Karlovy Vary - 30 things to do in the spa town of Karlovy Vary

In co-operation with Czech Republic Tourism

We have visited the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary or Karlsbad as it is called in German. This health resort in the Czech Republic is probably the most beautiful city we have seen. ever. It feels almost unreal to walk around the 18th century houses, columns, fountains, spas and parks. If you get the chance to travel here sometime - do it!

Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary has only 50,000 inhabitants and is located in the north-west of the Czech Republic on the border with Germany, surrounded by deciduous forest. The city's name means 'Karl's boiling water' and is one of three cities forming the mineral water triangle.

The other two are Marianske Lazne (Marienbad) and Frantiskovy Lazne (Francisbad). This region and its three most famous cities have over 200 different hot springs between them.

A classic health resort in the Czech Republic

Carlsbad is a classic spa town in the Czech Republic. The site was found in 1349 and the town was founded on 14 August 1370 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles and King of Bohemia Charles IV, who founded the town and gave it its name. Karlovy Vary was part of Austria-Hungary until 1918, when the Republic of Czechoslovakia was formed.

People have been flocking to Karlovy Vary for more than 650 years for beneficial thermal baths and various spa treatments. The city is also Europe's most famous for its spa.

Famous personalities such as Richard Wagner, Carl Marx, Beethoven, Wagner, Mozart and Russian Tsar Peter the Great have come here to relax.

Spa in Karlovy Vary today

Karlovy Vary is still a popular destination for spa and wellness. Here you can experience everything from modern wellness facilities to traditional Czech spa treatments.

We visited the family hotel Hotel Prezident at Moravská 181/3. Here we met the doctor and founder Milada Sárová who told us about different treatments. Oxygen therapy, inhalation, vibrating bed, scotch duch or magnetotherapy. We also tried the spa at the historic Zamecke Lazne spa centre.

1. Try a beer spa in Karlovy Vary

In addition to a regular spa, you can try a beer spa in Karlovy Vary. Beer Spa Beerland (Pivni Lazhe) is located in the city centre at Stará Louka 353/8.

The procedure takes one hour, with 20 minutes of bathing and then resting on the straw bed. During this time you can drink as much beer as you want and you are also served homemade "beer bread". The bread, which we got to try during our little visit, was super tasty!

2. Drink Karlovy Vary's famous spring water

The city is also full of hot springs, and in various parts of the city the spring water is pumped into small wells. The water has a temperature of between 14.2 and 73.4 degrees, is very rich in minerals and is considered good for health. Ideally, you should buy a small porcelain cup, which is available in countless beautiful designs, and drink the spring water from these. Actually, there are 15 health wells, but since number 13 is an accident number, the labelling is 16 and here are all the health wells in Karlovy Vary.

• 1. Vridlo - The hot spring - 73.4 degrees
• 2. Karla IV - Charles IV spring - 64.4 degrees
• 3. Dolni Zamecky prLower Castle spring - 55.6 degrees.
• 4. Horni Zamesky pr - Upper Castle spring - 55.9 degrees
• 5. Trzni barges - Market spring - 65.2 degrees
• 6. Mlynsky barge - Mill spring - 56.6 degrees
• 7. Rusalcin barges - Nymph spring - 60.2 degrees
• 8. Pr.knizete Vaclava - Prince Václav spring - 65.6/64.3 degrees
• 9. Libusin barges - Libuse spring - 63 degrees
• 10. Skalni barges - Rock spring - 46.9 degrees
• 11. Barge Svoboda - Freedom spring - 62.4 degrees
• 12. Savody barges - Park spring - 41.6 degrees
• 14. Barges Stepanka - Stephanie spring - 14.2 degrees
• 15. Hadi barges - Snake spring - 28.7 degrees
• 16. Zeleznaty barges - Ferrous spring - 14.3 degrees

3. Visit the Church of St Peter and Paul

Sv. Petra a Pavla (Mariánskolázeňská Street) on the southern outskirts of Karlovy Vary. Here is the old church built in 1854-1856 with an incredibly beautiful ceiling painting.

4. Experience history with the Imperial spa (Kaiserbad spa)

The incredibly powerful Císařské lázně baths are located at Mariánskolázeňská 2. The Imperial Spa was once the big spa everyone was talking about, but it hasn't been in operation since 1980.

The Imperial Spa was built in 1893-1895 (opened on 5 May 1895) and was considered the best and grandest spa in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. There was also a theatre and gymnasium in the building.

Between 1980 and 1994 a casino operated here and some scenes from Casino Royal (James Bond) were filmed here. In front of the Imperial Spa is Charles IV Park.

This feels like a big castle and they have been renovating it since 2010. You can visit the spa with a small entrance fee, but bring little money with you because the lady guarding it can't change large denominations. Beautiful tiles, big wide stairs with ceiling paintings and pillars.

5. Play at Casino Carlsbad

Casino Carlsbad at Mariánskolázeňská 223/25 if you like to gamble.

6. Take a spa day at the Karlovy Vary Clinic.

How about a luxury spa, and with a reputation for slightly more famous visitors. Carlsbad Clinic at Mariánskolázeňská 17. 

7. indulge yourself at the Grandhotel Pupp

Grandhotel Pupp on Mírové nám. 2, dating from 1701 and hosting the Karlovy Vary national film festival in July every year since 1946.

The Grand is indeed the right one! Crazy powerful 5-star hotel with film and music stars like, Michael Douglas, Robert Redford, Franz Kafka, Jude Law, Karl Marx, kings, queens, presidents and the list goes on and on. How about baroque theatre, Becher bar, Royal spa, 228 rooms in luxury. It's also the site of a film from Casino Royal with James Bond.

8. Take the funicular to the Diana Lookout Tower

Right next to the Grand Hotel Pupp is the Diana cable car, which takes you up to a higher part of the city with a magical view. The cable car was built between 1912-1914 and opened on 27 May 1914.

Before the funicular railway, a hunting lodge was located at the top, and people such as Johann Wolfgang Goethe or Theodor Körner climbed the site in the 19th century. This site is located at Výšina přátelství (Friendship Hill) 562 metres above sea level.

There is also a tower (Diana Lockout Tower), which is 40 metres high but the viewing height is 35 metres up. You can walk up 150 steps or take the lift. On the mountain there is also a restaurant called Diana with real Czech food that is amazing which we tried in May 2019.

9. Strolling in the old town (Stara Louka)

Every city has an "old town" and so does Karlovy Vary. Stara Louka means "old meadow" which is also the street and is the most famous part of the town.

There are famous houses like Maltezsky, Jessenius, Gunter Hirt, Café Elefant and Hotel Mozart. Here you can also buy Wafers (Karlovarske oplatky) or Oblaten, original round cakes from Karlovy Vary since 1867.

10. Follow the Tepla River through town

The Tepla River, meaning warm river, flows through Karlovy Vary and makes the town even more idyllic. Along the river are nice little outdoor cafes and behind them rise houses with beautiful facades.

11. Visit the Karlovy Vary Muzeum.

Karlovy Vary Museum at Nová louka 578/23. If you want the long history of this beautiful city, you can find the information here at the museum.

12. Spana in Karlovy Vary City Theatre

Karlovy Vary City Theatre (Karlovarské městské divadlo, o.p.s. at Divadelní nám. 21). The theatre was built in 1884-1886 and the grand opening took place on 15 May 1886 with Mozart's Marriage of Figaro.

13. be fascinated by Vřídelní kolonáda

Vridelini Kolonada on Divadelní nám. 2036/2. There is a large house with three small wells and a large well/spring called Vridlo which sprays up to 12 metres. There is also a large well outside the house where mineral-rich water is constantly being pushed up.

14. Admire the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene

Church of Saint Mary Magdalene (St Mary Magdalene's Church) on nám. Svobody 1, to the right of Vridelni Kolonada. It is a tall baroque church in the centre of town or 100 metres from the portico. It was opened in 1737 and is stunningly beautiful.

15. Sense of the Holy Trinity Column

The memorial Holy Trinity Column at Tržiště 383/35. It was erected between 1715-1716 to give thanks that the city had been saved from an outbreak of the plague in 1713.

16. Discover the Market Colonnade

The Market Colonnade (Tržní kolonáda) at Tržiště, 360 01. It was built between 1882-1883 using Swiss-style hollowed-out wood. It houses the Charles IV Fountain, Lover Castle Spring and Market Spring.

17. Fascinated by the Lookout Tower of Charles IV

Lookout Tower of Karl IV (Vinárna Karla IV) at Zámecký vrch 431/2.

18. Visit the tourist office in Karlovy Vary

The tourist office in Karlovy Vary at Lázeňská 2075/14. If you're planning to visit several attractions in the region (and perhaps use public transport), consider buying Karlovy Vary. Region Card.

The 'Region Card' can be purchased for individuals or families for two, four or seven days. It gives you free entry to over 40 attractions and price reductions to a further 20 sites. You can also use the card to travel free on all public transport in Karlovy Vary and Marianske Lanzne.

19. see Mlynska Kolonada

Fantastic Mlynska Kolonada, home to four of the fifteen hot springs, named Mill Spring, Libuse, Nymph and Prince Vaclav. It must be perfect in winter to be able to hold a hot mug and drink some hot water at the same time. Just be aware that some are very hot.

20. Liqueur tasting at Pramen Svoboda

This charming pavilion Pramen Svoboda which also has a well in it called FREEDOM spring is located at Mlýnské nábř. 468/1. Before this beautiful pavilion there is another well along the road called Rock Spring.

Between them you can buy a glass of liqueur from Becherovka in the centre of the street. Between the Pramen Svoboda pavilion and the Mill Colonnade is the famous Lazne III spa from 1866.

21. cosy up in beautiful Park Colonnade

Beautiful Park Colonnade (Sadová kolonáda) at Zahradní, 360 01. An incredibly beautiful cast-iron column that opened on 5 June 1881. The architects are Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, who designed 20 buildings in Karlovy Vary.

There's Snake Spring in the Colonnade and Park Springs in the building next door. The building next door is the first Military Spa Institute from 1855.  

22nd Faith in Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral

If you walk up the hill from Savoda Colonnada, you'll come to the Orthodox church Pravoslavny Kostel Svateho Petra a Pavla. Built in 1897 and honouring the apostles Peter and Paul, the church is located at Krále Jiřího 2c and is insanely powerful.

23. Bathing in film and Spa hotel Thermal

Spa Hotel Thermal at Ivana Petrovic Pavlova, which was built between 1967-1976 as a congress hall and headquarters for the International Film Festival, where it has been since 1978.

The complex is by far the tallest building in Karlovy Vary at 65 metres high and sixteen storeys high, it's not to be missed. 273 rooms, a congress centre for 2000 people and a 50-metre pool that draws its water from a hot spring and maintains a constant 26-28 degrees.

24. cure yourself at Elizabeth Baths

Elizabeth Baths (Alzbetiny Lazne) from 1906, which in addition to baths offers several different treatments. These include a "salt chamber" where you can sit for 45 minutes, which is considered to have a healthy effect on a variety of ailments.

25. Eat at Becherplats and Restaurant Karel IV

Becherplatz at T. G. Masaryka 282/57. Here we had lunch at the Czech restaurant Karel IV, which is perfect if you want a classic Czech meal. Here you sit in cosy and rustic premises, with a real brewery feel. For us it was duck with red cabbage, sauerkraut and dumplings. In the same place there is a brewery and a small indoor square with a café and souvenirs.

26. Drink and see Museum Becherovka

In Karlovy Vary you can visit the Becherovka museum located on Becher Square. Jan Becher from 1807 who made the secret recipe that was later developed by David Becher. We wanted to know all about the Becherovka liqueur with anise seeds, cinnamon and 32 other herbs. French company Pernod Ricard owns Becherovka with my favourite whisky Jameson and Swedish spirit Absolut vodka.

27. Blowing glass at the Moser Glass Museum

The Moser Glass Museum from 1857, also nicknamed the "King of Glass" as it has supplied Edward VII, Pope Pius XI, Turkish Sultan Abdul Hamid II, King Luis I of Portugal and his wife. Also Maria Pia of Savoy, kings and princesses and many more. Here I got to blow glass which was very exhausting and a lot of fun.

To get to the Moser Glass Museum by public transport, take bus I from bus stop Lazne III Mlýnské nábř. 507/5 next to Park Colonnade, which takes 15 minutes to the Moser glass factory.

28. Shopping on the cheap in Karlovy Vary

The city attracts a lot of tourists, and there is of course a lot to do. Among other things, we got the urge for cheap shopping because there are plenty of interesting shops here! Really fun shopping in the city!

If you want to go to a mall near Karlovy Vary for shopping, go to Divadelni street next to Vridelni Colonada near the theatre. The shopping centre is called Varyada and you take bus 2 which takes 25 minutes.

29. Overview of the city from Goethe's Lookout

Goethe's Lookout was completed in 1889 and was 42 metres high, built in brick. The phrase "the height of eternal life" came from Princess Stephanie of Belgium. She showed her wealthy Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf the site 3.5 kilometres into the spa forest, and he spent some of his fortune on the construction. World War I came and there was Stalin's lockout, but Goethe had the last word.

30th Campa in Karlovy Vary

If you come to Karlovy Vary by motorhome, you can stay at the Vitkova Hora campsite, which is located on a hill above the town. The walk down to town is a nice 3.5 kilometres long walk through forest and downhill. We actually walked in both directions the one time we were here, but the uphill was sweaty, so taxis may be an option for the way back....

See more - Marianske Lazne (Marienbad)

There is a lot to see in the area around Karlovy Vary. One of them in the spa triangle is the famous Marianske Lazne with the Roman Baths in Nove Lazne, the Lazenska Colonnada, the Singing Fountain, the Royal golf club Marianske Lazne.

See more - Frantiskovy Lazne (Fracisbad)

The third town in the spa triangle is the yellow town of Frantiskovy Lazne. This is a hidden gem with so much nature, green and beautiful. If you want to recover mentally, visit the town and just be.

See more - Locomotive and Leverage Museum

In the small town of Loket, which is 14 kilometres from Karlovy Vary, we visited a small microbrewery by the castle, which also had a museum with lever cups from different times in history. The oldest lever cup here was from 1780. Fascinating!

There are three rivers around Karlovy Vary and they are Templa, Ohre and Rolava. The Templa runs through Karlovy Vary, and the large river Ohre runs around and through the Czech Republic. To get to Loket you can take bus 6 from Tržnice to Svatoššská.

Tržnice is located near the centre of Bechlovka in the northern part of the city. You can also kayak to Loket which takes you an hour on the river Ohre and leave it there and cycle back.

See more - Kynzvart Castle

Kynžvart Castle in the Czech Republic is a beautiful historic castle, which also houses collections of cool antique gadgets from around the world. How about Japanese armour, mummies from Egypt or a long dried snake skin that was once a Christmas present? To get here, rent a car or take a taxi via the E48, which takes 34 minutes and is 46 kilometres long.

Video from Karlovy Vary

Facts about Carlsbad

• Country: Czech Republic
• Residents: 49 000 (2016)
• Height: 370 metres above sea level
• Venue: Karlovy Vary is twinned with Varberg in Sweden.
• Time difference: Same time as Sweden
• Language: Czech, but many also know English
• Currency: The Czech koruna (CZK) is cheaper in the Czech Republic than in Sweden, with an index of 70 compared to 100 in 2018.

Travelling to Carlsbad

At the airport: The exchange rate at many of the ATMs at the airport is high, so you should choose the banks' ATMs. These can be found between Terminals 1 and 2 and are labelled with the name of the bank.

If you want to buy water or snacks and don't want to pay too much, look for the BILLA store.

Train or Bus: It is easy to take a bus from Prague Airport to Karlovy Vary, the bus journey takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes. The buses leave just outside the airport, under the big bridge.

It is possible to buy a ticket on the bus, but there is a risk of the bus being full, so it is better to buy a ticket online in advance. The bus ticket can be booked at Regiojet.com and for travelling to Karlovy Vary the price is under 100 Sek.

Travelling by bus in the Czech Republic: During the bus journey you have access to WiFi, TV, headphones and the possibility to charge your mobile phone. There is also a menu and you can order soft drinks, beer, sweets and snacks. Just remember to bring Czech money (and preferably in smaller denominations) to pay.

Car hire in Karlovy Vary: In front of the church on Mariánskolázeňská Street, you can rent a car at Pronajem Vozidel to get around to beautiful towns near Karlovy Vary.

Restaurants in Carlsbad

• Restaurant Karel IV, which we wrote about in the post, is located on Becherplatz and serves traditional Czech food.
• Hotel Promenada restaurant has a Michelin star and serves high-class French-Czech cuisine. Located at Hotel Promenada Trziste 381/31 on the same street as Vridelni Kolonada.
• Restaurance le Marché is located at Mariánskolázeňská 4, along Tepla and next to Karlovy Vary Plaza.
• Diana's restaurant i Diana's Tower serves great food with good local beer on Výšina přátelství (Friendship Hill) directly above the centre of Karlovy Vary. 

Accommodation in Carlsbad

There are plenty of hotels and since the prices are good, you may be able to afford the extra cost. Read our post on 3 hotels in Karlovy Vary - celebrity, spa or boutique hotel

• Hotel Imperial on Libušina 1212/18
• Park Hotel Richmond from 1884 on Slovenská 567/3
• Grand Hotel Pupp on Mírové nám. 2, 360 01
• Grand hotel Ambassadör on T. G. Masaryka 1088/24
• Atlantic Palace The newly opened Tržiště 37/23, where we stayed, is very centrally located.

If you are travelling by mobile phone in the Czech Republic, you can read about campsites and pitches in the Czech Republic here.

People who visited Karlovy Vary

• Peter the Great in Russia visited Karlovy Vary in 1711 and 1712.
• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk  founder of the Republic of Turkey, as well as its first president, visited Karlovy Vary in 1918 for spa treatments.
• Johann Wolfgang Goethe, German poet, novelist, philosopher and scientist
• Ludwig van Beethoven, composer, came for spa treatments. He and the poet Goethe used to go for walks together.
• Fryderyk Chopin  composer and his parents met during a holiday in Carlsbad, August/September 1835.

History of Karlovy Vary

Already in the Bronze Age people knew that wells were something special. Tasovice, Dvory and Drahovice are some of the places where remains have been found from the 13th century. Karlovy Vary's history really begins after Charles IV found this place on a hunting trip in 1349.

14 April 1370 plans began to build a city around these wells. Several hundred years later, a major flood hit Karlovy Vary on 9 May 1582.

13 August 1604 the city was completely destroyed by a fire that wiped out 99 houses out of 102. The 17th century was a difficult time of war, disease and famine. The Gothic era was over.

18th century

The turnaround of spa life came and in 1701 the Saxon Hall was built and in 1707 Emperor Joseph confirmed that Carlsbad was the royal free city.

In 1711 the first public spa house was built Mlynske Lazne (today Mill spring) and Stare Louky (old town) were created. With rich aristocratic visitors and Peter the Great's two visits in 1711 and 1712, a new era started.

In 1719, new city laws were issued which governed how the spa should be made and how it should be done. Between 1732 and 1736, a new baroque church of Mary Magdalene was built from the original site of the cruciform church, and the architect Kilian Ignác Dientzenhofer designed the church you see today.

In 1739 new spa buildings were erected such as the Czech Hall where the Grand Hotel Pupp was later built. Karlovy Vary went straight to the top as a spa town but on 23 May 1759, 224 houses were destroyed in a violent fire that affected many towns.

From 1760 onwards, new decisions were taken regarding construction., and now stone houses were built instead with rich stucco facades and sloping roofs.

In 1762, Mlynske Lazne was modernised.In 1775, the most sought-after location in Karlovy Vary (Czech Place) was bought by the confectioner Johann Georg Pupp. This was the basis for the largest and most famous restaurant and hotel in the history of Karlovy Vary.

In 1777 a hall was built that would show all the benefits of spa and longer quality of life. Dr. David Becher exported a lot of water with salt from Karlovy Vary and built the new theatre in 1788. In 1795 the spa tax was introduced and the baroque era was over.

19th century

Karlovy Vary is growing in popularity Amongst the nobility and celebrities such as Friedrich Schiller, Louis van Betthoven, Frederick Chopin, Nikola Paganini, Johann Wolfgang Goethe and Theodor Körner, Karlovy Vary was a popular destination.

In 1855 the first real spa facility Military Spa Institute, and Karlovy Vary became the most famous spa in Europe.

1858 will be the end on the Bohemian (German) domination, and in 1860 became even more famous for its successful treatments for diabetes.

Now the term 'Golden Age' was coined in Karlovy Vary and Lazne III (spa III) was built in 1866.

The golden age

In 1870, Karlovy Vary was annexed to the European railway network and the Cheb line, and in 1871 the train also went to Prague. Construction of the Mill Colonnade began in 1871-1881, the Angolan church and synagogue in 1877.

In 1879 the Hot Spring Colonnade was built, and in 1881 the Czech association Slovenska Beseda was founded and for the first time Karlovy Vary was governed by Czechs. The Market Colonnade was set up in 1883 as well as the beautiful imperial spa in 1895 and the new city theatre in 1886.

Once again in history, Karlovy Vary is damaged by a huge flood on 24 November 1890. The mighty Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1897, and the latter part of the 19th century saw the creation of the Art Nouveau beauty we see today.

20th century

The railway continued to expand to Marianske Lazne, Johanngeorgenstadt and Märklin at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1911 the city had 71,000 tourists and the city was flourishing.

In 1912 the Diana cable car was builtand the architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, who designed 20 buildings in Karlovy Vary, finished with the Hotel Imperial in 1912.

The First World War put an end to it for further development. At the end of the First World War in 1918, rules were introduced against the German-speaking majority, which is when Czechoslovakia was formed.

A peaceful demonstration on 4 March 1919 degenerated and 6 German protesters were shot dead by Czech troops. During the Second World War, Karlovy Vary was taken back by the Germans and renamed Carlsbad.

It only lasted until the war was over and the Czechs took back the name of Karlovy Vary, as well as all German properties in the city without compensating the German population.

Late 20th century

In 1946, the International Film Festival was founded which is in early July every year. It is now the oldest film festival in the world, and most film celebrities have attended and received some sort of award.

Between 1967-1976 the huge Spa Hotel Thermal was built. on Ivana Petrovic Pavlova as a congress hall and headquarters for the international film festival. Designed by Vera and Vladimir Machonin and built in the Brutalist style.

1989 saw the fall of the communist regime in the Czech Republic and 1991 saw the fall of the Soviet Union. It has attracted investors and Russian companies that keep Karlovy Vary a stable economy, and a rich region in the Czech Republic.