Karlovy Vary/Carlsbad

DATE OF VISIT

August 2022

WHERE DID I STAY?

The Grand Hotel Pupp (https://www.pupp.cz/en). A beautiful hotel sited on the hill overlooking the town of Karlovy Vary. Access to the town is gained via a funicular railway located only a few metres from the hotel. Very nicely appointed rooms, quiet, very polite and professional staff and a beautiful terrace on which to sit and have a drink during the summer months.

PERSONAL FEEDBACK

The history of Karlovy Vary is extensive and very detailed.

Karlovy Vary or Karlsbad in German and also can be spelt Carlsbad in English is a well known spa town in the region of the Czechia, called Karlovy Vary.

The town has about 55,000 inhabitants and is sited at the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá. The town is named after the former King of Bohemia is named after Charles IV who founded the city.

Karlovy Vary is the site of many hot springs (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River), and is the most visited spa town Czechia. The historic city centre is protected by law as anuran monument reservation. It is the largest spa complex in Europe and in 2021, the city became part of the transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name "Great Spa Towns of Europe" because of its spas and architecture from the 18th through 20th centuries.

The town is also very famous for the Karlovy Vary Film Festival or in Czech: Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary, which is held annually in July and attracts A-list stars from the world of show business both across Europe and the US.

For more details on Karlovy Vary and the film festival, please see the following links:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karlovy_Vary
2. https://www.kviff.com/cs/uvod

To be honest, I would recommend that visiting Karlovy Vary is to be avoided during the film festival unless you are particularly interested in attending any of the film screenings and that you have made bookings a very long time in advance. As you can imagine, during the period of the festival, the town is enormously popular and my recommendation is that if you are visiting, then do so outside of the dates of the festival, when the town will be busy, but not as busy!

PLACES TO SEE

1. The buildings and architecture of Karlovy Vary
2. The Russian Orthodox Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Please note that to reach the church is a steep uphill climb on via a pavement for about 15 to 25 minutes depending upon your level of fitness! However, it is worth the climb!
3. The Church of Mary Magdalene
4. The Park and Market Colonnades

PLACES TO EAT

There are numerous cafes and restaurants in Karlovy Vary and therefore I will recommend just two places where I ate during my visit:

1. La Hospada (https://lahospoda.cz/) excellent Czech and Central European cuisine and very nice beer! Helpful and welcoming staff and very good service ($$/$$$)
2. Promenada Restaurant (http://www.hotel-promenada.cz/de/restaurant/) very nice and varied menu; very well cooked and nicely presented food; professional staff and great service ($$$$)

There are many websites available which recommend a whole range of restaurants and cafes in Karlovy Vary.