We model dust around Herbig Ae/Be stars using a radiative transfer model for multiple isothermal circumstellar dust shells to reproduce the multiple broad peaks in their spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Using the opacity functions for various types of dust grains at different temperatures, we calculate the radiative transfer model SEDs for multiple dust shells. For eight sample stars, we compare the model results with the observed SEDs including the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) and AKARI data. We present model parameters for the best fit model SEDs that would be helpful to understand the overall structure of dust envelopes around Herbig Ae/Be stars. We find that at least four separate dust components are required to reproduce the observed SEDs. For all the sample stars, two innermost dust components (a hot component of 1000-1500 K and a warm component of 300-600 K) with amorphous silicate and carbon grains are needed. Crystalline dust grains (corundum, forsterite, olivine, and water ice) are needed for some objects. Some crystalline dust grains exist in cold regions as well as in hot inner shells.

Circumstellar peculiarities of the young Herbig Ae/Be stars are analyzed using high-resolution CCD spectroscopic data, obtained in 1991-1996 at the ESO and the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (about 450 spectrograms). The results of investigation of the rapid line variability in Hα, Hβ, HeI 5876 and DNaI lines are presented for AB Am, HD 163296, HD 36112, HD 100546, and HD 50138. We conclude that the behaviour of these lines can be explained in the framework of the model containing an equatorially concentrated and azimuthally inhomogeneous stellar wind, and an external cool shell that occasionally looses matter in form of infall onto the star.