The Czech spa tradition is an integral part of European culture. Thanks to the high quality of the country’s natural therapeutic springs, it has earned an exceptional reputation and high level of respect among Europeans. We recommend you to visit at least the following five Czech spa towns:
Františkovy Lázně
This small spa-town has preserved its early 20th-century atmosphere and is regarded as one of the most picturesque spas in the country thanks to its neo-classical spa buildings and pavilions. The spa has a gentle climate typical of the foothills of the Krušné Hory Mountains and it also has incredibly clean air.
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) is the largest and most famous of the Bohemian spas. It was founded around 1350 by Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia Charles IV. Thanks to its specific spa architecture, colonnades with hot springs and imposing hotels you can feel the town's atmosphere everywhere. Karlovy Vary’s fame is also partly down to its famous Becherovka liqueur, which is sometimes called the 13th spring, and for its international film festival.
Luhačovice
The town of Luhačovice lies in a picturesque valley in the White Carpathians, a protected area in the south-eastern reaches of Moravia. Luhačovice’s heyday came in the early 20th century following developments in modern balneotherapy and the town gradually became a very popular spa frequented by many famous personalities such as the composer Leoš Janáček.
Mariánské Lázně
A strip of forest, which is almost 20 km wide and crisscrossed with numerous hiking trails, passes right through the spa. Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad) enjoys an excellent reputation around the world both for its treatment methods and effective natural curative resources as well as for its picturesque, enchanting surroundings. Almost 100 cold springs have been discovered in and around the town.
Poděbrady
The spa began to develop here in the 17th century and is situated between two parks where thick forest extends along both sides of the Labe (Elbe). Its relatively low elevation above sea level, the surrounding flat landscape, stable year-round climate and spring water are the main reasons the spa is popular with patients suffering from heart disease.