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. ... Read review
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Hotel Boston, Karlovy Vary
The Boston hotel, housed in a beautiful 19th-century building, is located right in the spa ... more
centre of Karlovy Vary, the biggest spa resort in the Czech Republic. Elegantly furnished rooms invite you to spend peaceful and relaxing nights. The town of Karlovy Vary was founded by the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia Charles IV in 1358. Its natural hot springs with a temperature from 42 to 73C play an important role in a wide range of spa procedures and drinking cures.
the centre of the town but also in the middle of "green" , near from health-springs but also near from business centre, is closed of entertainment and culture but also in the quiet zone. Humboldt park Hotel & Spa is real oasis, where are lumped top and complex services which value also exacting costum. There is a restaurant with offer of diet program and specialties of European kitchen, home patisserie, summer garden-sitting, Lobby bar, parking and garage.
Individual care of hotels guests, Art Nouveau-style house, reasonable prices, choice from two categories of the rooms and perfect location could help you to spend a nice time in Karlovy Vary.
Festival, Karlovy Vary
Festival-hotel apartments is situated in the centre of the spa town, at a raised platform ... more
of st.Mary Magdalene's Church - 200 m far from spa hotel Aura Palace.From Festival windows you may have a view of the beautiful skyline of the town.Seven apartments in modern style furnished are spacious / 65 - 89 m2/ , there is a hall, a fully equiped kitchen, a sitting room, satelitte TV, bedroom, bathroom, toilet and safe depositFestival is depandance of Hotel Aura Palace.The guests have breakfast in Aura Palace and there at the reception desk they receive also keys from apartaments Festival
river and is surrounded by an English-style park. In this park there are situated an original Japanese meditation garden and a lovely small pavilion with a well called Stephanie. The Richmond Hotel can be proud of its history of more than 160 years. In the hotel you will also find a tasteful and stylishly furnished restaurant, cafÚ with a summer-terrace, piano bar and a billiards - lounge. Hotel Richmond's pride and joy is the banqueting hall built in the classicist style for up to 250 people.
Hotel Palacky, Karlovy Vary
This hotel is located in the spa centre of Karlovy Vary, close to the main colonnade and ... more
hot springs, and offers views of the historical town theatre.The hotel is situated very nearby the natural hot healing springs for which Karlovy Vary is famous. In the heart of the townÆs spa centre, the hotel is in a great location for sampling the relaxing and therapeutic spa treatments that are on offer.Some of the hotelÆs rooms have a balcony so you can enjoy the views or simply inhale the clear mountain air. The garden restaurant serves authentic Czech cuisine and a range of delicious desserts. All guests can enjoy a complimentary dinner every day.
Hotel Ulrika, Karlovy Vary
The hotel is in the centre of the spa town of Karlovy Vary and has its own in-house spa ... more
centre offering a range of relaxing and therapeutic treatments.Karlovy Vary is famous for its natural hot healing springs and the hotel is the ideal place to experience all of the relaxing spa treatments that the area is famous for. The hotel's convenient location in the centre of town is great for exploring this beautiful spa town. The hotel is also close to the townÆs famous spa area. Enjoy all the treatments the spas have to offer and then relax with spa treatments in the hotel itself. Recuperate with a relaxing and restorative break at the Hotel Ulrika.
Carlsbad Plaza offers luxurious guest rooms of the highest standard in a unique historic atmosphere. The hotel has its own thermal water source in the lobby, which is used for medical cures. It is renowned for its abundant choice of over 150 curing treatments at the Carlsbad Clinic and the Medical Spa Gallery. The modern spa facilities in connection with traditional cures provide the best combination for treatments. There are a number of convenient contemporary facilities including an indoor swimming pool, modern meeting rooms and a fitness and health centre. This sophistication is continued in the exquisite interior with its artistic decorations, sumptuous style, magnificent ornaments and stylish features. This residence will lend a sense of elegance to your stay in Karlovy Vary.3 fabulous restaurants offer Ó-la-carte dishes and an extensive international buffet.
A review by JVL on Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic) July 26th, 2001
Author's product rating:
Value for Money
Sightseeing
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Advantages:
Easy to get to, cheap, and fabulous scenery, plus the spring water is good for you !
Disadvantages:
The newer parts of town are not very welcoming
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
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...
Advantages: Attractive setting,spectacular hot springs. Disadvantages: Expensive.
Karlovy vary is about an hour from Prague by bus.
Bus transport is cheap in the Czech republic so a day trip is posssible if somewhat exhausting.
The things you must see are the hot springs that spurt up to 100 feet in the air, the old hotel pup that serves a very civilised afternoon tea. and the communist era hotel in the newer part of the town centre.This builing is awfull in its appearance externally, but so amazingly retro internally that you ... ...Enterprise.
Prices for accomodation in Karlovy Vary are comparable and can be higher than Prague.The hotels above the centre are set in attractive grounds but their customer service doesnt seem to be on a par.We were questioned rudely by a hotel manager after a jaccuzi bath overflowed.The expectation seeming to be that we would pay for the cost of cleaning up. ...
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Advantages: Old town with nice buildings, cheap Disadvantages: Small town, parking
...which is very close to Karlovy Vary. The old name of this city is Carlsbad, and it has a great history. You can see that if you walk around the centre of the city. You find nice buildings with great historic view. In the centre there s a swimming pool in a big old building. Besides swimming, you can go to a turkish bath and get a massage. in the park all kind of artists try to paint you or make a sillhouet with scissors. You canget on the top of ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
I hope you’re prepared because this is not going to be pretty!
I’m normally a fairly easy going fellow, but this store has really got me riled. Are you ready because this is going to be a bit of a hatchet job!!!
So, who out there could have... more