Rezervace

Tips for trips

Introduction

12 unforgettable activities in Karlovy Vary and around

We have selected for you the most interesting places, trips and activities to make your stay in Karlovy Vary unique. Climb to the Loket Castle with your children, or take a cable car ride to the Diana Lookout Tower. Visit the Moser Glassworks, a gallery exhibition, or a concert of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. Relax on a colonnade, on a bike or on a golf course. Please contact our reception staff who will help you pick and plan your activities.

Get the Karlovy Vary Region Card and enjoy great discounts and benefits at more than 90 locations throughout the region, from museums and spas to historical sites.

Traditional spa highlights

Traditional spa highlights

1.

Walk through the colonnades and drink from a spring

Stopping to enjoy a sip of water from a mineral spring is almost a must for every spa guest. Send your friends a photo of the ornately carved Market Colonnade or the iconic Orchard Colonnade. Make sure you stop by and admire the Mill Colonnade designed by architect J. Zítek. Other memorable sights include the Castle Colonnade building and the hard-to-miss functionalist Vřídlo Colonnade. Take just a few steps to see Vřídlo (in English “Hot Spring”), the most famous Karlovy Vary spring, and feel free to explore its technical structure.

2.

Take a look inside the famous Moser Glassworks

Visiting the Moser Glassworks will warm you up more than climbing to the various lookout points in and around Karlovy Vary. During a VIP tour, you will see the work of master glassmakers, get to know the glassworks and smell the aroma of burned wooden moulds. The Moser Museum presents the glassworks’ long tradition that dates back more than 160 years. You will learn, for example, that crystal from Karlovy Vary is known as “the glass of kings” because it adorns the royal courts of England, Norway and Spain. Would you fancy the glass of kings in your home? You can decide in the Moser gallery shop.

3.

Taste a bitter liqueur in the Becherovka Visitor Centre

You will discover the remarkable history of the herbal liqueur’s origins at the Becherovka Visitor Centre. An interactive exhibition will take you to a bottling line, let you smell the herbs lying at the core of the Becherovka secret recipe, and reveal how drops for easing stomach problems became a world-famous liqueur. Don’t forget to have a hearty lunch in our restaurant before your tour. This will come in handy as you taste Becherovka at the end of the tour. If you prefer soft drinks, you can visit the Mattoni Museum, which presents the history of the famous mineral water brand established by Heinrich Mattoni, a famous native of Karlovy Vary, in the nearby village of Kyselka.

For families with children

For families with children

4.

Walk to the Diana Lookout Tower and see exotic animals

A walk to the Diana Lookout Tower with your children will make your day. A sunny day offers panoramic views of the landscape up to 70 kilometres away. In addition, children will have the chance to admire peacocks, Cameroonian goats and ponies in a small zoo, and butterflies up to 20 cm in size in the nearby Butterfly House. With a bit of luck, you will witness the transformation of a chrysalis into a butterfly. To avoid the question “Are we there yet?” on the way back, take a cable car into the town.

5.

Conquer the Loket Castle and cool off in the castle prison

Do you know where the key to the Bohemian Kingdom lies according to a legend? At the Loket Castle – only 15 kilometres from Karlovy Vary. Once you see it in all its grandeur, you won’t be surprised why the castle, looming over the Ohře River, was considered a gateway to the lands of the Bohemian Crown. Explore the Gothic building from the prison to the 26-metre-high Romanesque tower. In the vicinity of Karlovy Vary, you will also find the Cheb Castle, Hauenštejn Castle, Seeberg Castle, Kynžvart Castle, Bečov nad Teplou Castle featuring St. Maurus reliquary, and the picturesque ruins of the Engelhaus Castle on Andělská hora (Angel’s Mountain).

6.

Take a walk in the clouds at the Svatý Linhart Outdoor High Rope Course

Even tireless children will go to bed early after a visit to the outdoor high rope course. The climbing circuits are suitable for children as young as six years old, the more challenging routes will entertain their parents as well. Four rope routes reach up to 16 metres. It is up to you which of the activities you go for. Fancy jumping into the void, abseiling down or performing acrobatic feats to overcome obstacles? You can also take a walk along the footbridge in the treetops. Don’t feel rushed – you will be back at Thermal in less than a quarter of an hour.

Are you into history and culture?

Are you into history and culture?

7.

Start your spa stay just like hundreds of years ago

Start your stay in style with a view of the spa town from the Castle Tower. It used to be the place from which a fanfare greeted important guests, and later opened a spa season. The Castle Tower was built by Emperor Charles IV, along with a Gothic fort, which, however, hasn’t been preserved. To reach the tower on foot, cross the town centre and pass the Vřídlo Spring and Tržiště street. You can go up the stairs or take a lift.

8.

Admire art in the galleries of Karlovy Vary

A visit to the Karlovy Vary Gallery of Art is a treat for culture vultures and others alike. A permanent exhibition shows the development of Czech art in the 20th century. You can admire paintings by J. Čapek, E. Filla, the surrealist work of J. Štyrský, Toyen or the works of contemporaries J. Róna and P. Nikl. Shorter exhibitions explore contemporary Czech art. For local art, visit the Karlovy Vary Municipal Gallery, while the SUPERMARKET wc Gallery presents current design.

9.

Listen to the tones of a symphony orchestra

When was the last time you enjoyed listening to a symphony performed by an orchestra? Dress up and take your partner or friends to the Karlovy Vary Theatre for a concert of the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble’s repertoire includes jazz as well as classical masterpieces by A. Dvořák, P. I. Tchaikovsky, W. A. Mozart and F. Schubert. The historic theatre building, located on the Theatre Square next to the Vřídlo Spring, is easy to find.

For athletes and adrenaline junkies

For athletes and adrenaline junkies

10.

Retreat to a tennis court or a golf course

Improve your handicap on one of the three 18-hole golf courses, located in or near Karlovy Vary. Few people know that the history of Czech golf in the spa town dates back as early as 1904. If Tiger Woods or “green” don’t ring a bell, you can stretch your body on one of the clay tennis courts. You can savour your victory in a match both on outdoor courts or indoors. We will be happy to book a tennis court for you.

11.

Cycle through the countryside along the Ohře River

The most beautiful view of the world is said to be from the horse saddle. The same holds true for the bike saddle. Take the Ohře cycle path to bike along the river through the canyon around the mythical Svatošské skály (Svatoš Rocks). Don’t miss the Loket Castle. Follow the forest path to the picturesque village of Královské Poříčí and continue to Sokolov. You can enjoy some refreshments there while waiting for your train back to Karlovy Vary. Cycling along the 28-kilometre route without much of elevation is easy for everybody.

12.

Defeat your fear on a zip line after finishing the Sorrows of Young Werther

You will definitely not forget these 30 seconds. While Goethe’s Lookout Tower offers panoramic views, there is also an adrenaline challenge for you. To go back to the valley from the Goethe Lookout, you can either walk, or take a 320-metre-long zip line. At a speed of almost 60km/h, you will zip through the forest back to the spa town. You will see that your fear of stepping into the void at the start turns into a thrill, and you will want to repeat the ride.

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