Earning a flattering comparison to the world-famous Roman spa town of Bath in Somerset, Karlovy Vary, located in western Czechia, is well-known for its spa resorts, which attract celebrities from all over the world.
While also known for hosting the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival the pretty town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Czechia thanks to its cultural events and spa attractions.
Before the outbreak of World War I, approximately 70,000 people visited the spa town each year. Following World War I, the town became a part of the newly formed Czechoslovak state in 1918.
The town was later annexed into Nazi Germany as part of the Sudetenland under the terms of the Munich Agreement in 1938 Between 1948 and 1989, all spas and resorts were nationalised and placed under communist control.
Karlovy Vary is famous for its colonnades, including the Market Colonnade, a Swiss chalet-style wooden building built in 1883. The largest is the Mill Colonnade, designed by architect Josef Ztek in 1881 and housing five mineral springs.
Friedrich Ohmann’s Art Nouveau creation, the Castle Colonnade, serves as both a public space and the Castle Spa. The Park Colonnade in Dvoák’s Park showcases the Snake Spring.
The Hot Spring Colonnade, designed by Jaroslav Otruba in 1975, stands in the spa centre and houses the impressive Hot Spring with a water temperature of 72 degrees celsius, as well as smaller drinking fountains.
Karlovy Vary has an international airport, KLV, but it has a limited number of flights and destinations.
Despite the lack of direct and convenient flight options, there is no reason to be discouraged.
An alternative is the Prague airport (PRG), which is only 74.5 miles away.
There are also direct bus connections from the Prague airport to Karlovy Vary.
