Karlovy Vary - known for its Moser Glass works and famous spas, Czechoslovakia

Eons ago, I had taken my daughter to Prague after her graduation as it’s a beautiful city and we went to see the Moser Glass works as I love crystal ware.  We splurged as we both love crystal and Moser has its own special charm and beauty. This time, I wanted to show Moser to my wife, even though she hates my collecting glass, as a ruse to possibly convince her to buy a piece for me. But fate dictated otherwise – the booking for the visit turned out to be the day before the scheduled trip to Karlovy Vary; hence we missed the glassworks tour!!   

Organized tours to Karlovy Vary take 9+ hours which means reaching the tour start at an unearthly hour. I hate that. We decided that we would go on our own and if possible get a local guide there. The bus ride takes just under two hours - the 10.20 am luxury coach with pre booked reserved seats was a comfortable ride, no stops and we reached by 12.00. What we did not know was the geography of the town. 

We were at the upper end. Trying to find a place where money could be changed and the tourist office (for a guide) led us downhill, all the way to the real centre. Very few people about… luckily for us as this is a really popular spa town.  

We walked and we walked and walked. It was getting tiring as the locals went on pointing to a tourist office in the distance! It was really frustrating. 

The town was named after the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia - Charles IV who discovered its water springs in 1350’s. Hence Karlsbad = Charles + bath = in German. He granted the spa privileges of a free royal city on August 14th 1370 next to the Hot Spring. Now known as Karlovy Vary, it's famous for its mineral springs and its gorgeous Belle Epoque architecture. It lies on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá.

As you near the end of the long road, you come across a canal. On the far side, stretch many hotels all offering spa facilities. Then, comes a garden with this Castle like hotel, and the spa waters in water fountains available for anyone to drink. These are covered under many different style structures – all very ornate.

This is the best explanation for you to read. 

“Císařské lázně is the most important spa building, protected as a national cultural monument. It was built in the historicist style of the French Neo-Renaissance in 1893–1895. The largest colonnade with five mineral springs is the Mill Colonnade - a pseudo-Renaissance structure, built in 1871–1881. The best-known spring is Vřídlo, located in Hot Spring Colonnade built in Functionalistic style in 1975. The spring gushes out in a geyser up to 12 m (39 ft) high. Other colonnades in the city are Park Colonnade (Sadová; cast-iron architecture structure built in 1880–1881 by Fellner & Helmer), Market Colonnade (Tržní; a wooden structure, built in Swiss style in 1882–1883 by Fellner & Helmer), and Castle Colonnade (Zámecká; built in Art Nouveau style in 1910–1912 by Friedrich Ohmann)” source Karlovy Vary town data. 

“Karlovy Vary is the site of numerous hot springs (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River) and is the most visited spa town in the Czech Republic. The historic city centre with the spa cultural landscape is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. It is the largest spa complex in Europe. In 2021, the city became part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Great Spa Towns of Europe" because of its spas and architecture from the 18th through 20th centuries.

They are a part of the Eger Graben, a tectonically active region in western Bohemia. Although the infiltration area is several hundred square kilometres, each spring has the same hydrological origins, and therefore shares the same dissolved minerals and chemical formula. The hottest of the springs can approach 74 °C, while the coldest have temperatures under 40 degrees. All of the springs combined provide roughly 2,000 litres of water every minute”. 

The city map shows  how the river meanders through the town .  It has welcomed such figures as Goethe, Beethoven, Gogol, Paganini, Casanova, and Mozart along with dozens of heads of state, while in recent times it has hosted many movie stars thanks to its Karlovy Vary International Film Festival which is one of Europe’s most important.

The city has been used as the location for a number of film-shoots, including the 2006 films Last Holiday and Casino Royale, both of which used the city's Grand Hotel Papp (below) in different guises. Moreover, the Palace Bristol Hotel in Karlovy Vary had been used as a model for The Grand Budapest Hotel.

I had heard of a cable car and eventually found it; tucked away in a side lane across from the Hotel Papp. I took it to the top which we reached in a few minutes. Then, outside, all I saw was a tower like structure – it had a lift but I found everyone going up / down the stairs and I did not wish to get struck in the lift so, I just strolled around and got the best view possible from near the funicular’s entrance. Rather disappointing after that really long walk right across the town and the canal sides. 

This is a panorama shot of the town bordering on each side the canal.

We finished sightseeing with about two hours to spare before the coach back to Prague. We asked a cab driver to take us to the coach station as rain was imminent and we did not want to walk back -- I could not see any cabs around. He said it was better to enjoy a local pastry at the Elefant café opposite and he would definitely wait for us. So, relaxed with the knowledge that our ride was waiting, I enjoyed an apple pie with ice cream, an Elefant chocolate truffle cake and a hot chocolate drink. My wife had a delicious quiche and tea.  Artem, the cabbie, a refugee from Ukraine, was true to his word. He took us around the town and dropped us at the coach station which was adjacent to the train station. As we had fixed reserved seats, we did not have to worry about the bus being packed on the way back.

I leave you with these mouth watering photos of the various pastries one can enjoy. The menu actually had 15 such delectable items but I thought that would be too much for you to bear! 

If you do go to Karlovy Vary, do ask for Artem - he will make your trip memorable. 

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