January was coming to an end and we decided to make a short stopover in Karlovy Vary (also known as Carlsbad) in Czech republic on our way to Slovenia from Germany. We had time to venture off the usual German highway way and I´ve been wanting to visit this amazing Czech spa town for a while now. And even though we only ended up spending one night, it was enough for first impressions and they were really positive. So, what can you see and do in Karlovy Vary? Find out more in this post.
After visiting PRAGUE a couple of times already, I was eager to see what some of the other Czech towns have to offer. And we were really not disappointed by KARLOVY VARY. One of the BIGGEST SPA TOWNS IN EUROPE with its lovely PEDESTRIAN SPA PROMENADE astonished us with beautiful ARCHITECTURE, good RESTAURANTS and NATURAL SPRINGS along the TEPLA RIVER. The town itself was founded by the emperor CHARLES IV who used the springs for healing purposes. Today there are almost 80 different springs to be found in and around the city, the WATER FROM 13 SPRINGS is used for HEALING.
We chose to spend the night in one of the HOTELS on the hill above the pedestrian zone and paid only 27€ a night for a DOUBLES ROOM with breakfast. There are of course many other, more expensive, options. And it is easy to do a DAYTRIP FROM PRAGUE too, as it is only a 2hrs drive each way. For the best visit I suggest you have 2 full days, but you can also squeeze in most of the sights in just 1 day as the town is not that big.
DRINKING WATER FROM HOT SPRINGS | 13 natural hot water springs with curing powers
In KARLOVY VARY you cannot miss the 13 HOT WATER SPRINGS that have curing powers and the best way to get advantage of them is to BUY A SPECIAL TRADITIONAL PORCELAIN CUP with built in drinking spouts. It is easy to buy them at one of the KIOSKS or SOUVENIR SHOPS in the town. If you wish to TASTE THE HEALING WATER this is the best option, as a plastic bottle is not only eco-unfriendly but it is also not suitable for drinking boiling hot water. It´s just a thing to do in Karlovy Vary, so go with the flow and have fun tasting water.
THE MILL COLONNADE | Corinthian columns with hot water springs
Okay so now that you´re equipped with a PORCELAIN CUP you can hit the PEDESTRIAN ZONE with its famous COLONNADES and HOT WATER SPRINGS. We passed the famous MILL COLONNADES first. Under these amazing CORINTHIAN COLUMNS you will find 5 WATER FOUNTAINS where you can sample water.
THE MARKET COLONADE | the most famous Charles IV hot water spring and beautiful architecture
You also cannot miss this amazing MARKET COLONNADE, where the famous CHARLES IV SPRING is situated. It is believed this is the place where the emperor soothed his legs for the first time when this was just a spring in a forest. Nowadays this is a wonderful place with exceptional architecture that doesn´t directly scream Czech Republic, but nevertheless it is amazingly photogenic and lovely to look at.
THE HOT SPRING COLONADE | the hottest water spring in Karlovy Vary
THE HOT SPRING GEYSIR as this one is called is really amazing as it can BURST THERMAL WATER UP TO 12m HIGH and it is the hottest spring in the town at the same time. The water tempeterature reaches up to 72C.
DAY SPAS | indulging and relaxing in one of the many city spa centres
If you have the time you should visit one of the spas of course. Most likely your HOTEL will offer one, but if not there is a chance to visit one of the DAY SPAS too. One of the most known ones is the ELISABETHBAD, also known as BAD V. If you wish to experience a DIFFERENT KIND OF SPA you should try the BEER SPA for example. Unfortunately we didn´t have the time but I´d love to try it some day.
CITY SIGN | getting your picture taken with the famous city sign over Tepla river
Close to the HOT SPRING GEYSIR you will find a bridge over TEPLA RIVER with a big CITY SIGN on it. Even though it is one of the tourist hot spots to take a picture, we managed to find a window when nobody was there.
TRADITIONAL LUNCH / DINNER | Czech culinary specialities
Here, you will find lots of MODERN STYLE RESTAURANTS but also many TRADITIONAL ONES. These ones will mostly serve MEAT DISHES, with pork being their favourite, followed by duck and beef, of course accompanied by yummy sauces. Expect potatoes and vegetables on the side, with cabbage and knodel dumplings being popular too, with a a pint of local COLD BEER or a glass of wine.
OTHER THINGS TO SEE & DO | what else can you experience in Karlovy Vary?
There are lots of other things to do around here besides going to a spa, including trying a glass of the famous BECHEROVKA, a herbal bitter liqueur (you can also visit the JAN BECHER MUSEUM located in the same building where this iconic drink has been produced for the last 150 years) or visiting the MOSER GLASS MUSEUM. In the visitors centre you can learn all about this high quality glass production in Karlovy Vary. Also, don´t miss on climbing up the DIANA OBSERVATION TOWER for the best views on the city and try the POPULAR LOCAL SNACK called KARLOVY VARY WAFERS. We´ve also taken a couple of TRDELNIK topped with cinnamon as a snack between meals.
Our visit was short but sweet and I hope we´ll be back one day for more spa time. Karlovy Vary truly is an architectural gem in this part of Europe and even if you only have the time for a day visit or a day trip from Prague, I highly recommend it.
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Comments 22
So far we have only been to Prague, but this post sure made me wish to explore more about Czech Republic. 🙂 Not sure if during the winter though, but Karlovy Vary have just been put on our travel bucket list, which never seems to end 😉
Happy traveling, cannot wait to see some more posts with Landy 😉
Author
Hehe yeah I definitely agree that Spring or Summer would be a better time, but then again – there were less tourists now 🙂 There´s always a plus. Otherwise I can really recommend visiting this town, very charming and affordable.
Yesss, coming up soon, can´t wait for road adventures 🙂
Great, informative post! Especially the water from the hotsprings sound interesting. Thanks for the tips!
Author
Thank you Lisanne, yeah drinking the boiling hotspring water all around the town is a very special thing to do 🙂
I would love to return to Czech Republic to explore this and other lesser known parts! Thank you for writing such a detailed description, I’m definitely bookmarking it for when I get to go!
Author
Thanks Charu, glad you found it useful! There is so much more than Prague to be seen in Czech Republic, and it is still quite affordable too, we love coming back (but we live in Germany so we are not that far). x
You know, I never really heard about Karlovy Vary especially in regards to it being a spa town! I’m glad I learned something 🙂
Author
Great, I love it when I come across something I´ve never heard about 🙂 It´s really a nice alternative to Prague!
I’ve only been to Prague so far but looks like I need to plan another trip to the Czech Republic to discover this place! Thank you for such an informative post!
Author
You´re welcome Kriszti, Karlovy Vary is really worth a visit, even if just for a day or two 🙂
Czech Republic has been on my list for a while along with Austria – I already have a long list of towns I want to visit but now I’ll have to do even more research on Karlovy Vary – it seems so relaxing to walk through even if you don’t go to a spa.
Author
Exactly! We didn´t have the time to visit a spa (other than the sauna in the hotel), but despite this we had a wonderful time. I think the most unique and great thing to do is really to buy one of those porcelain cups and drink hot water
from the springs 🙂
Great post! I absolutely love Karlovy Vary. It is such a beautiful and relaxing place. I always recommend it to anybody going to Czechia.
Author
Agree! Lovely place, I think we will return one more time in the summer, it must be beautiful when everything is green 🙂
I was sold when you mentioned “natural springs” hehe! Been to the Czech Republic twice but haven’t visited Karlovy Vary but now I regret it! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Author
You´re welcome Val, there are so many charming smaller towns like this in Czech Republic, I hope we get the cahnce soon to discover more! Such nice architecture and nature, plus it´s quite affordable too, I love it there 🙂
What a beautiful city! I would love to visit the hot springs and visit the market. Such a lovely place and a great itinerary!
Author
Yeah it´s really a one of a kind place, loved sipping hot water from the springs all around the town 🙂
It is funny that doing a few trips in Czechia, I never got to visit Karlovy Vary, which is such a shame, since this is one of the most spoken about cities. By the way, how was the smell of the hot springs in the city? 😉
Author
Hi Lena, if you ever get the chance to visit Czech Rep again, definitely come here too, it´s a very nice place. Didn´t really smell the hot springs all that much (just from up close), but maybe it is different in the summer when it is hot? 🙂
My itinerary just doubled on my next trip! Thank you for all the tips and information. Great post!
Author
Hehe, it´s never easy to “see” it all 😉 But KArlovy Vary is definitely worth going!