The town of Karlovy Vary, also known as Karlsbad, is the Queen
of the Czech republic's many spa resort towns. It is a pretty
Victorian place with elegant boulevards, elaborate colonnades and
brightly coloured buildings lining the picturesque river valley,
and the surrounding forested hillsides are a peaceful and
therapeutic place in which to walk.
The main focus of the town is health, and at the centre of
attention are the 12 hot springs containing a mineral content rich
in restorative and healing properties. The mineral drinking
fountains in the colonnades were once the haunt of the European
aristocracy, and today the local people gather to fill their quaint
little drinking cups, sipping and strolling in the fresh air,
encouraging the water to work its magic on their digestive tracts
or metabolic disorders. If that doesn't work the locally made
Becherovka liqueur is hailed as the 13th spring. Although most of
the spa pools and sanatoriums are reserved for people undergoing
treatment, visitors can still swim in the heated pool above the
Thermal Sanatorium. There is plenty of excellent accommodation,
unique souvenirs from the area and a myriad of relaxing
opportunities to be found.
