Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic)

...may not have heard of Karlovy Vary, it really is one of the most picturesque destinations in the Czech Republic. Prague grabs the headlines, along with the bulk of the tourists, and the only people who seem to have heard of this spa town are the Germans, who know it as Karlsbad. This is because it was founded by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles (Karl) IV in 1358, but the many Teutonic tourists are also drawn to this town to take the waters, and see ...
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Karlovy Vary is just 50km from the German border, and is very easy to reach – cross over at Cheb/Eger and just follow the signs! As you cross the border, be prepared for a bit of a wait, as this is just a dual carriageway and there is normally a long queue of lorries waiting to cross over, which can lead to delays. When you enter the Czech Republic, you are immediately confronted with signs informing you that you need to purchase a ... more

Although you may not have heard of Karlovy Vary, it really is one of the most picturesque destinations in the Czech Republic. Prague grabs the headlines, along with the bulk of the tourists, and the only people who seem to have heard of this spa town are the Germans, who know it as Karlsbad. This is because it was founded by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles (Karl) IV in 1358, but the many Teutonic tourists are also drawn to this town to take the waters, and see the places that Goethe, Schiller, Beethoven and others frequented.

Karlovy Vary is just 50km from the German border, and is very easy to reach – cross over at Cheb/Eger and just follow the signs! As you cross the border, be prepared for a bit of a wait, as this is just a dual carriageway and there is normally a long queue of lorries waiting to cross over, which can lead to delays. When you enter the Czech Republic, you are immediately confronted with signs informing you that you need to purchase a motorway pass, but if you are just heading to Karlovy Vary you don’t need one of these, as the new stretch of motorway only lasts for about a mile before you turn off onto the A-roads again. That said, a pass that is valid for a week only costs about 2 pounds, so it’s hardly going to break the bank.

If this is your first experience of Czech roads, don’t let it put you off! It might be a bit of a bumpy ride (and you’ll probably be distracted by the prostitutes who wait for trade in each lay-by), and you have a good chance of getting stuck behind a lorry belching out clouds of smoke, but things have improved over the last few years. Still, when you do arrive in Karlovy Vary, you won’t be overly impressed. It is fairly typical of many towns that have tried to shed the evidence of years of Communist rule – a sprawling mass of old tower blocks and rundown buildings, interspersed with modern industrial developments and McDonalds adverts.

Unless you have already booked a room in one of the town’s many hotels, your first port of call should be the main station (nadrazi), which is easily found on the south bank of the river. The station houses the central tourist information office, and the staff here proved to be fluent in English and German, which always helps, seeing as my grasp of basic Czech doesn’t extend much further than ordering a beer (surprise, surprise!). You can stay in one of the relatively expensive spa hotels, or take the plunge and go for a B&B – our one cost just 450 crowns a head, it was only a 10-minute walk from the town centre, and the landlady was extremely helpful in recommending places to see, plus she brought breakfast to the room. Not bad for 9 quid each!

The old town is just a short walk from the station, and all the sights are concentrated on the one street that runs alongside the River Tepla - once you get past the towering new hotel that dominates the centre of town, you can see that the old buildings, which endured years of neglect and decay under the Communists, are gradually being restored to former splendours. The stucco facades are being repainted in vivid colours, and the ground floors of many are now given over to restaurants, souvenir shops and haute couture outlets as consumerism makes its mark. Prices have not been adversely affected though, and you can still get a good meal and a few drinks for a tenner – this is probably due to the fact that there are so many cafes to choose from that no one owner can afford to raise prices to rip-off levels. Some cafes supplement their income by offering guests a cigarettes and booze menu at the table as well, so that you can take your cheap spirits and Marlboro Lights back to the hotel, without having anything to do with the tiresome business of shopping!

While in Karlovy Vary, it would be positively rude not to try a glass or two of the local speciality, a herbal liqueur called Becherovka, which is apparently good for the digestion. It’s similar in taste to that very German spirit, Jägermeister, and is best enjoyed chilled – it’s an acquired taste, but you can now also get hold of a new variety, Becherovka Limet, which is flavoured with citrus juices and is a little easier on the tongue if you’ve never tried this stuff before!

There are about 60 springs in Karlovy Vary, which vary in temperature from 34 to 73 degrees Centigrade, and there is one particularly picturesque spot, where the hot spring waters flow into the river, staining the rocks red with iron deposits and sending great clouds of steam up into the street. The main attraction, a geyser that shoots water 40 feet into the air, is housed in a pretty ugly glass and steel structure called the Yuri Gagarin Colonnade, but you can wander around in here and sample the various spring waters. It’s just a shame that such an obviously ‘modern’ structure has been planted so incongruously in the midst of such beautiful surroundings.

One thing you really shouldn’t miss out on is a trip up the funicular railway to the Diana observation tower on the hills to the west of the river. The journey lasts about 5 minutes each way, and you can stop halfway up if you fancy walking on to the tower, but you have to mention this to the driver before leaving the bottom station! Entry to the tower costs just 10 crowns (20 pence), and the view from the top is fantastic. There are markers on the supporting columns, pointing the way to Prague, Cheb and the Erzgebirge in Germany, and you can see the whole of Karlovy Vary spread out before you, surrounded by wooded hills and with the river winding through the town centre. A fabulous view, and as far as I’m concerned, the journey there was worth it for this view alone! If you’re in the Czech Republic, go and see Karlovy Vary, before everyone else finds out about it... 

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