Jul 17, 20224 min read

Water or Coffee & Cake?

Carlsbad, or Karlovy Vary in Czech, is a spa town in west Bohemia in the Czech Republic which has been known for its famous healing mineral waters since as early as the 14th century. It became very popular in the 19th century and is packed full of colonnades, hot springs, and amazing architecture of all ages including a stunning 21st century structure housing the Pramen Vřídlo geyser. It’s an amazingly beautiful town and well worth a visit. So that’s just what my mother and I decided to do.

I never learnt to drive. It’s just something I never got around to doing and as I’d always lived in the centre of cities, I never felt the need. Then I found myself living in a small north Bohemian village… but the one good thing was that I was used to using public transport. So getting the train from the northern Czech city of Usti nad Labem to Karlovy Vary was an adventure I was looking forward to.

The trains here in the Czech Republic are pretty good and almost always on time. I’d booked the tickets online, chosen the seats, and even arranged the return ticket home late that evening. We had comfortable chairs, free wifi, air conditioning and wonderful views of the this magical countryside. As I sat there taking it all in I thought about what I particularly wanted to see once we arrived. I’ve been to Karlovy Vary a few times before, I’ve taken the waters, I’ve explored the town and the surrounding areas, I’ve even been to the thermal baths. This time was more about having a relaxing day out somewhere beautiful and catching up with my mother, and Karlovy Vary seemed like a good place to go.

The train station is at the top of a hill overlooking the valley where the town is situated. I’m sure there’s a bus down, but we decided to walk down as it was an unusually cool morning for July and a walk seemed like a good way to warm ourselves up. I’m not sure it worked, but the views were great, we had loads to chat about and this took my mind off the cold. Luckily for us it had warmed up nicely by lunchtime.

When you arrive in the town from this side, the magic of this place kind of creeps up on you. There’s an uninteresting roundabout where the roads come together over the river but dotted around are some beautiful buildings that remind me of some of the back streets in Nice. There’s no sea air but there is that feeling of slightly faded grandeur that these spa towns manage to do wonderfully.

As you follow the river Tepla into the centre of town you suddenly realize how steep the valley actually is with houses towering above you on either side, and then before you know it, you’re in front of the Hotel Thermal. I used to think this was an eyesore, but seeing it this time made me realize that maybe there’s a place for every kind of architecture if it’s been well designed. Finished in 1976 with its official opening in 1977, I stayed in this hotel many years ago and it was fabulous. I particularly remember being in the outdoor natural spring water pool which overlooks the town… and the breakfast being delicious in an amazingly stylish dining hall.

The thing about these spa towns is the pace of everything. It’s like time has stood still. There are drinking fountains dotted around the endless gardens and colonnades throughout the town, with people drinking the often hot eggy smelling water. It’s actually quite nice and I love the idea of drinking water that’s been heated by the earth.

Once you get to the centre of the town you find yourself in front of the Mill colonnade. This is probably the most famous landmark of the town, it contains 5 hot springs, and was built between 1871 and 1881 to the design of the Czech architect Josef Zítek. The Mill Colonnade had its grand opening on 5th June 1881 and over 140 years later it’s still pretty impressive.

If you keep walking along the river you come to the Hot Spring Colonnade. This was built in 1975 out of glass and reinforced concrete in Functionalistic style and designed by architect Jaroslav Otruba. Prior to this structure there were a number of buildings housing the geyser for over 200 years. When you’re standing in front of that natural jet of water and steam that shoots as high as 12 meters into the air, you feel the heat, you truly feel the power of the earth.

There’s a whole etiquette to spending time in Karlovy Vary, and there are also warnings to drinking the water without the supervision of a specialized doctor. The waters are said to have amazing healing powers when used properly and many people have come and still come to regain their health. Like us, even if you’re just there for the atmosphere and a wonderful day out, there so much to see and do. Although I’ve cut down on sugar over the past few years, I still believe in the healing power of cake.

Walking around and taking in the sights is relaxing, healthy and just what the doctor ordered. We had a wonderful afternoon, we took loads of pictures, had a fabulous lunch in an outdoor restaurant by the river. We walked a little more, chatted about life, the people we love, where we’ve been, where we’re going, and to bring the perfect end to the perfect day we finished with a coffee and cake in the famous Cafe Elefant. I’d already been to this cafe, but many years ago and for some reason I don’t really remember it.

This time I have a feeling I won’t be forgetting my experience any time soon. The cake I chose was pistachio and white chocolate… and it was AMAZING, but not as AMAZING as the cake my mother chose! I actually could have eaten them both…and maybe next time I will. Whether it’s the waters or the cake or just the atmosphere, there’s nothing like a spa town, and there’s nowhere like Karlovy Vary 💛