Entertainment and attractions
Karlovy Vary is an amazingly baroque resort. Here is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city – the Castle Tower – and it was repaired and decorated in this style. Once this elegant donjon was part of the castle, erected by Charles IV himself, and probably looked more severe. Today, the most medieval part of the tower is a restaurant decorated in this style.
The Castle Tower offers a wonderful view of the city and its surroundings.
The real symbol of Karlovy Vary, along with the springs, is the sculpture “Deer Leap”, which towers over the city. She appeared here thanks to Baron Lyuttsev. The idea of the composition is inspired by the legend about the creation of the city. Once, during a hunt, Charles IV tried to drive a deer, but one of his dogs suddenly fell into a hole with boiling water, and the chamois safely left.
In the century before last, Karlovy Vary was popular among our compatriots who improved their health here. And at the beginning of the 20th century, an Orthodox church was opened in the resort in honor of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, built according to the project of Ukhtomsky. Representatives of the first aristocratic families of the empire donated money for the construction of the church, and the images for the iconostasis were donated by the Autocrat of All Russia. Another important religious building in the city is the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, built in the 18th century in the Baroque style. The altar of the church is decorated with the image of Marina Magdalene by Elias Dolphof.
5 things to do in Karlovy Vary
- Taste the water from each Karlovy Vary spring, not forgetting the most amusing – Becherovka.
- Climb to the top of the observation tower “Diana” and not get enough of the idyllic panorama of red roofs and emerald greenery around.
- Find a cozy restaurant with a piano and order the Danube Waltz to the pianist, romantically imagining Carlsbad at the beginning of the 20th century.
- Buy half a suitcase of Karlovy Vary “payments” – famous waffles made exclusively with local mineral water.
- Lose the estate in the casino of the Grandhotel Pupp, or at least look there and soak up the atmosphere of the gambling house, where, by the way, one of the Bond films, Casino Royale, was filmed.
Springs and colonnades
One of the main attractions of Karlovy Vary is the Hot Spring Colonnade, or, in Czech, “Vrzhidelny Colonnade”. It is famous for the fact that in the glass walls built in the last century, there is the largest geyser spring of Karlovy Vary. Boiling water hits up to 12 m high and is used both for medicinal baths and for drinking. Another famous Karlovy Vary colonnade with mineral springs is called “Mill”. It is much older than the Geyser Colonnade and was built in the 18th century! This is also the reason for the peculiarities of its architecture. So, for example, the gallery is decorated with 12 figures, allegorically depicting the months of the year. There is even an orchestra pit, which is not empty during the warm season. The length of the “Mlynska Gallery” is about 130 m: the springs of St. Wenceslas, “Mermaid”, “Libushin” and others are located here.
Museums of Karlovy Vary
Having improved your health a little, you can look into the Karlovy Vary Museum of Local History. Its exposition will tell about the history of Karlovy Vary, about the life and traditions of the inhabitants. Folk costumes and handicrafts are presented, as well as a separate exposition dedicated to the natural sciences.
Talking about Karlovy Vary, one cannot fail to mention the Jan Becher Museum. The one who created the miraculous drink, known to all of us under the name “Becherovka”. Here they will tell in detail about the history of the origin of the drink and its features, and at the end of the tour, all visitors will have a tasting!
- Where can I go for a short trip from Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary for children
Frankly speaking, Karlovy Vary is not a place to relax with children or, even more so, teenagers. However, the fact that there are favorite backbiters, which there is no one to leave, and the children’s sanatorium that accepts babies for treatment, speaks for itself – people come here with children, which means that we should at least try to entertain them.
There are practically no playgrounds in the center, and those that exist are extremely scarce. It is worth asking one of the locals (at least at the reception desk) about playgrounds somewhere in residential areas – they are there and even very worthy ones. For example, in the Kupalishte-Rolava area, which is in the north-west of the resort (beach, pond, sand, slides; get there by bus number 12). In the center, the main gathering place for young people from zero and older is musical tiles in the center of the Stara Louka promenade or Dvorakovy Sady.
At first, enterprising Russians have already learned how to dance “Katyusha”, despite the fact that there are only nine tiles.
Teenagers can be advised to rent a bike and go to conquer the rope park or a full-fledged climbing wall. This, of course, not counting all kinds of outdoor and indoor pools or carriage rides in the center.
The romantic castle of Loket and the Diana funicular are responsible for cultural baggage, a ride on which is a must-do for all family tourists. Upstairs, in addition to breathtaking views, a mini-zoo with peacocks, pigs, ponies and goats is open in summer. If you have time and desire, you should go to the zoos of Pilsen or Prague, or get out to Germany, which is famous for its amusement parks. The closest to Karlovy Vary is the fairy tale park Plon.
Events and holidays
In Karlovy Vary, many cultural events are held every year, helping to diversify the spa holiday. The main event among them is perhaps the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. In early July, prominent people from the world of cinema gather here (for example, there were Sharon Stone, Robert Redford, Morgan Freeman), who are worth gawking at, and more than 300 films are “spinned” for 10 days.
He is followed by a no less pompous event in April – the Meeting of the European Aristocracy, when more than 600 noble families flock to Carlsbad for the famous spring ball. May is the opening of the holiday season, so the whole month is full of all sorts of events, costume shows, concerts and medieval fairs (as a rule, the main events take place from May 2 to 5). In June, the wild water canoe competition attracts attention, as well as the start of the annual Mozart and Karlovy Vary music festival. But this is far from the only composer who was lucky enough to remain in the history of the resort. So, in August, there are concerts “Beethoven Days”, and in September – the festival of classical music “Dvorak’s Karlovy Vary Autumn”. Finally, The International Festival of Classical and Contemporary Jazz acts as the musical “icing on the cake”. Well, in December-January, Karlovy Vary, as well as the whole of Europe, are preparing and walking with might and main on the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Weather forecast
Karlovy Vary is comfortably nestled in a narrow gorge in the foothills, which is why the temperate continental climate reigns here, exceptionally mild, warm and comfortable. More than 130 days a year the air temperature stays above zero. Summer is not hot, but often rainy, and the clouds can change the sun three times a day, so an umbrella is an indispensable companion during walks for many tourists. Well, winter is restrainedly cold and with little snow, pleasant enough for leisurely walks and for recovery. See citypopulationreview for weather information.
