. At that time the old Town Hall – the present municipal library on the Dolní Square – could no longer cope with the increasing demands. A design of new premises came into being as early as in 1910. However, World War I thwarted the plans for some time and the issue came to the fore again only in the mid-twenties.

At the bottom of Kostelní vrch (Church hill) where we are standing, the first cemetery in Jablonec was founded in 1669. As documented by an old engraving, the cemetery was originally surrounded by a wall; it used its purpose until 1809. Between 1685 and 1687 countess Marie Polyxena Desfours ordered to build the Church of St. Ann there which is the oldest preserved building in the town.

In 1879, the Embellishment Society was established in Jablonec that set its major goal to found a municipal park. However, the efforts of the Society did not meet with much understanding of some citizens who perceived them as an unnecessary and inappropriate spending.

Here the Střelecká and Pražská streets cross a railway connecting Jablonec nad Nisou with the town of Tanvald. The railway runs through a deep cutting and passes through the built-up area along the periphery of the town. In the past, there was also an electric railway in the Pražská street going from the town of Janov via Jablonec to the town of Rychnov.

Human society has always attributed an extraordinary significance to trees. Their significance for our landscape is also reflected in the Act on Nature and Landscape Protection (114/1992 Coll.) which stipulates that the trees growing outside forests (forest management is governed by its own legislation) are protected against malicious cutting. In addition, the trees extraordinary in terms of growth, aesthetic or historical importance may be declared memorable and as such provided with a high degree of protection.

The park between the Pod Petřínem and Petřínská streets was probably founded in the twenties of 19th century by the Jablonec Embellishment Society. For a long time it was left in a desolate condition. It was restored as late as in 2006 within the construction of the Sightseeing Tour Route.

When looking from the centre of Jablonec nad Nisou southward we can see on the horizon a hillside with a silhouette of a prominent building which at a good visibility can be hardly overlooked. In spite of this for a relatively long time this place went unheeded by the tourist societies that experienced their boom in the second half of 19th century.

Vrkoslavice lies in one of the highest locations of the present Jablonec nad Nisou. The originally autonomous municipality was founded most probably at the end of 16th century, the oldest written mention dates back to 1608.

We now stand in front of a small gneissic rock which projects about seven meters above its surrounding and offers visitors an interesting view. Remarkable is particularly the geological difference of the rock from its surrounding which is primarily granite.

The Devil's Stone where we are now standing used to be such a significant dominant of Vrkoslavice in the past that it even appeared in the unofficial shield of the village and on the municipal stamp.

Among the most significant buildings in Vrkoslavice was the brewery. It was built between 1833 and 1835 by Johann von Römisch, the then owner of the Malá skála estate which included also Vrkoslavice and Jablonec. When in connection with the new regional structure introduced in 1850, Vrkoslavice became an autonomous municipality “the Liberec-Vratislavice-Jablonec“ brewery was for them an important source of tax income.

After passing through the forest we have come to a rise on the edge of the town. At this point we have crossed the border of the cadastre of Vrkoslavice and Jablonec nad Nisou. The Kokonínská street steeply falls down to the Nisa river valley. It is one of the steepest Jablonec streets.

The thirteenth station is the last stop of our tour of the city. This time we will not deal with the past but rather with the present shape of the city as the centre of Jablonec nad Nisou has recently experienced extensive transformations.