By Geri Bain for Travel Features Syndicate, goingplacesfarandnear.com
“You are going to love Karlovy Vary,” my doctor friend Natalya says when I tell her I’m going to extend my stay in Prague with a few days there. She worked in Poland for a time and said that Karlovy Vary (aka Carlsbad) is very popular with Europeans who buy special cups to “take the cure“, drinking from the natural hot springs. “The town is so beautiful. Just don’t overdo drinking from the fountains; think of them as medicine.”
I have wanted to visit Karlovy Vary ever since seeing images of Belle Epoque women in long dresses and men with dapper hats strolling along elegant streets, stopping to fill dainty porcelain cups at sculpted fountains spouting hot mineral water. As I research my trip, I realize Karlovy Vary is part of a “Spa Triangle,” a triad of neighboring Czech towns that includes Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně.
All three were purposefully designed to leverage the hot springs with eye-candy architecture, fountains and parks and provide restful settings for healing therapies. Today’s cures are based on a doctor-prescribed regime built around drinking, inhaling, and being immersed in the waters and muds. In fact, many European health insurance companies cover weeks-long stays to treat a variety of metabolic, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal ills.
Karlovy Vary, the largest of the towns and the only one whose springs are hot, is only about an hour and a half from Prague by car. Many people come on day trips, but I am headed there for two nights and then will spend a night in Mariánské Lázně. As we reach the peak of the mountain, my driver points to a castle-like building on a hill and says, “The Hotel Imperial.”
Driving in through manicured gardens and pulling up to the grand entrance, I wonder if I should have worn something fancier, but looking at fellow guests around the lobby as I enter, I don’t feel out of place in my chinos. When I present my passport to check in, the receptionist quickly fetches her colleague who speaks fluent English. I find that while Czech, German and Russian are the main languages spoken in the region, there is always someone who speaks English.
My room, the Hotel Imperial’s basic category, is spacious—a couple spending a few weeks here would not feel cramped, and the view of the forested hills is spectacular. The bathroom has a heated towel rack and bidet and is spotlessly clean although it feels a bit dated to my American eye.
Like most guests, I have a meal plan and eat in the main dining room. I admire the crystal chandeliers, high ceilings and architectural detailing and enjoy the social interactions around the buffet, which has a nice selection of meat, fish and vegetarian foods. Everything is self-serve except added-charge drinks and coffee (free from cappuccino/espresso machines that operate only during breakfast).
After lunch, I speak with staff physician Dr. Zuzana Weddelova. She talks about the ailments they treat and says that increasingly people are coming to be proactive about wellness and not just for problems. Either way, she advises a minimum stay of three nights. “While at least three weeks is optimal for treatments, even three days can be the impetus for changes in habits.”
Stays often start with a doctor consult that uses blood work, MRIs and other diagnostic tools (bring any test results you have from home) to create a plan that might include prescriptions for specific mineral waters and dosages and a wide array of other treatments. For longer stays, tests are repeated at the end to measure results.
I sign up for a 20-minute mud wrap (about $40 US). I’m directed to a long corridor of numbered doors. A woman peers out from one of the rooms and I hand her my prescription. She points to a chair where I leave my clothes and then enter an adjoining room where she slaps hot mud from a large bucket on a white sheet and indicates that I should get on the table and lie on my back on the mud. I’m nervous because sign language is our only way of communicating and this feels very clinical—not the indulgent “spa” experience I’m used to—but as the heat from the mud seeps in, I feel a deep relaxation spreading through my whole body and think “I could get used to this.”
After dinner, I take a funicular (free to guests) down the steep hill into town. I’m amused by the creative spa cups in the shape of cats and elephants but buy a classic blue and white one and walk along the colonnades, stopping at the free-flowing fountains to sample the waters. The standard advice is to drink a small cup’s worth (200 ml), sipping slowly about 30 minutes before each meal. I checked in with my doctor before coming because the waters can be harmful to certain conditions. I also read that you shouldn’t mix the waters, but I am curious so I take a few sips from various fountains. The biggest difference I discern is the temperature.
Shops are closed but I window-shop the art galleries, clothing boutiques and jewelry stores, admiring some of the distinctive blood-red Czech garnet pieces. I also find local products like “spa wafers” made with the mineral waters, Manufactura cosmetics made with thermal spring salts, Moser crystal and glass, and Becherovka, a distinctive, beloved local herbal digestif. People are riding in horse-drawn carriages along the town’s main street. It is all as I imagined it except for the absence of finely turned-out women of the Belle Epoque — people tend to dress far more casually these days.
I return to the hotel in time to unwind in the pool, whirlpool and sauna, where I chat with fellow guests. Most are from Germany and Czechia, but I also meet couples from Belgium, Slovenia, Holland and India. Most say the Czech spas offer great value. (At press time, the Hotel Imperial website had a one-week package with pre- and post-doctor consults, half board and up to 18 treatments per person priced from about $2,100 US per couple.) Most are here for two or three days; a few come annually for week-long stays to treat specific ailments. The only American I meet over the next three days is a New Jersey businessman who spends four weeks every year here to tame his GERD.
The next morning, I meet Iva, my private guide for the next two days. We walk into town to the Mill Colonnade. It’s one of five arcades that were built over the main fountains to protect visitors from inclement weather as they sip and stroll. Each has its own architectural style. Most of the current structures were built in the late 1800s.
The exception, Iva points out, is the Functionalist-style glass and concrete Hot Spring Colonnade, completed in 1975, which includes a separate pavilion where I linger to breathe in the steamy salty breath of the centerpiece, a geyser-like fountain that shoots up almost 40 feet at times.
Karlovy Vary translates to “Charles’ hot springs”, referring to King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who, according to legend, came upon hot springs on a hunting trip here in the 14th century. When the hot spring waters healed a wound on his leg, he chartered the town to serve visitors coming to bathe in the springs.
His original Gothic castle burnt down in 1604, leaving only the present Castle Tower. We head there next. Updated in the 18th century, it now houses a small café and a UNESCO exhibit, “The Great Spa Towns of Europe.” Displays of the 11 UNESCO Spa Towns include the three in Czech Republic and other famous ones including Baden Baden, Germany and Bath, England. The focus is on the Golden Age of Spas, the 18th and 19th century, when medical use of these hot spring areas became more sophisticated and elegant hotels, facilities and entertainment venues were developed, making the spa towns social centers for the elites of the day.
Modern royalty including A-list Hollywood stars still come, especially during the annual International Film Festival in July and the start of “The Season” in May, when warm weather is welcomed with parades and special events.
The place to see and be seen is the glamorous Grandhotel Pupp. The hotel itself starred in scenes in the James Bond movie Casino Royale and Queen Latifah’s Last Holiday. The hotel has hosted Bach, Beethoven, Napoleon, and more recently Renee Zellweger, Morgan Freeman and many other notables and Iva pointsout the bronze bricks in the front patio where their names are engraved.
The hotel’s history dates back to 1701, reflecting key events of the nation. It served as a hospital during World War II. During the communist era, it was nationalized and renamed Grandhotel Moskva and provided care to workers, peasants and generals alike. After the nonviolent 1989 Velvet Revolution that began the transition to democracy, the hotel once again became the Grandhotel Pupp and was renovated to pamper modern day spa-goers.
From here, we forego the funicular and hike up to Restaurant Diana for lunch. It’s a steep, winding trail but the panoramic views are worth the climb, and in less than 30 minutes we arrive. The restaurant is justly acclaimed for its forest setting and traditional Czech cuisine. I order a delicious venison with wild Czech forest mushrooms and am amazed that it costs only about $20.
Our next stop is the Imperial Spa, built for Emperor Franz Josef I and now a national cultural monument and entertainment venue which offers public tours (in English and other languages). I am amazed at the splendor of the 1895 VIP spa suite and enjoy an engaging exhibit in a section of former commoner spa rooms that includes holograms of famous visitors comprising a mini-Who’s Who of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
After dinner, I head to the Saunia Thermal Resort that offers facilities open to the public at hourly and day rates. Perched high on a hill, its huge outdoor heated swimming pool, spring-fed therapeutic pools and sunning chaise lounges and various saunas and steam baths afford spectacular vistas of the town.
The next morning, Iva and I drive to Marianské Lázně. En route we stop at Loket Castle, a rebuilt 13th century castle that houses a history museum with exhibits of court treasures, early weapons, traditional dress, and in the dungeons, startling life-size vignettes of early forms of torture. The town itself is a jewel with cobblestone streets lined by pastel-painted buildings, small shops and inviting eateries.
While smaller and newer than Karlovy Vary, Marianské Lazne (founded in 1818) has the same Belle Epoque feel. It has also attracted its share of famous fans including Frédéric Chopin, Franz Kafka, Sigmund Freud, and Mark Twain. It held a special place in the heart of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and the town museum, sadly closed during my visit, has an exhibit devoted to him.
My home base in Marianské Lázně is the Falkensteiner Spa Resort. Its extensive modern in-house spa has pretty indoor and outdoor pools and lounge areas and a suite of saunas and relaxation rooms that feel more like the indulgent spas I’m used to. Spa manager Daniel Falkus explains that their program combines eastern and western practices, so in addition to treatments with spring water, they have certified guides who lead forest bathing sessions and they offer CO2 soaks, wraps and injections to improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation.
I’m limping from a pulled muscle and in quite a bit of pain and he suggests a CO2 shot might help by bringing more oxygen to the area to stimulate healing. I’m skeptical but decide to give it a try. I follow the shot with a CO2 bath. The CO2 bubbles make me feel as though I’m soaking in champagne. I feel surprisingly energized and my leg feels a bit better so Iva and I meet up for a tour of the town.
The hotel is just steps from the main street. The historic town center, divided by a greenway, seems to flow around its large parks. She says that inhaling the air is considered therapeutic. She points out a path through a forest and nature preserve punctuated by mineral springs, including a gently mineralized water source that locals use for drinking water. I decide I will try to follow that walk in the morning.
We rush to get to the Singing Fountain in time for its “performance.” Here, every two hours, the waters dance to piped in music. A daily schedule of the musical pieces is posted near the fountain. I thought that sounded hokey, but it is so lovely that I go back again that evening.
Like the spa, dinner at the hotel feels indulgent, with impeccable service. I am assigned to a table and served by a waiter who speaks perfect English. He suggests a wonderful Czech wine and brings me several special samplings he thinks I’d enjoy tasting in addition to the three-course menu.
I am to leave for the airport at 9:30 am, so I get up with the sun to follow the walk Iva suggested. It is serene and I return relaxed, in time for a leisurely breakfast, where my English-speaking waiter spots me and again suggests some Czech treats, including a traditional braided poppy seed roll. Two Czech women I’d met in the sauna last night make a point of wishing me a good trip, and I realize how easy it has been to be here on my own.
Back home, the beauty and peaceful ambience of Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary still fills me with a sense of well-being and I can see why people go back year after year. There’s plenty more I’d like to see and do. I’d especially like to experience Františkovy Lázně, which specializes in the use of local peat for in its treatments, but more than anything, these spa towns are a place to simply be—and next time, I’ll stay long enough to truly “take the cure”.
For more travel planning information, see visitczechia.com and www.visitvaryregion.com.
The basics:
The Czech Republic is part of the European Union, but the Czech Crown (CZK) is the official currency. Credit cards are widely accepted but change some currency to get into restrooms, tip and make purchases from smaller merchants.
No visa is needed although if your trip is in the last quarter of 2026, a new European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) is expected to take effect.
Be sure to check with your doctor if you plan to drink the waters. They can be harmful to some conditions, including pregnancy.
While many people speak some English, a translation tool can be useful.
At press time, on Expedia the Spa Hotel Imperial was priced from $190; the Grandhotel Pupp was priced from $179 per night; and Falkensteiner Spa Resort Marianské Lazne, from $281. Note that packages that include spa treatments can be a good value.
United and Delta offer nonstop flights to Prague from some U.S. gateways. If you must take a connecting flight, check the connecting times carefully. Some connections are very smooth, but on my way via Lisbon, I had to change terminals, which meant going through security twice and the three-hour connecting time was barely enough.
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