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Often considered the best day trip from Prague, Karlovy Vary is worth a lot more of your time, as you’re about to read in this guide about what to do in Karlovy Vary.
Gorgeous architecture, top-quality spa hotels and facilities and a fascinating, rich history, there’s no end to the amazing things to do in Karlovy Vary if you plan to spend a few days there.
Keep reading to find out what to do in Karlovy Vary and why you shouldn’t visit this spa town on a day trip from Prague.
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Where Is Karlovy Vary?
Located in the western Czech Republic, near the German border, and only a two-hour drive from Prague, Karlovy Vary is the most famous spa town in the Czech Republic.
A Brief History of Karlovy Vary
The first people to discover the healing benefits of the mineral hot springs in Karlovy Vary were German-speaking settlers in the 13th century.
Αccording to the legend, Emperor Charles IV, the same Charles after whom one of the most photogenic spots in Prague – Charles Bridge – was named, healed his injured leg with water from a mineral spring.
This beautiful city was thus named Karlsbad (also Carlsbad) or Karlovy Vary, meaning Charles’ Baths in German and Czech, respectively.
Is Karlovy Vary Worth Visiting on a Day Trip From Prague?
Karlovy Vary is the most visited among the three spa towns of the UNESCO-listed West Bohemian Spa Triangle – the other two are Marianske Lazne and Frantiskovy Lazne. It’s also the largest spa complex in Europe.
As such, it’s well worth a visit while you’re in the Czech Republic. Karlovy Vary is considered one of the most popular day trips you can take during your trip to Prague. However, is a day trip to Karlovy Vary from Prague enough?
We understand that visiting this picture-perfect town on a day trip sounds tempting. After all, many tour operators offer this option and hundreds of tourists do so daily.
Yet, we recommend spending at least a couple of nights in Karlovy Vary, not just because slow travel aligns with being more responsible travellers. There are more reasons to stick around Karlovy Vary a little longer.
First of all, if you’re wondering what to do in Karlovy Vary on an extended stay, the town’s fantastic spa hotels offer plenty of treatments and countless moments of relaxation.
That’s a reason in itself to spend a few days in a superb hotel, pampered to your heart’s content, especially if Karlovy Vary is part of an extended Central Europe itinerary.
Another reason is that Karlovy Vary is overrun with hordes of day-trippers during the day.
In the evening, though, when all the crowds are gone, you can have the town’s dimly lit colonnades and hot spring fountains all to yourselves. And this is pure magic.
Last but not least, a day trip from Prague to Karlovy Vary can only give you a small taste of the town centre.
But it won’t leave you enough time to explore the charms, both natural and cultural, that await outside the confines of Karlovy Vary’s historic centre.
How Many Days in Karlovy Vary?
If you’re visiting Karlovy Vary for the first time, a minimum of two nights is a good start to enjoy all the pampering and sightseeing.
That said, if you want to travel around the entire West Bohemian Spa Triangle, including Karlovy Vary, you’ll need at least five full days.
If you’re visiting Karlovy Vary for medical purposes, experts advise spending at least two weeks there.
How To Get To Karlovy Vary
Prague Airport is the nearest airport to Karlovy Vary. From there, the best way to get to Karlovy Vary is by bus. The Prague Florenc Bus Station is near the city centre, and the bus ride takes about two hours.
The train would be a great option, too, but it’s much slower than the bus, since there isn’t a direct train from Prague to Karlovy Vary.
However, if you plan to explore more than just the town of Karlovy Vary, consider renting a car from Prague.
Driving will allow you to tour the entire region easily. Read our West Bohemian Spa Triangle guide for more inspiration on places to visit in the area.
Best Time To Visit Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a year-round destination and that’s not just a cliché. No matter which season you choose for your trip to Karlovy Vary, the town looks gorgeous and the spa hotels await.
That said, some factors can help you decide when to visit Karlovy Vary, depending on your expectations for this trip.
For instance, spring and autumn are ideal because the weather is mild then and you can enjoy outdoor activities, like hiking.
Summer is the best time for anyone wishing to experience the unique vibe of the International Film Festival, one of the region’s most celebrated cultural events.
Winter can also be a one-of-a-kind experience. Did someone say soaking in hot water while it’s snowing outside?
Where To Stay in Karlovy Vary
Some of the best hotels in Karlovy Vary are in the town’s spa zone. Most hotels include spa packages with your stay.
We stayed at the 5-star Grandhotel Pupp, a historic hotel at the far end of the spa zone. This iconic spa hotel has hosted many famous guests, such as Ornella Muti, Michael Douglas and John Travolta, to name but a few.
Moreover, the hotel has been a filming location for several films, among which Casino Royale is the most famous.
Another option if you visit Karlovy Vary for spa treatments is the family-run Hotel Prezident. A few steps from the Vridlo Spring, this luxury spa and wellness hotel is the best place to cure several illnesses or simply relax.
Apart from the friendly and homelike atmosphere, what makes Prezident Hotel unique is the valuable experience and knowledge of its founder, Milada Sarova, M.D.
Over the decades, this passionate spa expert has cared for countless people, including celebrities from around the world, such as Czech President Vaclav Havel, actors Ben Kingsley and Gerard Depardieu and many more.
Watch our YouTube video about what to do in Karlovy Vary & around:
Travel Resources To Help You Plan Your Trip To Karlovy Vary
Top 11 Things To Do in Karlovy Vary & Around
1. Learn About Karlovy Vary’s Hot Springs
If anyone asked us what to do in Karlovy Vary, we’d start with the obvious: exploring its hot springs, the very thing that gave Karlovy Vary its fame so many centuries ago and defines the city and its spa culture up to this day.
Karlovy Vary is located in an area with volcanic activity at a depth of 2,500 metres. This activity is forming several springs at the Earth’s surface. All the springs contain dissolved minerals beneficial to human health.
Drinking water from the hot springs in Karlovy Vary helps cure several ailments. The water temperature varies from spring to spring, reaching up to 74°C.
The springs in Karlovy Vary produce two thousand litres of mineral water per minute.
The impressive part is that 95% of this water is produced from Spring Number 1 in the Hot Spring Colonnade. The rest 5% of the water comes from the town’s other springs.
Almost all the springs are situated in the beautiful colonnades that adorn the town. Each spring has a sign with its number, name and water temperature.
2. Buy a Spa Cup & Try The Water
From your first stroll around Karlovy Vary, you will notice people walking from spring to spring with a special cup in hand. That’s no other than the famous Karlovy Vary spa cup.
You can buy spa cups in different sizes and with various decorations at several shops around the town.
What makes spa cups stand out is their special shape. There is a handle to hold it like a cup and a spout like the one on a teapot, but it’s for drinking, not pouring.
This special design of the spa cup allows you to drink the hot water that comes straight from the spring without burning your tongue.
According to spa specialists, the benefits of the mineral water have the best effect if you’re walking at a slow pace while drinking.
Therefore, once you buy your spa cup, walk along the colonnades and try thermal mineral water from different springs.
Prepare for high temperatures and a metallic taste. The taste might not be that pleasant, but thermal water is beneficial for your health.
However, you should consult a spa doctor before you start drinking water from the springs.
A spa expert can explain which springs are best for your health, which time of the day is the most appropriate to drink water from each spring and how much water you can drink.
3. Stroll Along The Colonnades
Without a doubt, the colonnades of Karlovy Vary are the town’s most emblematic structures.
Strolling around the peaceful colonnades in the evening, when the day trippers are long gone, is one of the top things to do in Karlovy Vary.
Market Colonnade
Undoubtedly the most elegant colonnade in the town, the Market Colonnade is a carved wooden structure built by Viennese architects in the Swiss style at the end of the 19th century.
Legend has it that Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV healed his legs with the water from the Charles IV Spring in the Market Colonnade.
Above this spring, a bronze panel commemorates Emperor Charles IV’s discovery of the thermal springs in the 14th century. The Market Colonnade houses two more springs: the Lower Castle Spring and the Market Spring.
Mill Colonnade
Built in Neo-Renaissance style at the end of the 19th century, the Mill Colonnade is the largest colonnade in Karlovy Vary.
It was named after an old mill that was standing on this site before the colonnade was constructed.
The colonnade features 124 Corinthian columns. Above the portico, twelve statues represent the twelve months of the year.
At the Mill Colonnade, there are five mineral springs with water temperatures ranging from 53°C to 65°C. These are the Mill Spring, Nymph Spring, Prince Wenceslas Spring, Libuse Spring, and Rock Spring.
If you hear music while walking near the Mill Colonnade, it’s probably the spa orchestra that gives free concerts at the colonnade’s special orchestra space.
Park Colonnade
Situated in the middle of a park, the Park Colonnade was part of the Blanensky Pavilion, a concert and restaurant hall built at the end of the 19th century and demolished in the 1960s.
The richly decorated cast-iron colonnade has two mineral springs, the Park Spring and the Snake Spring.
Castle Colonnade
Built in the Art Nouveau style, this stone colonnade is no longer accessible to the general public as it has been incorporated into a spa hotel.
Freedom Spring Arbour
This isn’t a colonnade but a beautiful gazebo housing just one spring: the Freedom or Liberty Spring. This spring was discovered in the early 1860s.
Spa experts recommend drinking a cup of water from this spring before dinner to aid digestion.
Hot Spring Colonnade
Unlike all the other elaborate colonnades, the austere Hot Spring Colonnade is a Functionalist building completed in the 1970s to replace an earlier cast-iron colonnade.
Inside the Hot Spring Colonnade is the Vridlo Spring or Spring Number 1, the most powerful and hottest spring in the town. The water comes to the surface from a depth of two kilometres and its temperature reaches 73.4°C.
The large amount of carbon dioxide, along with the underground water, causes a natural geyser that can reach a height of up to twelve metres.
It can go even higher, but it’s regulated never to exceed 12 metres for safety reasons.
From the Vridlo Spring, mineral water is transferred to the town’s spa hotels to be used for various treatments.
Inside the building, you can see the magnificent geyser. You can also drink water from the five on-site fountains, where some of the thermal water from the Vridlo Spring is diverted and kept at cooler temperatures suitable for drinking.
4. Visit The Vridlo Underground
After you visit the Hot Spring Colonnade, you can take a guided tour of the historical underground part of the Vridlo Spring.
The underground corridor served as the technology basement for the cast-iron colonnade that stood there from 1879 to 1939.
The most impressive things you’ll see in the Vridlo Underground are the famous stone roses, probably the best souvenirs in Karlovy Vary.
These roses are initially made of paper. However, after spending a couple of weeks in the Vridlo Underground, soaking in the mineral water, they turn to stone.
5. Walk Along Stara Louka & Masaryka Streets
One of the best things to do in Karlovy Vary is to walk along Stara Louka and Masaryka streets. The starting point of Masaryka Street is the Jan Becher Museum.
Masaryka Street is the main shopping street and ends where the town’s spa zone begins. From there, you can walk along the river and enter the spa zone with the colonnades.
Don’t miss the Baroque Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, a few steps from the Hot Spring Colonnade. As you continue walking along the river, you will find the pedestrianised Stara Louka Street.
This is probably the most beautiful street in Karlovy Vary. It’s lined with pastel-coloured, elegant buildings on both sides of the river.
6. Live The Experience of The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Upon entering the town, a huge sign of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival welcomes you to this beautiful town.
When planning our trip to Karlovy Vary, little did we know about the festival.
However, we soon discovered that it’s one of the oldest film festivals in the world. Not to mention the most important one in Central and Eastern Europe.
The International Film Festival takes place in Karlovy Vary every year in early July. During the festival, cinephiles from all over the world flock to Karlovy Vary to indulge in daily binge-watching of countless films.
Others are more interested in catching glimpses of their favourite movie stars in the streets of Karlovy Vary.
Most film screenings take place at the Thermal Hotel. For more information about the festival, have a look here.
7. Swim With a View at Thermal Hotel
Unlike the thermal baths in Budapest, the thermal water in Karlovy Vary is more widely available for drinking rather than bathing.
However, one of the best things to do in Karlovy Vary is to plunge into the mineral water swimming pool at the rooftop terrace of Hotel Thermal, which offers the best view of the town.
You can visit the famous Thermal Hotel pool even if you’re not a guest of the hotel.
There are two outdoor pools on the rooftop terrace. The main swimming pool has four 25-metre swimming lanes and a water temperature of 32°C. The smaller one is a thermal pool with a water temperature of 38°C.
8. Take The Funicular To The Diana Lookout Tower
Erected in the 1910s, the 40-metre-high Diana Lookout Tower is the most popular of the watchtowers scattered across the hills over Karlovy Vary.
The tall tower has a lift that will take you to the observation deck. From there, you can enjoy a great view of the spa town and the surrounding hills.
Right next to the Diana Observation Tower is the historical Diana Restaurant, built in the same period as the tower. It’s a great place for a delicious lunch amidst nature, with several veggie options.
The easiest way to get to the Diana Lookout Tower is to take the funicular from the heart of Karlovy Vary, a short walk from Grand Hotel Pupp.
On your way down, you can take the funicular again or reach the town via a series of scenic walking paths if the weather is nice and you’re up for an easy hike.
9. Try Becherovka
Karlovy Vary is the birthplace of one of the most popular spirits in the Czech Republic, the world-famous Becherovka.
Becherovka is a digestive herbal liqueur. Jan Becher invented it at the beginning of the 19th century. Back then, it was used as a medicine for stomach ailments.
The liqueur is made with water from Karlovy Vary. Τhe recipe is a well-kept secret that only two people in the company know. According to the locals, Becherovka is the 13th spring of Karlovy Vary.
To learn more about the history and production of Becherovka, join a guided tour of the Jan Becher Museum. In addition to the original Becherovka, you can taste other products based on different recipes during the tour.
What’s more, Becherovka serves as the main ingredient in cocktails you can only find in Karlovy Vary. The most famous among them is the BeTon (Becherovka & Tonic).
10. Visit Loket Castle
A mere 20-minute drive from the popular spa town, Loket Castle is one of the best places to visit near Karlovy Vary.
Perched on a rocky hill with the Ohre River flowing around it, Loket Castle looks as though it comes straight out of a fairy tale.
Completely different from other castles we’ve seen in the Czech Republic, like the massive Sychrov Castle in Liberec, Loket Castle reminded us more of Bran Castle in Romania.
Founded in the second half of the 12th century, Loket Castle was built in the Gothic style.
In 1319, the future Emperor Charles IV, was imprisoned in the castle at the age of three, when his mother, Queen Eliska Premyslova, unsuccessfully tried to hide from the quick-tempered King John Luxembourg.
Inside the castle, you can see exciting exhibits, like the meteorite that fell in Loket around 1400.
Furthermore, there are unique Gothic murals and historical arms collections. For spectacular views, climb up the 26-metre-high Castle Tower.
11 . Step Inside a Glassworks
The region of Bohemia has been renowned for its high-quality glass and glassmaking craftsmanship throughout the centuries.
Moser Glassworks was established in Karlovy Vary in the 19th century. With time, it became one of the world’s most famous luxury crystal manufacturers.
Glass from the Moser Glassworks has been used to decorate palaces, create awards and craft several other invaluable objects.
Everything made at Moser Glassworks is lead-free and 100% handcrafted. Nowadays, the Moser Glass Factory is one of the best places to visit in Karlovy Vary.
During a guided tour, you can see with your own eyes how glassmakers transform glass into masterpieces of art. On the same tour, you can also visit the Moser Museum.
Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting Karlovy Vary
Is Karlovy Vary a walkable city?
Yes, the town is very compact and walkable. Most Karlovy Vary attractions are reachable on foot.
Do they speak English in Karlovy Vary?
Yes, pretty much everyone speaks good English in Karlovy Vary.
Is Karlovy Vary vegetarian and vegan-friendly?
Yes, if you are vegan or vegetarian, you will find several restaurants with vegan or vegetarian options. For a unique culinary experience, we recommend Tusculum Restaurant.
The restaurant features a tasting menu prepared with ingredients from the owners’ organic farm and paired with superb Czech wines. The menu also includes vegetarian or vegan options.
Now that you know what to do in Karlovy Vary, we hope you’ll consider adding this destination to your next Central Europe adventure, but not just as a day trip from Prague.
A multi-day spa vacation, complemented by beautiful nature, stunning architecture, and several cultural treasures, is the best way to get to know this very special part of the Czech Republic.
WORDS & IMAGES: Katerina
EDITING: Maria
Disclosure: We wrote this article about what to do in Karlovy Vary after visiting the region on a press trip organised and sponsored by Visit Czechia and Karlovy Vary Region. Although Visit Czechia sponsored this article about the best things to do in Karlovy Vary and around, all opinions remain our own, as always.