Mariánské Lázně, the spa town of kings, with Roman baths and drinkable springs, two hours from Prague.

Mariánské Lázně, Marienbad in German, is the greenest of the great spa towns of western Bohemia. It grew up in the early nineteenth century around the Cross Spring, which the monks of Teplá were already using, and within a few decades it was receiving Goethe, Chopin and half the European court; Edward VII of England came nine times and founded the golf course here. Almost half the municipal area is forest, and the centre is a large landscaped park with spa hotels around it. Since 2021 it has been part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe World Heritage Site. It lies in the far west of the country, about 160 km from Prague and 50 from Karlovy Vary.

How do you get there from Prague?

By car, about two hours along the D5 motorway towards Plzeň and then the Mariánské Lázně road. You need the electronic vignette for Czech motorways, which you buy at edalnice.cz.

By train, there are direct trains from Prague in about three hours, with no change; the last stretch crosses the Slavkov forest. By bus, FlixBus and RegioJet take about two and a half hours. The bus station is a short walk from the centre; the train station is about 2 km away, with a city bus.

What to do

• Drink at the colonnade. The cast-iron colonnade of 1889 covers several springs: the Cross, bitter and salty; the Caroline, milder; the Rudolf. You drink in sips, from the porcelain cup with a spout sold in the colonnade shops. It is free.
• See the Singing Fountain. In front of the colonnade, the water dances to music every odd hour; at night, with lights.
• Bathe in the Roman Baths. The hall of 1896 in the Nové Lázně hotel, with red marble columns and gilded bronze taps. Non-guests are admitted only twice a day and depending on occupancy.
• Spend the day at a spa. The Falkensteiner spa sells day tickets with four pools and saunas.
• Walk in the park and the forest. From the centre, paths lead to the Forest Spring, the Úšovice valley and the Hamelika lookout tower.
• With children, Boheminium. A park of models of Czech monuments at 1:25 scale, in the forest above the town.

When to go

Whenever you like: the springs, the spas and the park run all year. May and June are the months of the park in bloom, and in September the forest begins to change colour. In winter it often snows and there is cross-country skiing; in December, an Advent market. The spring pavilions open from 6:00 to 18:00, an hour later in summer.

How long should you allow?

Two hours from Prague, you can go and come back in a day, but it is a place to stay overnight: the morning stroll along the colonnade with your cup and the Singing Fountain at night are the best of it. With one night you see the town and have a bath; with two, you add the forest or an excursion to Karlovy Vary.

How much does it cost?

The fountains are free. The Falkensteiner day spa, 900 CZK per adult and 500 CZK per child up to age 10. A meal in a good restaurant in the centre, 500–900 CZK. Spa hotels charge a tax of 50 CZK per person per day.