Karlovy Vary – Treasure Among European Spa Destinations

Karlsbad is the best branded spa town located in West Bohemia. It was founded nearly 1350 by the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, Charles 4. Its majestic roads as well as colonnades are surrounded by serene forested hills crisscrossed by climbing and cycling paths that are ideal for pleasant walks all time round.

A tiring cultural events calendar, many festivals as well as international conferences make Carlsbad the main and liveliest spa city in the Czech Republic visited not only by the spa-goers but also celebrities. Carlsbad achieved its fame also thanks to its well-known plant based liqueur labeled as Becherovka (nicknamed The thirteenth Spring), Mattoni mineral water, unique spa wafers, and Moser crystal work. The remedial waters from the springs in the valley of the Tepla River have been used by people from time immemorial – both for drinking as well as bathing.

The past of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad or Karlsbad).

was founded approximately 1350 by the Bohemian king Holy Roman Emperor Charles 4. Since the 15th century the city rapidly urbanized thanks to the reputation of regional thermal springs. As such Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary) spa has more than 600 years long tradition. Until about the eighteenth century most of the procedures consisted of various kinds of baths but already in 1521, Dr. Vaclav Payer Loket proposed a drinking cure as well. More than 200 years later on Dr. David Becher applied one of the first chemical analyses of the domestic mineral water. Drinking therapy soon proved effective particularly in cases of stomach disorders conditions of intestines and liver.

In 1718 the Ruler Charles VI gave the town a privilege permitting export of the mineral water, outside the city borders. Thankfulness to that the traffic as well as commerce rapidly developed.

The first half of the nineteenth century was marked by extensive construction improvement of the spa. The Empire Vridlo Colonnade (1826), Mill Bath (1828), new Vridlo Bath (1831) lots of other buildings served another half-century, until a large influx of spa-goers required extra growth.

In 1870s the introduction of railway led to the golden age of spa resort. At that time the up to date Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary) was recognized and its esprit is partially even now preserved these days. The buildings from that period are works of the Viennese architects F. Fellner as well as H. Helmer.

Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad or Karlsbad) can possess about several colonnades – the most popular is the Vridlo Arcade with its numerous hot mineral resources. The Market Arcade on the other hand is the place of todays marketplace.

Natural Healing Sources in Karlovy Vary.

The 12 springs that be able to be found here are rich in sodium, bicarbonate as well as sulphates. The springs are very similar to each other with respect to their chemical composition. Nevertheless they come out of the ground at diverse temperatures contain numerous amounts of CO2. In the surroundings of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad or Karlsbad) there are about a 100 sources of numerous warmth composition. The mineral-rich mud from a nearby spring is also used in healing procedures. The mineral water and mud are used to cure patients with digestive and musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes and obesity.

VIP Spa visitors of Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).

The list of remarkable figures that visited Karlovy Vary is thanks to the fame of the city incredibly extensive. The spa town has been the most wanted summer season resort especially for numerous musicians, writers poets but also famous polititions. Among them was Johann W. Goethe as well as the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, German thinker Johann Fichte Gottlieb, German bard Heinrich Heine, the mistress of Royal leader Franz Joseph I, the artist Katharina Schratt, Rothschild Rockefeller, businessman Arthur Krupp, Izzet Pasha from Constantinople, Chinese Ambassador Chen Soen Ling. Every year the city is as well visited by numerous famous actors and film directors thanks to the yearly Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad or Karlsbad) International Movie Festival.

Free time activities and events in Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary).

In the beautiful charming valley where the city is situated, spa visitors could find an 18-hole golf course that is one of the oldest golf clubs in the state. There is in addition a golf hall equipped with simulators, indoor and outside tennis courts, modern shooting range, swimming pools, snooker, bowling, soccer squash courses, riding facilities, skate boarding, karate club. Tourists be able to in addition choose for seeing the sights tours in the town with an experienced guide or enjoy the regular shows on the colonnades in local churches as well as art auctions, local cinema, theatre, dance halls, casinos nightclubs. The town also presents quite a few museums focusing on natural world, health spas, chinaware and glass.

April – Assembly of European upper classes
June – Mozart Karlovy vary (music festival); International Movie Fest; Fest of Antiquated Music
August – Beethoven Days; Fresh Filmfest (student films)
September – Worldwide folk festival; Karlovy vary Dvorak Autumn
October – Karlsbad Week (Tourfilm, Spa festival, Spa Congress), Jazzfest (Global fest of Conventional Modern Jazz).