Karlovy Vary, Czechia: travel guide
Bohemian spa town of hot-spring colonnades, Moser glass and a film festival
Bohemia's grand spa town where the Ohře meets the Teplá — colonnades built over hot springs you drink from, Becherovka poured since 1807, Moser glass, and a July film festival. UNESCO-listed in 2021.
About Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa town in west Bohemia, set in a wooded valley where the Teplá meets the Ohře. Pastel hotels and spa houses line the river, and the long tradition of taking the waters is still visible in daily life.
The colonnades, such as the Hot Spring and Mill Colonnades, are the heart of it, where visitors sip mineral water from small spouted cups as they stroll. A funicular climbs to the Diana lookout tower, and Moser glassware and the herbal liqueur Becherovka are local specialities. The town also hosts an international film festival each summer, and it is part of the UNESCO listing of the Great Spa Towns of Europe.
It suits travellers who want rest, gentle walks and a touch of old-fashioned grandeur. Spring through autumn is the main season.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
- Country
- Czechia
- Currency
- CZK
- Time zone
- Europe/Prague
Last updated
Top places to visit in Karlovy Vary
Hot Spring Colonnade (Vřídelní kolonáda)
geyser and spa spring · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
The most dramatic of Karlovy Vary's springs — the Vřídlo erupts at 72°C, shooting a natural geyser 12 metres into the air every 2–3 seconds inside the glass-and-steel colonnade. Open 24 hours. The spring produces 2 000 litres of 72°C water…
Mill Colonnade (Mlýnská kolonáda)
spa colonnade · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
The grandest of Karlovy Vary's five spa colonnades — a magnificent 132-metre neo-Renaissance arcade designed by Josef Zítek (also architect of the Prague National Theatre), built 1871–1881. The 124 Corinthian columns shelter five mineral…
Diana Observation Tower & Funicular
observation tower and funicular · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
The Diana Tower crowns the forested hillside above Karlovy Vary, reached by a historic funicular railway (in operation since 1914) climbing through dense pine forest. Sweeping views of the spa valley with colonnades and grand hotels spread…
Grandhotel Pupp
luxury-hotel · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Iconic luxury spa hotel founded in 1701, famous as a filming location for James Bond Casino Royale and the host venue of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Park Colonnade
colonnade · 4.4 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Cast-iron Neo-Baroque colonnade designed by the Vienna firm Fellner and Helmer, housing several thermal springs in landscaped Dvořák Park.
Stag Leap Viewpoint
cliff-lookout · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Cliff-top lookout above the spa district featuring an iconic bronze chamois sculpture, with panoramic views over the colonnades and the Teplá Valley below.
Castle Colonnade
colonnade · 4.3 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Art Nouveau colonnade built into the cliff above the spa district, housing the Castle Spring with elegant Jugendstil decoration.
Market Colonnade
colonnade · 4.3 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Delicate white wooden Swiss-style colonnade from 1883 covering three thermal springs including the popular Karel IV Spring.
Karlovy Vary Funicular
funicular · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Historic 1912 funicular railway connecting the spa district to the Diana Observation Tower and the forest trails of Imperial Hill.
Church of St Mary Magdalene
baroque-church · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Baroque masterpiece by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer with elegant twin towers, dominating the heart of the spa town.
Becherovka Museum
liqueur-museum · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Museum dedicated to the famous herbal liqueur produced in Karlovy Vary since 1807, with tastings, original distillery exhibits, and the secret recipe legend.
Moser Glassworks
glass-factory · 4.6 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
Historic luxury crystal manufacturer founded 1857, with factory tours showing master glassblowers and a museum showcasing royal commissions for emperors and popes.
Things to do
- Becherovka Distillery Museum Tour Cultural · 1.3 h · from CZK 140 per person
Where to stay in Karlovy Vary
Hotels
- Grandhotel Pupp Karlovy Vary 5-star · CZK 8,000 to CZK 35,000 per night
- Hotel Embassy Karlovy Vary 4-star · CZK 4,500 to CZK 11,000 per night
Where to eat
- Promenáda Restaurant Czech, European, Central European · about CZK 900 per person
Getting to Karlovy Vary
Nearest airport: Karlovy Vary (KLV), about 5 km away in a straight line. The road or rail journey is longer.
Getting around
- Bus
- Walking