Jablonec is a centre of active holiday tourism and sport. It is also well known for its modern architecture from the 1900s, 1920s, and 1930s. The Mšeno Dam in Jablonec is the northernmost intra-urban valley dam in Europe.

Jablonec holds the Czech Mint after Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia (the Czechoslovakian mint, also known as the Kremnica Mint, is now in Slovakia).

The village of Jablonec was first mentioned in a Latin document from 1356 (in nouo Jablonecz). The name Jablonec is of Czech origin and means "little apple tree" (jablonce was a diminutive of the old Czech jablon - "apple tree"), for the village was founded on a place where an apple tree grew. German-speaking settlers who came to the village during the 16th century adjusted the In name to Gablonz. During the 19th century, the attribute "German" was often added to the name (like in the 1848 Czech: Jablonec nemecký, German: Teutsch-Gablonz). In 1904, the official attribute became "on the Neisse", which described the location of the town upon the river Lusatian Neisse (Czech: Jablonec nad Nisou, German: Gablonz an der Neiße).

After the war, the expelled German-speaking citizens of Jablonec founded a new settlement in Bavaria and called in remembrance of their home town Neugablonz ("New Jablonec"). Today, it is one of the districts of the city of Kaufbeuren.