# Karlovy Vary Bohemia's great spa town, two hours from Prague: colonnades with thermal springs you drink from a cup, an open-air pool with spring water and Moser crystal. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/czechia/karlovy-vary · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Karlovy Vary is Bohemia's most famous spa town: a city of colourful hotels squeezed into the narrow valley of the River Teplá, with forests on the slopes and hot springs that bubble up beneath colonnades of stone, wood and iron. Since the nineteenth century aristocrats, writers and, today, visitors from half the world have come here to take the cure. Along with other European spa towns, it forms part of the World Heritage listing of the Great Spa Towns of Europe. From Prague you can do it in a day, but a night lets you bathe at leisure. ## How do you get there from Prague? By direct bus, about two hours from Florenc station and other stops in Prague: it is quicker than the train, which takes a roundabout route. Buy your ticket online in advance in summer. By car, about 120 km along the D6 motorway, around an hour and three quarters. Parking in the centre of the spa is difficult and expensive: choose a hotel with parking. ## What to do in Karlovy Vary The colonnade walk. You stroll along the Teplá, from colonnade to colonnade: the Mill Colonnade, the largest, and the others, with numbered springs at different temperatures. The custom is to buy a porcelain spa cup, with a spout, and sip. At the end, the Hot Spring Colonnade: the Vřídlo, the hottest spring, shoots several metres into the air inside a glass pavilion. Bathing. Thermal cures involve a doctor and several days, but anyone can swim in the outdoor pool at the Hotel Thermal, on the building's terrace: a 32 °C pool with 25-metre lanes and a smaller one with spring water at 38 °C, open every day from 9:00 to 23:00. Crystal and liqueur. The Moser factory, outside the centre, demonstrates glassblowing Monday to Friday, by reservation. In the centre, the Becherovka Museum tells the story of the town's herbal liqueur and ends with a tasting. The forest. The Diana funicular climbs in five minutes to the lookout tower; you walk back down along the forest paths to the colonnades. ## When to go Any month. In winter the contrast of hot water in the open air with the cold is the best moment for the pool; the springs run all year. Spring and autumn are quiet. In July, the international film festival fills the hotels: book far in advance or avoid those dates. ## In a day or with a night? In a day, from Prague: you leave early by bus, do the colonnade walk, have lunch, ride up the funicular and bathe for an hour before returning. With a night you add Moser in the morning and an evening swim, when the pool is at its calmest. ## How much does it cost? The colonnades and springs are free; the cup is bought from the stalls along the promenade. The Thermal pool costs from 699 CZK per hour per adult; the Moser visit, 370 CZK; Becherovka, from 290 CZK. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Thermal getaways - Cerca: Mariánské Lázně (a 30.4 km), Plzeň (a 63.9 km), Křivoklát (a 73.6 km), Lidice (a 94.1 km) ## Qué hacer - **Colonnades and thermal springs: the cup walk** (2 h · All ages; a flat walk beside the River Teplá): The spa town is walked along the River Teplá, from colonnade to colonnade. In the Mill Colonnade, the largest, of stone with Corinthian columns, and in the wood and iron ones that follow it, numbered thermal springs bubble up, each at its own temperature. The tradition is to drink them in sips from the spa cup, of porcelain with a spout to drink from, sold at every stall. At the end, in the Hot Spring Colonnade, the Vřídlo, the hottest spring, shoots several metres into the air inside a glass pavilion. The water is mineral and tastes of iron and salt: try a little. Finish on the bank of the grand hotels, opposite the Grandhotel Pupp. - **Hotel Thermal outdoor thermal pool, with views of the town** (1 h · All ages; children's pool · 1 hour from 699 CZK per adult; 3 hours from 899 CZK; reduced and family rates): The way to bathe in Karlovy Vary's water without taking a cure: the outdoor pool at the Hotel Thermal, on the building's terrace, with the town and the forests in front of you. The main one, at 32 °C, has four 25-metre lanes and a relaxation area with jets; next to it, a small pool with 100% spring water, at 38 °C, in which you should not stay more than 20 minutes at a time. There is a children's pool and a bar. It is open every day of the year from 9:00 to 23:00, the saunas too. You pay by time, one or three hours; in winter, the hot bath in the open air is the best part of the trip. - **Visit to the Moser glass factory and its museum** (1 h · All ages; family with children aged 3 to 12 · Factory tour 370 CZK per person; family 800 CZK; museum only 150 CZK): Moser has been making glass by hand in Karlovy Vary for almost 170 years. On the tour you watch the master glassblowers take the incandescent glass from the furnace, blow it and shape it in wooden moulds that smell of burning; then you enter the museum, with pieces from the earliest days of the house. The factory visit lasts about half an hour plus whatever time you spend in the museum. Factory tours run only Monday to Friday, starting between 9:00 and 14:00, and by reservation. The museum and Café Moser are also open on Saturday. It is outside the centre, in the Dvory district: go by city bus or taxi. - **Becherovka Museum: the liqueur museum and tasting** (45 min · Adults; minors with an adult, without the tasting; not recommended before age 6 · Guided tour with tasting from 290 CZK): Karlovy Vary's herbal liqueur was invented here, and its former factory in the centre is now a museum: the history of the Becher family, old bottles, interactive rooms and virtual reality. Every tour ends with a tasting of four of the house's liqueurs; in other versions, with the Czech national cocktail, the BeTon (Becherovka with tonic). Under-18s may enter with an adult, without the tasting. Next door is the official shop. - **Diana funicular and lookout over the spa forests** (1 h 30 · All ages): A funicular more than a hundred years old climbs from Mariánská Street, a few metres from the Grandhotel Pupp, to Friendship Hill, in the forest above the spa town. It leaves every 15 minutes and takes about 5, with an intermediate stop at Jelení skok, the "stag's leap". At the top is the Diana lookout tower, with the town and the Ore Mountains in view. Walk back down along the forest paths to the colonnades. ## Dónde comer - **Restaurant Embassy** (Restaurant, Karlovy Vary, €€€). Qué pedir: ask about the seasonal dishes on the menu. - **Café Moser** (Café, Karlovy Vary, €). Qué pedir: a coffee and a sweet treat after the factory visit. ## By plane: Fly to Prague and take the direct bus to Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary has a small airport with no flights from Spain: you fly to Prague, with direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and continue by direct bus, about two hours, or by hire car on the D6 motorway. In the spa town everything is done on foot. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Thermal** (Spa hotel): The house The large modern building beside the River Teplá, close to the colonnades. What sets it apart for a traveller is the outdoor thermal pool, on the terrace, with the town in front, and the Saunia world of saunas. What it has Rooms with views of the town, restaurants and a bar. Some packages and the upper suites include unlimited access to the outdoor pool and the saunas, even after you have left the room; the hotel spa also has an indoor pool, a sauna, a whirlpool and a Kneipp path. It also offers thermal cures with a medical check-up. Getting there and parking It has a garage for guests. Without a car, the colonnades are a few minutes' walk along the bank. - **Hotel Embassy** (Small hotel): The house A small, family-run hotel, run by the Balek family, on Nová Louka Street, the bank of the Teplá with the theatre and the grand hotels. The colonnades and the Vřídlo are a few minutes' walk away. Downstairs is its restaurant. Practicalities It offers free parking next to the hotel for guests, by reservation, as capacity is limited: an advantage in a centre where parking is difficult. Who it is for For a quiet night in the heart of the spa town, with dinner in-house and the springs walk right outside the door. ### Servicios - **Direct bus from Prague**: Direct buses from Prague Florenc and other stops in about two hours; quicker than the train. ## Car-free: Bus from Prague and everything on foot through the spa town Karlovy Vary is walked along the River Teplá: the colonnades, the hotels, the Becherovka museum and the funicular are all on the same stroll. The bus from Prague is quicker than the train. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Thermal** (Spa hotel): The house The large modern building beside the River Teplá, close to the colonnades. What sets it apart for a traveller is the outdoor thermal pool, on the terrace, with the town in front, and the Saunia world of saunas. What it has Rooms with views of the town, restaurants and a bar. Some packages and the upper suites include unlimited access to the outdoor pool and the saunas, even after you have left the room; the hotel spa also has an indoor pool, a sauna, a whirlpool and a Kneipp path. It also offers thermal cures with a medical check-up. Getting there and parking It has a garage for guests. Without a car, the colonnades are a few minutes' walk along the bank. - **Hotel Embassy** (Small hotel): The house A small, family-run hotel, run by the Balek family, on Nová Louka Street, the bank of the Teplá with the theatre and the grand hotels. The colonnades and the Vřídlo are a few minutes' walk away. Downstairs is its restaurant. Practicalities It offers free parking next to the hotel for guests, by reservation, as capacity is limited: an advantage in a centre where parking is difficult. Who it is for For a quiet night in the heart of the spa town, with dinner in-house and the springs walk right outside the door. ### Servicios - **Direct bus from Prague**: Direct buses from Prague Florenc and other stops in about two hours; quicker than the train. ## By car: By car from Prague on the D6 motorway By car, Karlovy Vary is about 120 km from Prague on the D6 motorway, around an hour and three quarters. It is useful for continuing to Mariánské Lázně or the German border. In the centre of the spa town parking is difficult: choose a hotel with parking and get around on foot. Presupuesto orientativo: 100–180 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Thermal** (Spa hotel): The house The large modern building beside the River Teplá, close to the colonnades. What sets it apart for a traveller is the outdoor thermal pool, on the terrace, with the town in front, and the Saunia world of saunas. What it has Rooms with views of the town, restaurants and a bar. Some packages and the upper suites include unlimited access to the outdoor pool and the saunas, even after you have left the room; the hotel spa also has an indoor pool, a sauna, a whirlpool and a Kneipp path. It also offers thermal cures with a medical check-up. Getting there and parking It has a garage for guests. Without a car, the colonnades are a few minutes' walk along the bank. - **Hotel Embassy** (Small hotel): The house A small, family-run hotel, run by the Balek family, on Nová Louka Street, the bank of the Teplá with the theatre and the grand hotels. The colonnades and the Vřídlo are a few minutes' walk away. Downstairs is its restaurant. Practicalities It offers free parking next to the hotel for guests, by reservation, as capacity is limited: an advantage in a centre where parking is difficult. Who it is for For a quiet night in the heart of the spa town, with dinner in-house and the springs walk right outside the door. ## As a family: An open-air hot pool, a funicular and a glass furnace Karlovy Vary has more for children than it seems: the thermal pool at the Hotel Thermal, with a children's pool; the funicular to the forest and the Diana tower; and the Moser factory, where they watch glass being blown in front of them. The springs at the colonnades, with their porcelain cup, amuse them too. ### What works best Thermal pool at the Hotel Thermal, with a children's pool, open all year Diana funicular and the lookout tower Moser factory, with a family ticket Colonnade walk, with the spa cup ### Where to sleep Hotel Thermal, with a pool Hotel Embassy, small and in the centre ### Where to eat Café Moser Restaurant Embassy ### Keep in mind The spring water is very mineral: let them taste it, not drink it The Moser factory can only be visited Monday to Friday The Becherovka museum is not for children: the tour ends with a tasting ### Qué hacer as a family - Colonnades and thermal springs: the cup walk - Hotel Thermal outdoor thermal pool, with views of the town - Visit to the Moser glass factory and its museum - Diana funicular and lookout over the spa forests ## With young children: Hot water, a hundred-year-old funicular and a walk without cars With small children, Karlovy Vary is easy: the colonnade walk is flat and car-free, the funicular takes five minutes and the Hotel Thermal pool has a children's pool in warm water, open all year. ### What works best Hotel Thermal pool, with a children's pool Diana funicular, every 15 minutes Colonnades, to watch the Vřídlo water leap ### Where to sleep Hotel Thermal Hotel Embassy ### Where to eat Café Moser ### Keep in mind The 38 °C bath is not for small children, nor for more than 20 minutes A pushchair does well along the bank; in the forest, a baby carrier is better ### Qué hacer with young children - Colonnades and thermal springs: the cup walk - Hotel Thermal outdoor thermal pool, with views of the town - Diana funicular and lookout over the spa forests ## With teenagers: Saunas, blown glass and a pool with the town in front For teenagers, the plan is the Thermal pool, with 25-metre lanes and views, and the Moser factory, where they watch the glassmakers at work. The colonnades and the funicular fill the afternoon. ### What works best Hotel Thermal thermal pool, open until 23:00 Moser factory, with the furnace in view Diana funicular and the tower Colonnades, to try the springs ### Where to sleep Hotel Thermal ### Where to eat Restaurant Embassy ### Keep in mind The Becherovka tasting is for over-18s only During the film festival, in July, the centre fills up ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Colonnades and thermal springs: the cup walk - Hotel Thermal outdoor thermal pool, with views of the town - Visit to the Moser glass factory and its museum - Diana funicular and lookout over the spa forests ## Consejos ### Buy a cup and sip slowly The water is very mineral-rich; try a little from each spring. ### Bathe at the end of the day The Thermal pool is open until 23:00. ### Visit Moser on a weekday The factory can only be visited Monday to Friday, by reservation. ### Avoid the festival if you are not there for the films In July prices rise and there is no room. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take to get from Prague to Karlovy Vary? About two hours by direct bus; around an hour and three quarters by car. ### Can you bathe in the thermal water without taking a cure? Yes, at the outdoor pool of the Hotel Thermal, paying for one or three hours. ### Can you drink the water from the springs? Yes, it is medicinal mineral water; drink a little, in sips. ### Is it worth it in winter? Yes: the springs and the open-air pool run all year. ### What is Becherovka? A herbal liqueur created in Karlovy Vary; its museum, in the centre, ends with a tasting. ### Do I need to book the Moser factory? Yes, and it can only be visited Monday to Friday.