There are cities you simply want to see. And then there are cities you need to feel. Karlovy Vary is exactly that kind of city. Here, water is not simply flowing from beneath the earth — it has become part of the city’s history, architecture, and way of life.
Nestled in the picturesque valley of the Teplá River and surrounded by lush, forested hills, Karlovy Vary looks almost like something out of a fairytale. Elegant facades, graceful colonnades, historic hotels, and quiet walking streets create the atmosphere of a 19th-century European spa town. It is no coincidence that the city is considered one of the most beautiful spa destinations in Europe.
The history of Karlovy Vary began in the 14th century. According to tradition, the city is associated with the Czech king and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Legend has it that he discovered a hot spring here while hunting. Over time, a famous spa resort grew around the mineral springs, gaining recognition far beyond the borders of the Czech Republic.
But the greatest treasure of Karlovy Vary is not found in its beautiful buildings — it lies beneath the ground.
The city is famous for its thermal mineral springs. There are more than 80 springs in the area, although considerably fewer are used for therapeutic purposes. The most famous is Vřídlo: a hot spring whose water reaches approximately 73°C, with its powerful jet rising to a height of around 12 metres.
That is why a walk through Karlovy Vary becomes a little ritual in itself.
Locals and visitors stroll through the colonnades carrying special porcelain cups, filling them with mineral water and slowly drinking as they walk.
Karlovy Vary has a long-standing tradition of drinking spa treatments — here, the water is seen not simply as a beverage, but as part of the centuries-old culture of the spa.
This atmosphere can be felt especially strongly at the Mill, Park, and Market Colonnades. Each has its own character, but together they create the instantly recognizable image of Karlovy Vary — an elegant city where the architecture seems to have been designed for slow, leisurely walks.
And this city has a truly remarkable past. Over the centuries, famous figures such as Goethe, Beethoven, Gogol, Paganini, Casanova, and many others came here. Today, Karlovy Vary is known not only for its springs, but also for its international film festival, which transforms the city each year into a meeting place for filmmakers and world-famous stars.
But perhaps the most fascinating thing about Karlovy Vary is that it has preserved the feeling that time moves a little more slowly here.
In 2021, the city became part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “The Great Spa Towns of Europe,” together with ten historic spa towns from seven countries. This status highlights not only the beauty of the city, but also its importance to European spa culture, architecture, medicine, and leisure.
And perhaps that is what makes Karlovy Vary truly unique: here, nature, history, and human culture have come together around a single source — hot mineral water.
Karlovy Vary is not simply a city worth visiting. It is a place where you can pause for a few hours, take a porcelain cup in your hands, taste the warm mineral water, and experience the atmosphere of old Europe.
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