What to See
4 highlights📍 Tap the pin for directions
The Colonnades & Hot Springs
Karlovy Vary is the most famous spa town in the Czech Republic — a UNESCO-recognized historic ensemble of extraordinary 18th and 19th-century colonnades built to house the town's mineral thermal springs. Strolling the colonnades along the Teplá River is the primary activity. The springs are genuinely hot (some over 158 °F (70° C)) and mineral-rich. Visitors drink the spring water from traditional porcelain cups with long spouts — these can be purchased as a souvenir. The Mill Colonnade (Mlýnská kolonáda) and Market Colonnade are the most beautiful.
The Town Itself — Simply Beautiful
Karlovy Vary is one of the most beautifully preserved spa towns in Central Europe — Belle Époque architecture, wooded hillsides, and the Teplá River weaving through the center. Simply walking through the town and taking in the facades, colonnades, and surrounding forest is the experience. The Grandhotel Pupp (which appeared in Casino Royale) is worth a walk through the lobby.
Becherovka
The herbal liqueur Becherovka was invented in Karlovy Vary in 1807 and is still made there. The Jan Becher Museum traces the drink's history. A shot of Becherovka (also called the '13th spring') is the local souvenir drink — pick up a bottle at any shop.
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
One of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the world takes place here every July. If your trip coincides with the festival (typically early July), the town takes on a completely different energy.