route 4 glassblowing studio

The whole area around Quechee / Hartford, Vt. is beautiful. There are many things to do. The glassblowing studio is amazing. It is done behind glass so it is safe to watch, and they do actually offer a class at the studio as well. The artisan is very talented and has a great display of many kinds of works upstairs that are available for purchase at fairly reasonable prices. Just being able to watch the whole process from start to finish was interesting. There were small children there also, who seemed to be held in rapt attention, so if you have children don't hesitate to let them have this experience. Nearby there are also several restaurants including looking over the falls and a beautiful lake behind the dam. The area has many interesting bed and breakfasts to stay in, which I have done in the past, but not on this trip. They also have hotels and other attractions for the kids... both big and small. There is also a rebuilt covered bridge right near the center of town, with spectacular views. There were some teenagers who actually were diving off the rocks. I can't say if it is legal or not, and it certainly looked dangerous, but it also looked like they were having a good time. Take some time, and explore the glass blowing, the bridge or just walk around the town and go through some of the many kinds of shops ... where you are sure to find something to interest you, even if glassblowing doesn't. When I talk about the length of visit, below, it all depends on you, and what you are doing. You can see the glass blowing in 30 minutes to an hour, and could just as easily spend more time there, and do the same just watching what happens at the bridge, and could certainly spend hours walking through the town. Make a day of it... or a weekend, you won't be disappointed.

Lada is an extremely talented glassblower from Czech republic. He gladly gives demonstrations and offers his unique pieces for sale at reasonable prices. Beautiful vases, bowls, glasses, stauary etc. Great gift items

What beautiful glass!! We went downstairs and watched the workers make wine glasses. It was very interesting and they answered questions and were very friendly. Right outside the workshop was a beautiful partially frozen waterfall and a covered bridge. It was a new bridge since Hurricane Irene washed away the old one. This is a stop that the whole family will enjoy. We had a 12 year old up to a 74 year old.

I learned of the opportunity to take a 1 hour glassblowing class when visiting the Route 4 Glassblowing Studio store in Quechee Gorge Village. The actual studio where classes are held is about 20 minutes S of the store. I particularly liked the fact that evening classes could be arranged since it is often difficult to find something to do in the evenings when traveling.I had a one-on-one class with Lada, the owner of the studio. I'm not at all artistically inclined but I was totally satisfied with the quality of the pieces that we made. We got right to work and I thought that Lada was a very good instructor, having the correct mix of allowing me to do hands-on work myself but intervening when necessary to keep from spoiling the pieces.In one hour we were able to create 3 pieces that I was proud to keep. I made 2 pieces that didn't involve blowing glass and 1 piece that was blown. We were extremely busy the entire time. If you want to have any pictures or video of your experience you definitely need to bring a friend to work the camera because you'll be too busy to try to take any pictures yourself.Be aware that glass objects need to be put in a cooling furnace for about 24 hours so you'll either need to come back the next day to pick up your items or arrange to have them shipped (for an additional fee which was very reasonable).I found this to be a very enjoyable experience and would recommend it for anyone looking for a memento of their trip to VT/NH.