Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary is a spa city founded in the 14th century by Charles IV, who named it after himself — the city is Karl's (Charles's) spa — and it has been a place of water treatments, cultural gathering and architectural experiment ever since, a tradition that is visible in the 19th-century colonnades that form the city's civic heart and channel the mineral water from the surrounding hills.

The Mill Colonnade (Mlýnská kolonáda) built 1871–1881 to a design by Josef Zítek is the most famous of the colonnades: an arched arcade in neo-Renaissance style along the river bank, housing several hot springs whose mineral water emerges at around 72 degrees Celsius and is still collected by visitors at fountains within the colonnade, free of charge, from the largest spring which produces over 2,000 litres per day.

The city gained international fame in the post-war period through the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, one of Europe's oldest film festivals, established in 1946 and held annually in July, whose top prize — the Crystal Globe — is one of the cinema world's most coveted and has been awarded to filmmakers from across Central and Eastern Europe.

The city is surrounded by forested hills and mountains, accessible by cable car to the Diana observation tower for panoramic views over the valley, and the combination of spa culture, 19th-century architecture and natural setting makes it a distinct proposition from Prague's Gothic and Baroque heritage.

The 13 hot springs that give the city its identity are not merely historical curiosities: they are real, active mineral springs with measurable therapeutic properties, and the Spa I, II and III buildings offer structured treatment programmes for conditions ranging from digestive disorders to motor complaints, a medical tradition that is monitored and licensed by the Czech state health authority.

The Market Colonnade (Tržištní kolonáda) designed by Josef Zítek in the same period as the Mill Colonnade but in a different architectural register, and the less-visited Spa III complex in the upper town are worth seeking out for anyone who wants to understand the full range of 19th-century spa architecture, which was less homogeneous than the most photographed colonnades suggest.

The city sits at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá rivers, and the river valley itself, flanked by the hills of the Slavkov Forest to the west and the Doupov Mountains to the east, creates a sheltered microclimate that allowed the spa tradition to develop in a setting protected from the extremes of Central European weather, and this geological and geographical context is as important to understanding why the city exists as the thermal waters themselves.

Thirteen active thermal mineral springs, channelled through 19th-century colonnades in the heart of the city.

The annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (since 1946) is one of Europe's oldest and most prestigious.

UNESCO World Heritage Site (The Historic Town Centre of Karlovy Vary) inscribed in 2021.