Karlovy Vary, meaning "Charles' Bath" was named after Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, who founded the city in 1370. It is famous for its hot springs and its colorful and whimsical architecture. For these reasons, it was a popular tourist destination in the 18th century with guests including Tsar Peter the Great, Emperor Franz Josef I, Beethoven, Wagner, Brahms, Tolstoy, and Marx. Tourism grounded to a halt during World War I and the city never regained its former glory. After WWII, the largely German speaking city was cleared of its original inhabitants and replaced with Czech settlers. Czech remains the major language today but the signs of German culture and heritage are still very evident.
The town, along with Prague, was the filming location of many scenes identified as being in Montenegro in the 2006 movie Casino Royale.
Student Agency[2] operates hourly buses to/from Prague's Florenc and Dejvicka stations between 5:00am and 8:00pm. The trip takes 2 hours and costs 155Kc for adults.
Other bus companies also run services from Prague's Florenc station but they are more expensive as not as comfortable as Student Agency's buses.
Karlovy Vary has two train stations: Dolní Nádraží (lower station) located next to the bus station, and Horní Nádraží (upper station) located north of the city center across the Ohře River. Horní Nádraží can be reached by a 10-minute walk or by taking buses 11, 12, or 13.
Trains from Prague leave Prague Main Station every 2 hours and arrive at Horní nádraží in Karlovy Vary 3¼ hours later. Regular fare is CZK 316, second person pays CZK 221, additional people in a group pay CZK 158, Včasná jízdenka Česko is CZK 150-170.
The bus is a cheaper and more efficient method of travel from Prague to Karlovy Vary. However, rail enthusiasts may wish to make this journey by train, as, per Thomas Cook European rail guide, it is one of the most scenic train routes in the Czech Republic, with much of it meandering alongside rivers.
Hourly trains operate between Karlovy Vary and Loket (16km, 29 minutes, CZK 30) and Cheb (52km, 52-62 minutes, CZK 76).
Lazne I. Beautiful spa building housing Franz Josef's baths.edit
Diana Lookout Tower. You can take the funicular railway or take a beautiful walk through the forest to get here. The funicular costs 36Kc, 60Kc return.Free. edit
Church of St. Peter & St. Paul. Built in 1897. 5 golden domes and colorful exterior were modeled on the Byzantine Church of the Holy Trinity near Moscow. The interior of the church is decorated with paintings and icons, gifts of wealthy Russian aristocrates. One of the decorations is a relief representing Russian Tsar "Peter the Great".edit
Golf Resort Karlovy Vary, Pražská 219, ☎ +420 353 331 001 (recepce@golfresort.cz, fax: +420 353 331 001), [5]. March-October. The course underwent a rapid renovation, which included the building of a new clubhouse, an irrigation system, and new tees. The Karlovy Vary golf course becomes one of the most prestigious European golf establishments.edit
Karlovy Vary is famous for its spa wafers [6]. They come in various flavors and are best when warm. The wafers are sold at street stands in Karlovy Vary, and can also be purchased at grocery stores throughout the Czech Republic.
Bernard, Bernard (steep small street opposite to the end of the Mlynska Colonnade). Quite cheap, but quality is better than in the expensive restaurants. Rustic interior, small, nice Czech food and good beer. Also serves as a Jazz Club with live music.edit
Cafe Pizzeria Venetia, Zahradni 43, ☎ +420 353 729 221. Looks out on the Tepla RiverPizza: 120Kc. edit
Jean De Carro. very good and spacy inside, however dishes served are of a low quality, despite being high priced.edit
Parlament, Zeyerova 5. closed on Sun. Outdoor tables. Good food.edit
Jan Becherovka invented the liquor that bears his name in Karlovy Vary. However, it is an acquired taste.
Some establishments on the river charge twice the price of places 20m+ off the main drag so shop around for a place to drink.
Cafe Elephant, Stara Louka 30. Coffee and cake.Coffee: 45Kc. edit
Juice Bar Kokopelli, Bulharska 9. Juice & Smoothies: 20Kc-37Kc. edit
Kafe Brejk, Stara Louka 62. 9am-5pm. Design your own baguette.Coffee: 35Kc; Baguette: 50Kc. edit
Restaurace u Tomase, Zeyerova 3, Karlovy Vary. Extensive menu and very generous portions of Czech food. The food is of a high standard and because of the wide range you can find something you haven't tried before. Helpful and friendly waiters too. Pilsner Urquell and a couple of other lagers on tap. 150 - 250kc. edit
Hotel Cordoba, Zahradni 37, [9]. From 1,800Kc. edit
Hotel Garni Palatin, Lázeňská 10. Very nice place to stay, it is ideal if you take a mineral water drinking course, because the range from this hotel to the closest spring is roughly 20 meters. The hotel is modern furnished, and despite being given only 3 stars looks like a typical four stars hotel. The only disadvantage is absence of a restaurant (breakfast is possible though). edit
Hotel Kavalrie, Masaryka 43 (above a cafe, near bus and train stations), ☎ +420 353 229 613, [10]. Single: 950Kc; Double: 1,225Kc. edit
Pension Rainbow, Serikova 92 (approx. 15 min. walk from centre.), ☎ +420 353 560 366 (reservation@pensionrainbow.cz), [11]. Family-run guesthouse offering accommodation in conveniently furnished rooms, each including a bathroom and a TV-SAT set, in quiet environment. from 690 CZK. edit
Pension Fan, ☎ +420 774 289 153. Opened in May 2004, is a two-storied building, situated in the district Bohatice. Friendly atmosphere, lot of programmes available: cycling with or without a cycling guide, golf, golf-school, wellness and relax programmes.edit
Pension Villa Basileia, Mariánskolázeňská 4, ☎ +420 353 224 132 (villabasileia@villabasileia.cz), [13]. Family run pension. The parking lot is only open until 8PM. The rooms are not very nice. There's a weird atmosphere because the only person that speaks English or German is gone most of the time. They mention spa treatments on their web site suggesting that they are available at the hotel. Forget it. All they have is an exercise machine in the stairwell.Single: From €50; Double: From €62. edit
Grandhotel Pupp, Mirove namesti 2, ☎ +420 353 109 631 (pupp@pupp.cz, fax: +420 353 224 032), [15]. checkin: 2PM; checkout: 11AM. Has been a traditional symbol of Karlovy Vary and Czech Republic for three centuries already. It is a place of comfort and first-rate service. It was a major location for the 2006 movie Last Holiday starring Queen Latifah. It also appears in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale as Hotel Splendide in Montenegro.From €130. edit
Hotel Carlsbad Plaza, (in the vicinity of the spa facility Lázně I), [16]. Deluxe hotel opened in December 2005.€133 and up. edit
Hotel Thermal, [17]. The biggest hotel in the centre of the city, was used by USSR's political elite for recovery. However, now (in 2007 and 2008) the quality of the service significantly decreased (rooms, restaurant, treatment, cases of robbery inside the hotel building are reported, unfriendly reception).Single: From 2,350Kc; Double: From 4,320Kc. edit
Hyalit Aparthotel, Stari Luka 62, [18]. 5 stylish apartments.From 1,900Kc. edit
