Karlovy Vary is a charming little resort town, famous for its amazing variety of healing thermal springs. The town offers a variety of walking paths that you can use to reach the springs and viewpoints, many of which border colorful houses.
Karlovy Vary is surrounded by picturesque nature, which offers resort guests wonderful views and walks through forests that stretch above the town on both sides of the Teplá River. Many romantic viewpoints rise above the city, dozens of springs await in the colonnades, hot thermal pools – all of these can be wonderfully combined if you come to Karlovy Vary for a couple of days or even for a whole week of vacation.
Recommended: Thermal Resorts in Czechia – thermal complexes for family holidays
Where to stay in Karlovy Vary
Hotels for a short stay
If you came to see Karlovy Vary and also plan to visit the SPA center Saunia – it’s not necessary to stay in a SPA hotel. Here are some affordable and optimal accommodation options:
- Star Hotel≫ – a small and cozy hotel located right by the thermal complex Saunia. There is a selection of their own SPA services – saunas, massage.
- Thermal View Apartment≫ – a nice apartment next to the thermal complex, if you need parking – it’s better to leave your car at the Saunia complex parking lot.
- IMPERIAL Apartments≫ – a new modern apartment in the city center, well-equipped. Also, free parking for your car is provided.
SPA hotels with private pools
If you’re looking for a relaxing holiday without trying to see everything at once, with the option to have delicious breakfasts and swim in the pools anytime – here’s a selection of the best SPA hotels in Karlovy Vary.
- Olympia Wellness Hotel≫ – The hotel is perfectly located— all colonnades and other attractions are within walking distance. There’s also a bus stop nearby, from where you can get to other parts of the city. The rooms are spacious and clean, with an amazing view of Karlovy Vary. Breakfast is buffet-style—food is fresh and tasty. During the day—free access to the pool and sauna, which is very convenient.
- Dvorak Spa & Wellness≫ – Beautiful hotel in a historic location. The best location in Karlovy Vary, large room, very beautiful view from the window, pleasant spa area and quite a large pool, nice breakfasts. The staff is friendly and happy to help. Almost every evening someone plays the piano in the lobby.
- Spa Resort Sanssouci≫ – Friendly staff, nice and clean rooms with snow-white linen. Wonderful pool, there is a hydromassage bath and a separate women’s sauna. The general sauna is quite large, there is enough space for everyone.
Saunia thermal resort thermal pool
Beautiful view of the city, heated pools and 8 saunas – all this in the five-floor wellness center Saunia, located in the center of the world-famous resort Karlovy Vary.
A unique complex of pools in the center of Karlovy Vary with the largest pool (110,000 liters) with 100% natural thermal water at a temperature of 38 °C. This allows visitors to enjoy therapeutic baths all year round, regardless of whether it’s hot or snowing. Spring water is changed regularly every day.
- Pool with Karlovy Vary spring water (38 °C).
- Relaxation pool (32 °C).
- Swimming pool (25 meters, 4 lanes).
- Finnish, salt, tropical, and herbal saunas.
- Bath and steam-effect sauna.
- Bathing ceremonies.
- Ice pool, ice well, buckets and mist showers.
- Indoor and outdoor relaxation zones.
Information for visitors:
- Opening hours: Daily from 09:00 – 23:00
- Ticket prices in 2025: 3-hour ticket/whole day – adult 649/899 CZK, child (up to 15 years old) – 449/599 CZK.
- Other tickets on the website of the thermal complex >>
- Good to know: The Saunia thermal center is open all year round. Put on a hat and you can safely swim even in February.
What to visit in Karlovy Vary
Head from Masaryk Avenue and the Jan Becher Museum to the Thermal Hotel and further along the colonnade to Vřídl and the famous Grandhotel Pupp. Then take the funicular up to the Diana observation tower and enjoy views of the city and surroundings. Angel Mountain, Loket Castle, or Bečov nad Teplou Castle, where the famous shrine of St. Maurus was found, are within 20 km by car. You can spend a week of vacation in Karlovy Vary and still have plenty to do.
Relax in the Park Colonnade
This elegant structure is the only remnant of what was once the historic Blanenský Pavilion, and is located above the soothing springs where you can relax. The park colonnade has three springs you can use: Snake Spring, Park Spring, and Freedom Spring. All are very easy to access, but Snake Spring may be a bit hard to find. You can access this spring through a decorative snake’s mouth. The water from this spring has a high level of CO2, which helps treat various skin diseases.
See the Mill Colonnade
Mill Colonnade is a unique Neo-Renaissance structure built around 1893. You can visit this towering building and look at its 124 magnificent columns that surround the orchestra stage as well as terraces filled with statues.
This is a pseudo-Renaissance stone building, in the spaces of which, thanks to concerts, famous world melodies are sometimes heard in the summer. Discover all the springs hidden in this largest Karlovy Vary colonnade. Try Mlýnský, Skalní, Rusalka, Libuš and Pramen knížete Václav.
Vřídlo Geyser
From here it is less than 500 meters to the geyser colonnade with a geyser that has a temperature of 72 ℃. Why should you not miss this unique natural phenomenon? Vřídlo Geyser releases on average 2,000 liters of mineral water per minute and, thanks to high pressure, sprays to a height of 12 meters. This spring is the only one used for bathing, but for many patients the spring water is too hot, so it is cooled to 50 and 30 °C. Some of the water is also used to produce Karlovy Vary thermal salt and for petrifying souvenirs.
Explore the Market Colonnade
Located near the Mill Colonnade, the Market Colonnade is a decorative structure built in the Swiss style that covers numerous hot springs. It was designed by Fellner and Helmer back in the late 1800s as a temporary place for people to enjoy thermal water. However, it became so popular, especially after it was said that the water had incredible healing power. Today, you can go inside and see three of its springs with your own eyes: the Lower Castle Spring, the Market Spring, and the Charles IV Spring.
Visit the Jan Becher Museum
Another place worth visiting while in Karlovy Vary is the Jan Becher Museum. This museum is entirely devoted to Becherovka, the famous Czech herbal liqueur. You can visit the museum, where various equipment for making this drink is displayed. You can also watch a film that shows the complex process of its production. At the end, you can taste different types of this delicious liqueur to decide which one you like.
Visit the Moser Glass Museum
Moser Glass Museum is filled with intricate glass works created by the famous glassmaker Ludwig Moser. In the museum, you can see historical pieces of glass created by Moser, as well as some of the equipment used to make them back in the day.
In addition to historical exhibits, you will also be able to see some more modern creations made by the Moser Glass company. At the end, you can visit the Moser Glass shop and buy Moser glass creations as a souvenir for yourself or as a gift for someone else. More information on the official website.
Climb Diana
Diana is a popular place to visit in Karlovy Vary. This historic tower was built in 1914, and you can climb it to see a stunning view of the city stretching from its observation platform.
On the hill there is also the Butterfly House, which contains numerous colorful species. You can also stop at one of the many unique attractions located near Diana. These are the Charles IV Observation Tower (the oldest observation tower in Karlovy Vary) and the Forest Devotion, which is a large altar built of stones.
If you have come with children, you will definitely please them with a trip to the Diana observation tower. At the top, there is also a mini-zoo, a children’s playground and a restaurant (from May 1, the funicular, observation tower, mini-zoo and take-out snacks are also open).
You can get here along marked resort trails from Grandhotel Pupp or by funicular. Diana is accessible by funicular, so if you don’t want to walk too much or want to see wonderful views of Karlovy Vary and don’t feel like climbing 150 steps yourself, you can take this means of transport, which runs every 15 minutes. Tickets can be purchased in combination with the entrance to the mini-zoo or Butterfly House. Information about prices and opening hours on the official website.
Deer Jump
The first stop of the funicular is Deer Jump – Jelení Skok. It is a place you must definitely visit while in Karlovy Vary. According to legend, Charles IV used to come here to hunt. And one dog from his entourage supposedly fell into a pool from which hot water gushed. The hunters tried the water, offered it to the emperor. And he, in the presence of his doctors. He noted that such hot water could cure many serious diseases, as it was, of course, very invigorating. This is how the Karlovy Vary resort was born.
This place is the oldest observation deck in the resort – a deck with a wooden gazebo on a rock near the
Deer Jump above the resort center of Karlovy Vary, which was built in 1804. A native of Karlovy Vary, the wealthy Vienna merchant Mayer, after whom it is sometimes called the “Mayer’s Gazebo”.
He then defended himself before the city council by saying that as a hunter, he did not agree with the version that a deer jumped from this steep rock into the abyss, because only a chamois could do that. They say he deliberately placed the statue with its back to the town hall. Be that as it may, since then the chamois has become a symbol of Karlovy Vary and appears on the labels of various local products, such as spa wafers.
Viewpoints for hiking lovers
From the intermediate station of the Jeléní Skok funicular, head out to explore another charming viewpoint Charles IV. Leisurely walk about 770 meters along the yellow trail through the crossroads near the Ecce homo chapel. You will find yourself at the oldest observation tower in Karlovy Vary, which was built in the resort forests back in 1876 and immediately after its opening aroused great interest among resort visitors. During various celebrations, fireworks were launched from the first alley.
Goethe’s viewpoint is definitely worth it, in addition it’s not very well known among hikers and tourists. A pleasant bonus is the sightseeing restaurant (current opening information needs to be checked in advance). Next, proceed from Vřídl along the yellow tourist route through Na Vyhlídce street and further through the resort forests past Vyhlídka Tři kříže. The route is 3.5 kilometers long and, due to an elevation gain of about 260 meters, is quite challenging. The height you will climb to, where the viewpoint is located, is called Height of Eternal Life.
The idea to build this viewpoint above the town came to Belgian Princess Stephanie – wife of Austrian Crown Prince Rudolf Habsburg, who was very impressed by the view from here. Climb one of the viewpoints to get your own impressions.
How to get to Karlovy Vary
- By car: for a day to visit the Saunia thermal complex, use the parking lot of the Thermal hotel. Adres: Ivana Petroviče Pavlova 2001/11, Karlovy Vary. You enter through the hotel reception to the first floor and walk to the elevator by the pool. Take the parking ticket with you and request a discount of 20 Czech crowns per hour of parking.
- By public transport: from Prague by Flixbus buses or by train to the Dolní Nádraží Karlovy Vary station.
Useful articles and links:
- Český Krumlov – what to see in the most beautiful city in Czechia
- Czech beer included on the list of intangible heritage
- What to see in Prague if you’ve already been here before
Tourist travel insurance – HotlineFinance
Hotel reservations – Booking.com
Car rental – DiscoverCars
