Karlovy Vary Overview

The hot springs and enormous spas of Karlovy Vary (pop. 55,000) have drawn legendary Europeans including J.S. Bach, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, and Peter the Great. Today, frequent visitors are wealthy elderly Germans and Russians who sip from jugs filled with the therapeutic spring waters. Movie stars and fans also journey to the town for its International Film Festival each July.

Transportation And Practical Information.  Buses, much more convenient than trains, run from Dolní nádraží, on Západní (☎353 504 516), to Plzeň (1hr., 10 per day, 84Kč) and Prague (2hr., 20 per day, 120Kč). To reach the town center from the station, turn left and take the left fork of the pedestrian underpass toward Lázně. Turn right at the next fork, follow the sign for the supermarket, and go up the stairs to reach T.G. Masaryka, which runs parallel to the main thoroughfare, Dr. Davida Bechera. Centrum Taxi, Zeyerova 9 (☎353 223 236), offers 24hr. service. Infocentrum, Lázeňská 1, next to the Mill Colonnade, has free Internet, books rooms (from 450Kč), and sells theater tickets (250-500Kč) and maps. (☎355 321 175; www.karlovyvary.cz. Open M-F 10am-6pm, Sa-Su 10am-4pm.) Another branch is in the bus station (☎353 232 838). The post office, T.G. Masaryka 1, has Western Union and Poste Restante. (Open M-F 7:30am-7pm, Sa 8am-1pm, Su 8am-noon.) Postal Code: 36001.

Accommodations And Food.  Quest Hostel and Apartments , Moravská 42, is a winner, offering apartment-like rooms with spacious bathrooms and kitchens. Take bus #2, go past the market, down a hill, and then continue straight ahead uphill on Moravská. (☎353 820 030; www.hostel-karlovy-vary.cz. Reception 8am-midnight. Check-out 11am. Breakfast included. 10-bed dorm 410Kč; 4- to 6-bed dorms 450Kč; doubles 500-500Kč.) Next to the post office, Pension Romania , Zahradní 49, has huge, bright rooms overlooking the Teplá River. All rooms equipped with TV, fridge, and private bath. (☎353 222 822. Breakfast included. Singles 950Kč, students 735Kč; doubles 1650-2530Kč; triples 2000Kč. Oct.-Mar. reduced rates.) Karlovy Vary is known for its sweet oplatky (spa wafers; from 5Kč). E&T Bar , Zeyerova 3, is a haven of quality Czech food at reasonable prices. (☎353 226 022. Salads and entrees 75-225Kč. Open M-Sa 9am-2am, Su 10am-2am. Cash only.)

Sights And Entertainment. The spa district starts at Alžbětiny Lázně 5 (Elizabeth Bath 5), Smetanovy Sady 1, across from the post office. The spa offers water-based treatments. Reserve a few days ahead. (☎353 222 536; www.spa5.cz. Pool and sauna open M and F-Sa 9am-9pm, Tu-Th 6am-noon and 1pm-9pm, Su 9am-6pm. Treatments M-F 7am-3pm. Pool 100Kč. MC/V.) Follow the Teplá River to Bath 3, Mlynské nábř 5, which offers massages for 575Kč. (☎353 225 641. Treatments daily 7-11:30am and noon-3pm. Pool 100Kč.) Next door, the Mlýnská kolonáda (Mill Colonnade) hosts free concerts in the summer. Farther down is Zawojski House, Trižiště 9, an ornate Art Nouveau building that now houses Živnostenská Banka. Two doors down, Vřídlo pramen (Sprudel Spring), inside Vřídelní kolonáda (Sprudel Colonnade), is Karlovy Vary’s hottest and highest-shooting spring. (Open daily 6am-7pm.) Follow Stará Louka to find signs for the funicular, which takes passengers up 127m to the Diana Observatory and its panoramic view of the city. (Funicular 4 per hr. June-Sept. 9:15am-6:45pm; Apr.-May and Oct. 9:15am-5:45pm; Feb.-Mar. and Nov.-Dec. 9:15am-4:45pm. Tower open daily 9am-7pm. Funicular 36Kč, round-trip 60Kč. Tower 12Kč.) Promenáda, a monthly booklet, is available for free at kiosks around town. It includes details on the popular International Film Festival, which screens independent films usually in the first week of July.

Daytrip From Karlovy Vary: Plzeň. Recent attempts to clean up Plzeň (pop. 175,000) have left its buildings and gardens revived. But it’s the world-famous beer, not the architecture, which lures so many visitors. A beer-lover’s perfect day begins at legendary Pilsner Urquell Brewery (Měšťčanský Pivovar Plzeňský Prazdroj), where knowledgeable guides lead groups to the cellars for samples. (☎377 062 888. Brewery open daily 10am-6pm. 1 hr. English tours daily June-Aug. 12:45, 2:15 and 4:15pm; Sept.-May 12:45pm. Tours 120Kč, students 50Kč. Brewery tap open M-Th 11am-11pm, F-Sa 11am-1am, Su 11am-10pm.) Plzeň is also home to the world’s third-largest   synagogue, built in the Neoclassical style but with onion domes. (From the southern end of nám. Republiky, go down Prešovská to Sady Pětatřicátníkǔ and turn left; the synagogue is on the right. ☎377 223 558. Open Apr.-Oct. M-F and Su 11am-5pm, closed Jewish holidays. 50Kč, students 30Kč.) Just when you think you’ve had enough of beer halls, the famous   U Salzmannů Restaurace , Pražská 8 (☎377 235 855), redeems their existence. Opened in 1637, the restaurant attracts local celebrities and specializes in old Czech standbys. (Giant Pilsner Urquell 25Kč. Fries 35Kč. Open M-Th and Sa-Su 11am-11pm, F 11am-midnight. Su 11am-9pm MC/V.) Buses leave from Husova 58 for Karlovy Vary (1hr., 16 per day, 70-80Kč) and Prague (2hr., 16 per day, 65-80Kč). To reach nám. Republiky, turn left on Husova, which becomes Smetanovy Sady, and turn left on Bedřicha Smetany, or take tram #2 (15Kč). The tourist office is at nám. Republiky 41. (☎378 035 330; www.icpilsen.cz. Open Apr.-Sept. daily 9am-6pm; Oct.-Mar. M-F 10am-5pm, Sa-Su 10am-3:30pm.) Postal Code: 30101.