Day in Karlovy Vary

We travelled through Karlovy Vary in December 2017, on our way from Prague to Berlin. We arrived in Karlovy Vary about 6.00 p.m. after visiting Marianske Lazne and Castle Loket earlier in the day. Karlovy Vary is a spa town, about 80 miles West of Prague. With 13 hot springs, it is the most popular spa town in the Czech Republic.

Our home for the night was Grand Hotel Pupp. It has been made famous by its starring role in the film Casino Royale. The hotel exteriors and interiors were exactly the same as the film.

Since it was late, we decided to leave exploring the town to the next morning. But the Christmas decorations made the surroundings very pretty.

Next morning, we set out to explore the town. The Karlovy Vary is centred around a river/stream that runs the length of the town. On either side of the water, there are many hotels, shops, restaurants and cafes.

As you walk through the town you come across many hot springs, in various shapes, sizes and temperatures.

You can obtain a map from the tourist centre that shows the location of different springs and other attractions in the surrounding area.

You can taste the water from any of the springs. Most people use a special mug to sip the water. The handle of the mug doubles up as a spout.

As you walk through town, you come across many Colonnades, each with a number of springs at varying temperatures.

The walk continues along the river bank and ends at the Dvorakovy Sady Park.

There are also a number of Wellness Spas dotted around the town. Many of the hotels in Karlovy Vary also specialise in spa breaks. There are also a couple of beautiful Churches – Evangelical Churches of St. Peter and Paul and the Church of St Mary Magdalene. You can also climb up to the Three Crosses view point. Unfortunately, we did not have time to try these, as we had to catch a train to Berlin.

We only stayed here for one night, overall, I found Karlovy Vary to be a very relaxing town. Other than enjoying the spas and retail therapy, there is not a whole lot to do, but I think this is a good thing as you would come here for rest and relaxation.

Have you been to Karlovy Vary? Would you like to go? Leave a comment below, and let me know.