Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary (also known as Karlsbad, its German name or Carlsbad, its English name) is a city in Bohemia, in the western Czech Republic.

Karlovy Vary

Understand

Karlovy Vary, meaning "Charles' Bath", was named after Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who founded the city in 1370. It is famous for its hot springs and its colorful and whimsical architecture. For these reasons, it was a popular tourist destination in the 18th century with guests including Tsar Peter the Great, Emperor Franz Josef I, Beethoven, Goethe, Wagner, Brahms, Leo Tolstoy, and Karl Marx. Tourism grounded to a halt during World War I and the city never regained its former glory. After World War II, the largely German-speaking city was cleared of its inhabitants and replaced with Czech settlers. Czech remains the major language today but the signs of German culture and heritage are still very evident.

The town, along with Prague, was the filming location of many scenes identified as being in Montenegro in the 2006 movie Casino Royale.

Get in

By bus

Student Agency operates hourly buses to/from Prague's Florenc and Dejvicka stations 05:00-20:00. The trip takes 2 hours and costs 155 Kč for adults.

Other bus companies also run services from Prague's Florenc station but they are more expensive and not as comfortable as Student Agency's buses. Czechshuttle.com offers daily transport between Karlovy Vary and Cesky Krumlov, among other places.

By train

Karlovy Vary is well connected to a regional and long-distance train network. The vast majority of trains in Karlovy Vary Region are modern and very comfortable. Also, some of the railways are quite scenic. When planning your journey, use journey planner IDOS. For more details see Rail travel in the Czech Republic.

• Prague: 3h10min, long-distance Rx trains on line  R5  leave Prague Main Train Station every 2 hours, 7 times a day, trains on this route are slower than buses, however, you can experience the diverse character of the Czech Republic: industrial areas in North Bohemia and scenic sections like Lovosice - Ústí nad Labem or Kadaň - Karlovy Vary. SuperAction ticket costs from 159 CZK, Ordinary ticket costs 331 CZK.
• Nuremberg: 2h40min, 1 change, regional RE trains on line  R29  depart from Nuremberg Main Train Station every 2 hours, in Cheb you have to change to long-distance Rx train on line  R5 , 5 times a day. First Minute Europe ticket costs from 235 CZK, Basic international fare ticket costs 981 CZK.
• Dresden: 3h30min, 1 change, long-distance EC trains on line  Ex3  leave Dresden Main Train Station every 2 hours, in Ústí nad Labem you have to change to long-distance Rx train on line  R5 , 6 times a day. Includes scenic sections like Dresden - Ústí nad Labem or Kadaň - Karlovy Vary. First Minute Europe ticket costs from 235 CZK, Basic international fare ticket costs 746 CZK.

Also, regional trains operate on railway lines nr. 140 (Klášterec n/O - Karlovy Vary - Cheb), 141 (Merklín - Karlovy Vary), 142 (Johanngeorgenstadt - Karlovy Vary) and 149 (Mariánské Lázně - Karlovy Vary). Railway routes to Johanngeorgenstadt and Mariánské Lázně are pretty scenic as line 142 leads through Ore Mountains and line 149 through Slavkov Forest.

All long-distance and most regional trains arrive at 🌍 Karlovy Vary Station (Bus stop Horní nádraží  1  13 ). , which is located north of the cite center. Station is newly reconstructed, so it offers modern facilities. Although, all trains from Mariánské Lázně and some other regional trains terminate at 🌍 Karlovy Vary Lower Station (Bus stop Dolní nádraží - Terminál  18  or Dolní nádraží  3  6  18  23 ).  This station is located on the western edge of the city centre next to the intercity bus station.

By plane

• 🌍 Karlovy Vary Airport (KLV  ^IATA). This airport only serves a very limited number of scheduled international connections and due to its closeness to Prague no domestic services whatsoever  

If you're arriving from a place not connected to KLV, it will likely make more sense to fly into Prague (PRG ^IATA). Other airports in reasonable geographic proximity include Nuremberg (NUE ^IATA), Leipzig / Halle (LEJ ^IATA) and Dresden (DRS ^IATA). That said, out of all of these, Prague still offers the most comprehensive selection of destinations and is the hub of Czech flag carrier Czech Airlines.

Get around

The town can comfortably be covered on foot, but a car or motorcycle is useful for exploring the surrounding areas.

Bus travel is very cheap. A week ticket for 220 Kč also gives you a trip on the Diana furnicular. A ticket can be useful if you need to make trips up and down the river for whatever reason.

See

Mill colonnade has six springs

• 🌍 Mill Colonade (Mlýnská kolonáda). Popular gathering place. Bands play here in the summer. 
• Hot Springs. There are 12 hot springs - you can get a list and descriptions at the Infocentrum. 
  • 🌍 Rock Spring (Skalní Pramen). Spurts 1.3 litres of water per minute. 
  • 🌍 Hot Springs Colonade (Vřídelní kolonáda). 6am-7pm. Spring that spurts 2000 litres of water per minute in a 14m jet. The thoroughly modernist hall was designed by Jaroslav Otruba replaced an earlier traditional colonnade, derelict after the war. It has a number of small fountains for visitors to take the waters, plus exhibition spaces, a cafe and tours of the underground. Free. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Lázně III. Beautiful spa building. 
• 🌍 Lázně I (Bus number 2 from the centre, or walk to the top of the town). 09:00-18:00. Beautiful spa building that housed Franz Josef's baths (he did not visit however) and also used for the casino setting in Casino Royale. The building is being restored after a period of closure to become a cultural centre. There is a small exhibition which also gives you a quick peek around the main entrance halls and stairways. €1 / 50 CZK. 
• 🌍 Diana Lookout Tower (Rozhledna Diana). You can take the funicular railway or take a beautiful walk through the forest to get here. The funicular costs 25 Kč to the middle station, 45 Kč to the upper one, 80 Kč a return ticket. There is a café and hunting lodge style restaurant serving Czech cuisine as well as a small zoo. Animals including piglets and peacocks roam adjacent to the building. Free. (updated Oct 2017)
• 🌍 Karl Marx Monument. Very close to the Russian embassy and the Orthodox Church and at the start of some woodland walks. (updated Aug 2016)
• 🌍 Church of St. Peter & St. Paul. Built in 1897. Five golden domes and colourful exterior were modelled on the Byzantine Church of the Holy Trinity near Moscow. The interior of the church is decorated with paintings and icons, gifts of wealthy Russian aristocrats. One of the decorations is a relief representing Russian Tsar Peter the Great. 
• 🌍 Church of St. Lucas. Anglican church. 
• 🌍 Karlovy Vary Museum, Nova Louka 23. W-Su 09:00-12:00 & 13:00-17:00. Local history. Adult: 30 Kč; Child: 15 Kč. 
• 🌍 Jan Becher Museum, Masaryka 57. 09:00--17:00. Dedicated to the local inventor of Becherovka. Adult: 100 Kč; Child: 50 Kč. 

Do

Spa

• 🌍 Castle Spa (Zámecké lázně). 7:30AM-7:30PM. Modern spa center. €20 for 1 hour, €80 for 4 hours including massage. 
• 🌍 Elizabeth Baths (Spa 5), Smetanovy sady 1145/1, Karlovy Vary, 36001 (Main entrance is in the flower gardens), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 09:00-21:00. Somewhat old school publicly accessible state owned spa and baths, with Communist-era baths downstairs, and early twentieth-century therapeutic rooms. Cheap and worth a visit just for the retro feel. 85-900 Kč. (updated Aug 2016)

Festivals

• Food Festival Karlovy Vary, in the front of the Thermal Hotel. 1st May. 
• Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Early July. 
• International Student Film Festival. Late august. 
• Karlovy Vary Folklore Festival. Early September. 
• Jazzfest Karlovy Vary. Early September. 
• Dvorak Autumn. September. Classical music. 

Sports

• Golf Resort Karlovy Vary, Pražská 219, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. March-October. The course underwent a rapid renovation, which included the building of a new clubhouse, an irrigation system, and new tees. The Karlovy Vary golf course becomes one of the most prestigious European golf establishments. 

Buy

Eat

"Spa wafers" (Czech: lázeňské oplatky)

Karlovy Vary is famous for its spa wafers. They come in various flavors and are best when warm. The wafers are sold at street stands in Karlovy Vary, and can also be purchased at grocery stores throughout the Czech Republic.

• Cafe Pizzeria Venetia, Zahradni 43, ☎ [phone]. Looks out on the Tepla River. Pizza: 120Kc. 
• Jean De Carro. Very good and spacy interior, however dishes served are of a low quality, despite being high priced. 
• Parlament, Zeyerova 5. closed on Sun. Outdoor tables. Good food. 
• Steakhouse Sklipek, Zeyerova 1, ☎ [phone]. Huge steak meals. Steaks: 180 Kč. 

Drink

Jan Becher invented the liquor that bears his name (Becherovka) in Karlovy Vary. However, it is an acquired taste.

Some establishments on the river charge twice the price of places 20m+ off the main drag so shop around for a place to drink.

• Cafe Elephant, Stara Louka 30. Coffee and cake. Coffee: 45 Kč. 
• Juice Bar Kokopelli, Bulharska 9. Juice & Smoothies: 20 Kč-37 Kč. 
• Kafe Brejk, Stara Louka 62. 09:00-17:00. Design your own baguette. Coffee: 35 Kč; baguette: 50 Kč. 

Sleep

Budget

• 🌍 Camping Březový Háj, 3km south of town, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Open Apr-Oct Tent: 90 Kč; Bed: 250 Kč. 

Mid-range

• 🌍 Hotel Cordoba, Zahradni 37, e-mail: [e-mail]. From 1,800 Kč. 
• 🌍 Hotel Garni Palatin, Lázeňská 10. Very nice place to stay, it is ideal if you take a mineral water drinking course, because the range from this hotel to the closest spring is roughly 20 meters. The hotel is modern furnished, and despite being given only 3 stars looks like a typical four stars hotel. The only disadvantage is absence of a restaurant (breakfast is possible though). 
• 🌍 Hotel Kavalrie, T. G. Masaryka 43 (above a cafe, near bus and train stations), ☎ [phone]. Single: 950 Kč; Double: 1,225 Kč. 
• 🌍 Pension Rainbow, Šeříkova 92 (approx. 15 min. walk from centre.), ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Family-run guesthouse offering accommodation in conveniently furnished rooms, each including a bathroom and a TV-SAT set, in quiet environment. from 690 Kč. 
• 🌍 Pension Fan, U Trati 57/5, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Opened in May 2004, is a two-storied building, situated in the district Bohatice. Friendly atmosphere, lot of programmes available: cycling with or without a cycling guide, golf, golf-school, wellness and relax programmes. 
• 🌍 Pension Romania, Zahradní 948/49. Spacious rooms. From 735 Kč. 
• 🌍 Sanatorium Astoria, Vřídelní 92 (Opposite the Mill Colonnade). Single: €40; Double: €80. 

Splurge

• Grandhotel Pupp, Mirove namesti 2, ☎ [phone], fax: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Has been a symbol of Karlovy Vary and Czech Republic for three centuries. It is a place of comfort and first-rate service. It was a major location for the 2006 movie Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah. It also appears in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale as Hotel Splendide in Montenegro. From €130. 
• Hotel Carlsbad Plaza (in the vicinity of the spa facility Lázně I). Deluxe hotel opened in December 2005. €133 and up. 
• Hotel Thermal. The biggest hotel in the centre of the city was used by USSR's political elite for recovery. It is still state-owned and hosts the annual film festival. Its modern Balneo Wellness Center offers a wide range of spa and wellness services. The center offers over 50 medical and wellness treatments and services: various massages, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, and Nordic Walking for hotels guestscand for non-residental clients. It has an indoor pool (15x5m), Whirlpool, Kneipp's path, dry Finnish sauna, steam bath, infra cabine and cardio zone. The Wellness Center is open M-F 13:00-20:30, Sa 10:00-20:30, Su 09:00-20:30 (last admittance 20:00 every day). Single: From 2,350 Kc; Double: From 4,320 Kc. (updated Apr 2019)
• Hyalit Aparthotel, Stari Luka 62. 5 stylish apartments. From 1,900 Kč. 
• Hotel Bristol Palace, Zámecký vrch 918/34. Hotel set in an aristocratic manor dating back to the 19th century. 

Connect

• Moonstorm Internet, Masaryka 31. 9am-9pm. 48 Kč per hour. 

Go next

• Prague
• Loket
• Cheb
• Plzen

Routes through Karlovy Vary

Cheb ←

SW  NE

→ Ústí nad Labem → Prague