Home · Blog · Karlovy Vary: Things to See, Attractions and History
Karlovy Vary: Things to See, Attractions and History
Six highlights of Karlovy Vary, more places to visit, the town's history since Charles IV and a tip for exploring the spa center as a team game with 46 treasures.
Karlovy Vary is the largest spa town in the Czech Republic, and since 2021 it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně as part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe. People come to this town of just under 50,000 for its hot springs, the International Film Festival, good beer and Becherovka.
But the colonnades and the Vřídlo are just the beginning. In this guide you’ll find six reasons to make the trip to Karlovy Vary, more places to visit, the town’s history and a tip for exploring the spa center as a team game.
Karlovy Vary by the Numbers
The town sits on hot springs and climbs from the valley of the small Teplá river up into the spa forests. Here are the numbers that capture it best.
| Fact | Karlovy Vary |
|---|---|
| Royal town | since 1370, privileges granted by Charles IV |
| Population | 49,073 (2025) |
| Springs | 79 springs, 13 of them used for drinking cures |
| Vřídlo (Hot Spring) | 73.4 °C, 2,000 liters per minute, geyser up to 12 m high |
| Colonnades | 5 (Park, Mill, Market, Castle, Hot Spring) |
| Spa forests | 130 km of marked trails |
| Film festival | since 1946, early July, around 180 feature films |
| UNESCO | since 2021, Great Spa Towns of Europe |
| Treasure Hunt Carlsbad | 46 treasures, 1.5 to 3.5 hours of play |
Karlovy Vary Highlights
Six tips take you from an herbal liqueur, past the colonnades along the Teplá and the lookouts in the spa forests, all the way to the racecourse and the festival screening halls.
1) Becherovka
Karlovy Vary is the birthplace of the herbal liqueur Becherovka. In 1807, Josef Becher started making it in his pharmacy and sold it in medicine bottles as stomach drops. Back then it was called Carlsbader English Bitter.
The drink has carried the Czech name Becherovka since Czechoslovakia was founded in 1918. The recipe passes from father to son as a family secret, and only two people know it. Where can you try Becherovka? Practically any pub, bar or restaurant in town.
The most popular Becherovka mixed drink is Beton, the liqueur with tonic.
2) The Five Colonnades
You can stroll along five colonnades around town that shelter the local healing springs. The oldest is the cast-iron Park Colonnade (Sadová kolonáda) from 1880 to 1881, designed by Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer, where the Snake Spring and the Park Spring rise.
The best known is the stone Mill Colonnade (Mlýnská kolonáda), built from 1871 to 1881 to a design by Josef Zítek, the architect of the National Theater. Twelve sandstone statues of the months of the year decorate its attic, and five mineral springs rise inside.
The wooden Market Colonnade (Tržní kolonáda) in Swiss style was again designed by Fellner and Helmer (1882 to 1883). It stands on the site of the historic marketplace below the Castle Tower, and three springs rise inside it, including the Charles IV Spring. Above it rises the Castle Colonnade (Zámecká kolonáda), designed by Friedrich Ohmann in 1910 to 1912.
The most famous spring, the Vřídlo, rises inside the modern glass Hot Spring Colonnade (Vřídelní kolonáda) from 1975, in front of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene.
3) Views of the Town
Karlovy Vary is surrounded by spa forests with several lookouts and observation towers where you’ll see the town from above. The most visited tower is Diana: you ride the funicular up to it right from the Grandhotel Pupp. On foot, along the marked trails (the forests have around 130 km of them), you’ll reach the Deer’s Leap (Jelení skok) lookout or the Charles IV Lookout.
On a rocky outcrop near Deer’s Leap stands the wooden Mayer’s Gloriette from 1804. It’s open all year round, and the spa center in the Teplá valley lies spread out below you.
4) Japanese Garden
Let’s stay in nature a little longer. The Zen garden lies on the southern edge of town near the Parkhotel Richmond and was created in 1998.
It was designed by Japanese architect Kanji Nomura. The garden symbolizes the meeting of Japanese and European culture and serves as a place for meditation in an otherwise busy town.
5) Horse Races
Sports fans get their share too. Besides tennis courts, you’ll find a well-known racecourse here. The first races were held before World War I, and they have always been a social event for the town. The racecourse also includes a golf course.
6) Film Festival
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic and one of the oldest in the world. The first edition took place in 1946. It’s traditionally held in early July, and around 180 feature films are screened during it.
What to See in Karlovy Vary
The six highlights are just the beginning. These places add Orthodox domes, hot water underground, glass and tropical butterflies to your walk.
Orthodox Church of St. Peter and Paul
You’ll see the church’s golden domes from every hill in town. The walls with their ornaments and paintings of saints deserve attention too. The interior is just as impressive, so don’t stop at the facade; take a look inside.
Take a Tour of the Unique Karlovy Vary Underground
A tour route leads through the underground below the Hot Spring Colonnade. You’ll see the thermal mineral water welling up and a collection of vřídlovec, the stone typical of Karlovy Vary.
The Vřídlo water is too hot for a drinking cure, so it’s cooled to 50 and 30 °C before it flows into the spring vases.
Museum: The History of Spa Treatment and Local Crafts
The Karlovy Vary Museum covers two topics: spa culture and the crafts typical of the region. You can bring the kids too; the museum has prepared an interactive exhibition about Pat & Mat for them.
Thermal Pool: Relaxation in Mineral Water
The Thermal pool near downtown isn’t filled with chlorinated water but with mineral water. The complex includes a sauna, and you can treat yourself to a massage here too.
Moser Glassworks: How Famous Czech Glass Is Made
The glassworks bears the name of its founder, Ludwig Moser, and became famous for its crystal glass. Visitors watch hand-blown pieces being made and can buy glass souvenirs on the spot.
Papilonia: Tropical Garden Full of Exotic Butterflies
The Papilonia tropical garden near the Diana lookout tower, also known as the Butterfly House, keeps around 30 species of butterflies, mainly from Thailand, the Philippines and Mexico. Hundreds of butterflies fly freely across 100 square meters, and the largest have a wingspan of up to 20 cm.
The garden includes a hatchery where you’ll see with your own eyes how a butterfly is born.
Walk Through the Romantic Little Versailles of Carlsbad
Tucked away in the spa forests, Little Versailles (Malé Versailles) is a park with a lake, an island in the middle and plenty of places to sit. The restaurant of the same name in the park won the Building of the Karlovy Vary Region title after its renovation in 2017. Marked trails lead out of the park, for example all the way to the Diana lookout tower.
City History
Legend links the beginnings of Karlovy Vary to Charles IV. It was written down by Karlovy Vary physician Fabian Summer in 1571. According to the legend, a hunting dog chased a deer, the animal leaped from a high rock, and a hot spring appeared where it landed. Charles IV then used the spring repeatedly for a healing cure, and in 1370 he granted Karlovy Vary the privileges of a royal town.
To this day, the town rests on two things nobody can take away from it: hot water and craftsmanship. Its first claim to fame is the hot springs; its second, porcelain and glass.
The Hottest Spring
There are 79 springs within the town, and 13 of them are used for drinking cures. The hottest is the Vřídlo: it’s 73.4 °C, delivers 2,000 liters of water per minute, and pressure shoots it up to 12 meters high. You’ll find it inside the Hot Spring Colonnade.
The Most Popular Spring
The most popular spring is the Becher Spring, which locals call “the thirteenth”. Visitors have been coming to it for more than 200 years. The history of the Becher brand is told at the museum on T. G. Masaryka Avenue.
A Town of Porcelain and Glass
The second record is craftsmanship. Thun porcelain has had a tradition in the Karlovy Vary region since 1794, and the Moser glassworks supplies crystal to the whole world. You can see both right where they’re made, not just in a shop window.
Karlovy Vary for a Company Trip
You can also explore the spa center as a team game. Treasure Hunt Carlsbad has 46 treasures spread along the Teplá from Smetana Gardens (Smetanovy sady) to the open-air cinema, so it takes you past all the colonnades. About a third of the treasures are in the forests around Jižní vrch, where outdoor lovers will have a great time too.
You play on tablets or phones with our GPS app: the map shows all the treasures at once, the team picks its own order, and at each treasure it answers a question tied to the spot. The game keeps a team busy for 1.5 to 3.5 hours, depending on how many treasures it dares to collect.
You can book full-service event management with our instructors and a tablet for each team, or a self-guided game on your own phones. Every order includes our rain guarantee: if it rains, a story game in indoor mode replaces the classic Treasure Hunt, and the program goes ahead on the original date. Check your date against the film festival in early July, when the town is packed with visitors.
Planning trips elsewhere too? You’ll find the same concept in our overview of outdoor games. The closest to Karlovy Vary are Treasure Hunt Pilsen and Treasure Hunt Cesky Krumlov.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Springs Are in Karlovy Vary?
Karlovy Vary has 79 springs, and 13 of them are used for drinking cures. The hottest is the Vřídlo; the most popular is the Becher Spring.
When Is the Film Festival?
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is traditionally held in early July. The first edition took place in 1946, and around 180 feature films are screened during the festival.
What Can You See in Karlovy Vary in One Day?
Walk the colonnades along the Teplá from the Park Colonnade to the Hot Spring Colonnade, then head down into the Hot Spring Underground. Next, ride the funicular from the Grandhotel Pupp up to the Diana lookout tower, where you’ll also find the Papilonia butterfly garden. End the day with a Beton, Becherovka with tonic.
How High Does the Vřídlo Shoot?
The Vřídlo geyser shoots up to 12 meters high. The water is 73.4 °C, so it’s cooled for drinking cures. You’ll see it inside the Hot Spring Colonnade.
Why Is Karlovy Vary on the UNESCO List?
Since 2021, Karlovy Vary, together with Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně, has been one of the eleven Great Spa Towns of Europe on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
When Did Karlovy Vary Become a Royal Town?
Charles IV granted Karlovy Vary the privileges of a royal town in 1370. The legend of the hot spring discovered during a hunt was written down by physician Fabian Summer in 1571.
Treasure Hunt Carlsbad
Our instructors run the game with tablets, or you start it yourselves on your phones. Tell us the number of people and the date, we will get back to you the same day.
Summary
- Karlovy Vary is the largest spa town in the Czech Republic and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2021.
- Six highlights: Becherovka, five colonnades, lookouts, the Japanese Garden, horse racing and the film festival.
- Seven more places to visit, from the Hot Spring Underground to the Papilonia butterfly garden.
- History: royal privileges from Charles IV in 1370, 79 springs and the Vřídlo at 73.4 °C.
- Treasure Hunt Carlsbad: 46 treasures along the Teplá, 1.5 to 3.5 hours of play.
Want to explore Karlovy Vary as a team? Treasure Hunt Carlsbad has 46 treasures and we tailor it to your date. Write to us.
