A trip to Karlovy Vary synonym for class and style
Karlovy Vary is this year’s discovery to me. I’ve been there for the first time and I got to enjoy in such luxurious and well preserved architecture filled with vivid colors for the first time. This place for me was the impression from the overall trip.
At the end of this story, I would like to hear what impression this place left on you.
A trip to Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is considered the world’s most famous spa (twelve main sources and three hundred smaller sources rich in minerals, and they are seen as a synonym for style and class.
Also, the twenty-first James Bond movie ‘Casino Royal’ was filmed in Karlovy Vary. Not to mention the fact that apart from the royal family, Mozart, Goethe, Kafka, Beethoven, Casanova and many others stayed there.
I walked near their busts and monuments through the park in Karlovy Vary. Every bust had its own story.
How did it get its name?
The city itself was named after the Bohemian king (The Czech Republic at the time) Karl the 4th. Legends were written on how Karl even got to the idea of building a spa here.
One of the most incredible ones to me was that Karl was suffering from the bone pain. He put mud on his hands and the pain immediately disappeared. Afterward, he issued a warrant to build a spa nearby the river Tepla.
When is it best to see it?
Karlovy Vary is now an attractive destination throughout the year, but maybe it’s in its best edition during the month July because International Movie Festival takes place then.
Must see
A walk down the Tepla river the valley in which Karlovy Vary are set. Everything is near it.
Mill Colonnade with 124 columns which stretches through 5 sources. It is so huge that it stretches almost through the entire one side of the street (you can see it on the right in the upper photo).
Vridelni Colonnade (from which the water flows incessantly since 13th century), with the flow pumping out water up to 14 meters in the air. Water temperature goes up to 73°C in some sources.
Taste the water!
Water can be tasted and it is drunk from distinctive looking porcelain dishes.
What I managed to find out about the water is that it can positively affect digestion, so we were terrified (not just me) when some people started drinking liters of that water, and we were supposed to continue with our trip by the bus.
Would you dare taste the water at 64°C?
I wasn’t so brave this time. However, our Sale certainly took that title in Karlovy Vary J
Icons and frescos from the beautiful Russian Orthodox church of Saint Paul from 1887.
I think the photo can say more than the words. I haven’t seen more beautiful church in my life.
Boulevards adorned with mesmerizing details on the buildings from 19th and 20th century.
Grand hotel Pup – where the abovementioned 007 agent was filmed. You can take a coffee or a lunch break in it on your way back.
Inscriptions in the buildings along the boulevard implied (as I heard) who of the famous people stayed in the hotel, for example, it was Mozart in this case:
What they are known for: Numerous shops of very well-known Mosel crystal and Czech porcelain,
where souvenirs of good quality can be bought:
Karlovy Vary Market
How could I get an overall impression of this gorgeous city if I didn’t visit its magnificent rich street market, and which you shouldn’t fail to visit either:
What to eat?
The eternal problem of choosing what to eat when you get tired of walking.
There are a lot of restaurants and cheerful hostesses, and here is one:
Inevitable strudel in the menu, for tenth time in a row. I’m eventually going to be sick of that strudel on my trips through the Europe, although it is tasteful and keeps calling my hungry eyes J
Traditional lunch which you can get in some of the restaurants, and which consists of some cooked meal, rice in this case, and stewed meat in mashed vegetables sauce (just like in Prague).
Kitchen bears strong resemblance to the Czech one, with slight variations in its spices and side dishes.
Street food is very available. You can pause and have a quick bite practically everywhere:
There always some sausages there, in case you like hot and spicy, and even if you don’t (I’m all for the spicy ones, they increase appetite).
Spicy and red ones 🙂
You can always choose (meat, meat, meat):
Onion potato, ham potato, potato, and again potato (just like in Prague)
They are well-known for…
Karlovy Vary are well-known for the Lazensky Oplatky or wafers of different flavors. That is actually something between wafers and wafers without the filling. A lot of us ate them on our walk through the city. They are very crunchy. It would be completely impossible for me not to buy some to take, so that I could exchange some delicious desserts with you later, to evoke memories.
Don’t fail to try and buy Becherovka which is known as “13th source”. Who went to Karlovy Vary and hasn’t tried or bought Becherovka, he might just as well not have gone at all. Becherovka is somewhat similar flavor like Pelinkovac or similar beverages. It is a traditionally Czech beverage which is produced in Karlovy Vary.
And, eventually, you shouldn’t miss enjoying in some wellness spas. I think that hotels and wellness spas shouldn’t be emphasized, because wherever you go, you’ll feel like royalty, and the prices are similar 🙂
