Karlovy Vary: magnificent spa town surrounded by forests
Karlovy Vary is the largest and most visited spa town in Czechia. Together with Františkovy and Mariánské Lázně, it forms a so-called West Bohemian Spa triangle, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 as part of the Great Spas of Europe. Karlovy Vary boasts magnificent scenery, beautiful architecture and unique spa treatments based on the beneficial effects of the local thermal mineral springs. Another attraction is the world-renowned International Film Festival that takes place in the west Bohemian town at the start of the summer.
Legend has it that Karlovy Vary was founded by the Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in the 14th century. According to the legend, he discovered a hot spring there while hunting deer and ordered a town to be built around it. Over the centuries, the settlement grew into a spa resort whose fame spread beyond the borders of Bohemia. It became a popular destination for the European aristocracy and other luminaries, including Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Ludwig van Beethoven, or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Karlovy Vary owes at least part of its beauty to its unique scenery. The historical centre of the town is nestled in the valley of the River Teplá and is surrounded by lush wooded hills. To experience its atmosphere, it is best to take a walk along the river. While strolling beneath the elegant historical colonnades, you can fill a spa jug from several of the local springs and sip the healing mineral water.
There are altogether 12 springs in Karlovy Vary, the hottest of which is the Vřídlo. It emerges from the ground not far from the Church of St. Mary Magdalene and is in fact the only source of thermal water used for the local spa baths. It shoots hot mineral water of 72 degrees Celsius up to 12 metres high at an average rate of 2,000 litres per minute, says geologist Tomáš Vylita:
“Many people think there is a pump that drives the water up to the surface, but there is not. What drives it up is the battle between the water and the gas that mixes with the water, and that is carbon dioxide.
“A long time ago, the water seeped deep into the ground in the vicinity of Karlovy Vary. It eventually warmed up, got enriched with minerals and mixed with the gas. And roughly 35,000 years later, it came back to the surface in the form of the Vřídlo or smaller springs.”
While walking through the historical centre, you shouldn’t miss the beautiful building of the Town Theatre and the Imperial Baths, the largest spa house in Karlovy Vary. The imposing, neo-Renaissance structure was completed in 1895 and at the time it was the most modern spa house in the world. It reopened to the public last year after undergoing a major renovation.
Among other things, you can visit the Imperial Bathroom, says historian Miloš Bělohlávek.
“It is actually a set of three interconnected rooms that served the best clients of their time. It is the only place in the entire spa that is furnished in the same way as it was in 1895 and with genuine materials. Everything here was meant to be a symbol of the luxury and opulence of the late 19th century. The title “imperial” was not coined until after the Second World War. Before that it was called Princely Baths. It was meant to be a VIP bathroom and was available to anyone willing to pay more for extra care.”
Although it was called the Imperial Bath, the then Emperor Franz Joseph I actually never bathed here. But many other famous people did, including the Persian Shah Muzzefir Eddin, Czechoslovakia’s first president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, or the Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin. The last person to enjoy a bath there was the legendary actor Jackie Chan, who shot one of his films in Karlovy Vary.
Czechia’s largest spa town boasts a number of stunning hotels. The best-known of them is the five-star Grandhotel Pupp, which has been a landmark staple in Karlovy Vary since the 18th century. Thanks to its striking architecture it has also become a popular backdrop for Hollywood productions, including Casino Royale, part of the James Bond series. The iconic hotel welcomed many famous guests over the years, including the English king Edward VII, Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, and the psychologist Sigmund Freud.
Standing on the other edge of the historical spa zone is another iconic hotel, Thermal. The modern high-rise building of reinforced concrete construction was built between 1967 and 1976 according to the project of the famous Czech architects Věra and Vladimír Machonin. Every year in July, it hosts the world-famous Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Throughout the year, Thermal offers its guests and the general public a unique opportunity to swim in an outdoor pool built on a rock directly above the hotel. The pool, which offers a breath-taking view of the town, has recently undergone a costly reconstruction, says the hotel’s director Vladimír Novák:
“The thermal pool is roughly 10 x 15 metres large and can fit 60 to 70 people at a time. It is not intended for swimming. You should simply sit up to your neck in the water, which has around 38 degrees Celsius all year round. The other section has standard pool water. There are four 25-metre swimming lanes in the middle and the remaining part of the pool is a relaxing zone with underwater benches and bubbling water.”
If you want to take in all the beauty Karlovy Vary has to offer, you should definitely visit one of the town’s many lookout spots located on the surrounding hills. One such place is the Diana Tower, which is easily accessible by cable car. Its lower station is close to the Grandhotel Pupp.
The place, which offers stunning views of the town, was discovered in the beginning of the 19th century by local knife-maker Wencel Dromm, explains historian Lumír Hubínek:
“He grew fond of this hill because it offered a beautiful view of the whole area. Together with his relative, the dean of the Karlovy Vary church, they built a bench here and had the trees cut down. The improvised lookout soon became a popular destination not only with the locals but also with spa guests. However, getting there wasn’t easy. Many visitors had to take a horse or donkey-drawn carriage. So in 1909 the town decided to build a cable car.”
The funicular officially opened in 1912 and at the time, it was the longest cable car in Austria-Hungary, covering a distance of 453 metres and an elevation of 167 metres.
No trip to Karlovy Vary would be complete without getting some of the locally produced souvenirs. Among the most famous ones is crystal glass made by the world famous Moser glassworks, porcelain from Thun Karlovy Vary or the legendary Becherovka herbal liqueur, which has been dubbed the town’s 13th healing spring.
The recipe for the drink, comprising more than 20 types of herbs and spices, was famously created by the Becher family and remains a closely guarded secret to this day, always known only by two living people, explains the company’s director Tomáš Bryzgal:
“We use multiple suppliers from whom we order different herbs and different quantities so that none of the suppliers know what specific quantity we need for the year and what specific types of herbs. That's part of the mystery too. It's not possible to send someone a complete recipe and say send us samples of herbs of this quantity."
If you would like to learn more about the legendary Czech drink, which was sold in the early days under the name English Bitter, you can visit the Jan Becher Museum in Karlovy Vary.
When in the town, you also need to taste the local spa wafers, a traditional and delicious snack, which first appeared around the year 1800. The first bakery to specialise in spa wafers opened in 1867, and since that time they have enjoyed huge popularity. Marcel Paška is a curator of the Karlovy Vary Museum.
“They probably evolved from the hosts used in Christian church services, which corresponds to their shape and the similar dough from which the spa wafers are made. Judging by the preserved wafer tongs in which the wafers were baked, it seems that they were probably always round, and this is because they are easier for people to hold in their hands.”
The wafers, traditionally flavoured with chocolate or a vanilla and hazel nut mix, are just as good when eaten cold or heated.
Apart from all its wellness and spa treatments, Karlovy Vary has been known for hosting the annual International Film Festival. It has been organized continuously since 1946 and is widely considered the most important film event in Central Europe. Every year in July, the festival attracts thousands of people who flock to the west Bohemian spa town to watch films, get a glimpse of famous films stars or simply enjoy the unique atmosphere.
Thanks to its unique location, Karlovy Vary is also a great starting point for trips to the surrounding countryside. Among the many attractions is Bečov nad Teplou, whose chateau is home to the one of Czechia’s biggest treasures, the St. Maurus Reliquary. The Romanesque shrine which contains the relics of four saints is considered to be the country’s second most important historical artefact, second only to the crown jewels. Another great destination for a day trip from Karlovy Vary is the picturesque town of Loket, built on a rock near the Ohře River and boasting a magnificent Gothic castle.
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