Karlovy Vary, Czech Replublic
Karlovy Vary, meaning “Charles’ Bath” was named after Charles IV,
King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who founded the city in 1370.
It is famous for its hot springs and its colorful and whimsical
architecture. For these reasons, it was a popular tourist destination
in the 18th century with guests including, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,
Tsar Peter the Great, Emperor Franz Josef I, Beethoven, Wagner, Brahms,
Tolstoy, and Marx. Tourist visitors ceased completely during World War
I and the city never regained its former glory. After WWII, the largely
German speaking city was cleared of its original inhabitants and
replaced with Czech settlers. Czech remains the major language today
but the signs of German culture and heritage are still very evident.
The town, along with Prague, was the filming location of many scenes
identified as being in Montenegro in the 2006 movie Casino Royale.
Trains from Prague leave Prague Main Station every 2 hours and arrive
in Karlovy Vary around 4 hours later. The bus is a cheaper and more
efficient method of travel from Prague to Karlovy Vary. However, rail
enthusiasts may wish to make this journey by train, as, per Thomas Cook
European rail guide, it is one of the most scenic train routes in the
Czech Republic, with much of it meandering alongside rivers. Hourly
trains operate between Karlovy Vary and Loket (16km, 30 minutes) and
Cheb (52km, 45-60 minutes).
Plan and Book:
Karlovy Vary: See and Do
The town can comfortably be covered on foot, but a car or motorcycle
is useful for exploring the surrounding areas. There is also a great
bus service that runs all over town. Taxis can be easily caught from
the Trznice bus station. The train station is located about a 5 minute
walk away.
Mill Colonade. Popular gathering place. Bands play here in the summer.
Hot Springs. There are 12 hot springs – you can get a list and descriptions at the Infocentrum.
Rock Spring – Skalni Pramen. Spurts 1.3 liters of water per minute. edit
Geyser Collonade – Vridlo. 6am-7pm. Spring that spurts 2000 liters of water per minute in a 14m jet. Free.
Lazne III – a Beautiful spa building.
Lazne I – Beautiful spa building housing Franz Josef’s baths.
Diana Lookout Tower – You can take the funicular railway or take a
beautiful walk through the spa forest to get here. Outlook tower (with
elevator) entrance is free of charge and provides bird´s eye view
over Karlovy Vary and surroundings. You can find restaurant (est. 1914)
with forest terrace and minizoo there as well.
Karl Marx Monument.
Church of St. Peter & St. Paul. Built in 1897. 5 golden domes and
colorful exterior were modeled on the Byzantine Church of the Holy
Trinity near Moscow. The interior of the church is decorated with
paintings and icons, gifts of wealthy Russian aristocrates. One of the
decorations is a relief representing Russian Tsar “Peter the Great”.
Church of St. Lucas. Anglican church.
Karlovy Vary Museum, Nova Louka 23. 9am-12pm & 1pm-5pm Wed-Sun. Local history.
Jan Becher Museum, Masaryka 57. 9am-5pm. Dedicated to the local inventor of Becherovka.
Castle Spa – Zemecke Lazne. 7:30AM-7:30PM. Modern spa center.
Open Air Thermal Pool, Bazen (on the cliff above Hotel Thermal). 8am – 8:30pm. Includes sauna and fitness club.
At the end of World War I in 1918, the large German-speaking population
of Bohemia was incorporated into the new state of Czechoslovakia in
accordance with the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919). As a
result, the German-speaking majority of Karlovy Vary protested. A
demonstration on 4 March 1919 passed peacefully, but later that month,
six demonstrators were killed by Czech troops after a demonstration
turned unruly.[
In 1938, the majority German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia, known as
the Sudetenland, became part of Nazi Germany according to the terms of
the Munich Agreement. These areas included Karlovy Vary. After World
War II, in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement, the vast majority of
the people of Karlovy Vary were forcibly expelled from the city because
of their German ethnicity. In accordance with the Beneš decrees,
their property was confiscated without compensation. Since the end of
Communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989, and the fall of the Soviet
Union in 1991, the presence of Russian businesses in Karlovy Vary has
steadily increased.
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