CZ
Karlovy Vary
The Czech Republic’s grandest spa town: hot springs, colonnades and belle-époque hotels in a forested valley
The Czech Republic’s grandest spa town: hot springs, colonnades and belle-époque hotels in a forested valley
The Vřídlo, the hottest spring in the Czech Republic at around 73°C, shoots up to about 12m inside this modern colonnade.
Photo: Lubor Ferenc, CC BY-SA 4.0
Built in 1871–81, this long neo-Renaissance colonnade shelters several drinking springs.
Buy a spa cup to sample the springs.
Photo: Alena Tučímová, CC BY-SA 4.0
Pastel-coloured spa houses and hotels line the river promenade, the heart of the spa district.
Photo: Mattsjc, CC BY 4.0
The grand hotel at the end of the promenade has hosted guests for centuries and appeared in films including Casino Royale.
Photo: DIMSFIKAS, CC BY-SA 3.0
A funicular climbs from near Grandhotel Pupp to the Diana lookout tower, with forest walks and viewpoints over the valley.
Photo: Zorka Sojka, CC BY-SA 4.0
Try Becherovka, the herbal liqueur made in the town, and lázeňské oplatky, thin spa wafers. Czech dishes such as svíčková and roast duck are served in traditional restaurants.
Cafés along the colonnades are good for coffee and cake.
Buses from Prague take about two hours; trains are slower. The small Karlovy Vary Airport has limited flights; Prague Airport is the main gateway.
The spa centre is walkable along the river.
The Czech Republic uses the koruna (CZK).
Two days for the springs and the forest.
Walk the colonnades sampling the springs, then the Hot Spring Colonnade and Becherovka museum.
Take the funicular to the Diana lookout and walk the forest trails.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Czech Republic is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Sip the springs slowly; they are mineral-rich.
Book early for July.
Faster than the train from Prague.
Forest trails start in town.
Quick answers for planning time in Karlovy Vary.
About two hours by bus.
Around 73°C, the hottest in the Czech Republic.
Yes, as part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe, inscribed in 2021.
A herbal liqueur produced in Karlovy Vary.
Yes, from the colonnade springs, ideally in small amounts.
Planning a wider trip? Our Czech Republic travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.