Karlovy Vary (; german: Karlsbad, formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a
spa city
A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneothe ...
in the
Karlovy Vary Region
The Karlovy Vary Region or Carlsbad Region ( cs, Karlovarský kraj, German: ''Karlsbader Region'') is an administrative unit ( cs, kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of its historical region of Bohemia. It is named afte ...
of the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of the rivers
Ohře
The Ohře () or, slightly less commonly in English sources, the Eger (, Czech also: ''Oharka'' or ''Ohara'', Celtic: ''Agara'', pl, Ohrza), is a 316 km river in Germany (50 km) and the Czech Republic (266 km), left tributary of t ...
and Teplá. It is named after
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV ( cs, Karel IV.; german: Karl IV.; la, Carolus IV; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charle ...
and the
King of Bohemia
The Duchy of Bohemia was established in 870 and raised to the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198. Several Bohemian monarchs ruled as non-hereditary kings beforehand, first gaining the title in 1085. From 1004 to 1806, Bohemia was part of the Holy Roman ...
, who founded the city.
Karlovy Vary is the site of numerous
hot spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...
s (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River), and is the most visited spa town in the Czech Republic. The historic city centre with the spa cultural landscape is well preserved and is protected by law as an
urban monument reservation. It is the largest spa complex in Europe.
In 2021, the city became part of the transnational UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
under the name "
Great Spa Towns of Europe
The Great Spa Towns of Europe is a transnational World Heritage Site consisting of a selection of 11 spa towns across seven European countries. They were developed around natural mineral water springs. From the early 18th century to the 1930s, W ...
" because of its spas and architecture from the 18th through 20th centuries.
Administrative parts
Karlovy Vary is made up of 15 city parts and villages:
*Karlovy Vary
*Bohatice
*Čankov
*Cihelny
*Doubí
*Drahovice
*Dvory
*Hůrky
*Olšová Vrata
*Počerny
*Rosnice
*Rybáře
*Sedlec
*Stará Role
*Tašovice
Cihelny forms an
exclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
of the municipal territory.
Etymology
The city is named after its founder. The name Karlovy Vary means literally "
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
' Baths". The city was also colloquially called ''Warmbad'' ("hot bath").
Geography
Karlovy Vary is located about west of
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. It lies at the confluence of the
Ohře
The Ohře () or, slightly less commonly in English sources, the Eger (, Czech also: ''Oharka'' or ''Ohara'', Celtic: ''Agara'', pl, Ohrza), is a 316 km river in Germany (50 km) and the Czech Republic (266 km), left tributary of t ...
(which flows across the city) with the Teplá and Rotava rivers.
The northern part of the municipal territory with most of the built-up area lies in a relatively flat landscape of the
Sokolov Basin
The Sokolov Basin or Falkenau Basin (german: Falkenauer Becken, formerly also ''Falkenau-Elbogen-Karlsbader Becken''; cz, Sokolovská pánev) is a drainage basin and geomorphological unit in the Czech Republic. It is located in northwestern Boh ...
. The southern part, including the valley of the Teplá River, lies in a hilly landscape of the
Slavkov Forest
The Slavkov Forest ( cs, Slavkovský les), also called the Emperor's Forest
at www.sachsen.de. Retrieved 14 Nov 2016. (german: Ka ...
and in the eponymous protected landscape area. The highest point is the hill Vítkův vrch, at above sea level.
Climate
History
![Carlsbad (Merian)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Carlsbad_%28Merian%29.jpg)
An ancient late
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
fortified settlement was found in Drahovice. A
Slavic settlement on the site of Karlovy Vary is documented by findings in Tašovice and Sedlec. People lived in close proximity to the site as far back as the 13th century and they must have been aware of the curative effects of thermal springs.
From the end of the 12th century to the early 13th century, German settlers from nearby German-speaking regions came as settlers, craftsmen and miners to develop the region's economy. Eventually, Karlovy Vary/Karlsbad became a town with a German-speaking population.
In 1325, Obora, a village in the today's city area, was mentioned. Karlovy Vary as a small spa settlement was founded most likely around 1349.
[ According to a legend, Charles IV organized an expedition into the forests surrounding modern-day Karlovy Vary during a stay in ]Loket
Loket (; german: Elbogen) is a town of in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 3,100 inhabitants. The town centre itself features Loket Castle, a 12th-century Gothic castle. The town centre is well pres ...
. It is said that his party once discovered a hot spring by accident, and thanks to the water from the spring, Charles IV healed his injured leg. On the site of a spring, he established a spa mentioned as ''in dem warmen Bade bey dem Elbogen'' in German, or ''Horké Lázně u Lokte'' (''Hot Spas at the Loket''). The location was subsequently named "Karlovy Vary" after the emperor. Charles IV granted the town privileges on 14 August 1370. Earlier settlements can also be found on the outskirts of today's city.[
]
Modern times
An important political event took place in the city in 1819, with the issuing of the Carlsbad Decrees following a conference there. Initiated by the Austrian Minister of State Klemens von Metternich
Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein ; german: Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar Fürst von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein (15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859), known as Klemens von Metternich or Prince Metternic ...
, the decrees were intended to implement anti-liberal censorship within the German Confederation
The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund, ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, w ...
.
Due to publications produced by physicians such as David Becher and Josef von Löschner, the city developed into a spa resort in the 19th century and was visited by many members of European aristocracy as well as celebrities from many fields of endeavour. It became even more popular after railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
lines were completed from Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
to Cheb
Cheb (; german: Eger) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 30,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Ohře.
Before the 1945 Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of the German-speaking population ...
in 1870.
The number of visitors rose from 134 families in the 1756 season to 26,000 guests annually at the end of the 19th century. By 1911, that figure had reached 71,000, but the outbreak of World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
in 1914 greatly disrupted the tourism on which the city depended.
At the end of World War I in 1918, the large German-speaking population of Bohemia was incorporated into the new state of Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
in accordance with the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919)
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (french: Traité de Saint-Germain-en-Laye) was signed on 10 September 1919 by the victorious Allies of World War I on the one hand and by the Republic of German-Austria on the other. Like the Treaty of Tria ...
. As a result, the German-speaking majority of Karlovy Vary protested. A demonstration on 4 March 1919 passed peacefully, but later that month, six demonstrators were killed by Czech troops after a demonstration became unruly.
According to the 1930 census, the city was home to 23,901 inhabitants – 20,856 were of German ethnicity, 1,446 of Czechoslovak ethnicity (Czech or Slovak), 243 of Jewish ethnicity, 19 of Hungarian ethnicity and 12 of Polish ethnicity.
In 1938, the majority German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia, known as the Sudetenland
The Sudetenland ( , ; Czech and sk, Sudety) is the historical German name for the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. These German speakers had predominated in the ...
, became part of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
according to the terms of the Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, Germany, the United Kingdom, French Third Republic, France, and Fa ...
. After World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement
The Potsdam Agreement (german: Potsdamer Abkommen) was the agreement between three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union on 1 August 1945. A product of the Potsdam Conference, it concerned th ...
, the vast majority of the people of the city were forcibly expelled because of their German ethnicity. In accordance with the Beneš decrees
The Beneš decrees, sk, Dekréty prezidenta republiky) and the Constitutional Decrees of the President of the Republic ( cz, Ústavní dekrety presidenta republiky, sk, Ústavné dekréty prezidenta republiky) were a series of laws drafted by t ...
, their property was confiscated without compensation.
Since the end of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and the fall of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
in 1991, the presence of Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n businesses in Karlovy Vary has steadily increased.
Demographics
In 2017, non-Czech residents were around 7% of the population of the Karlovy Vary region. After Prague, this is the highest proportion in the Czech Republic. The largest group of foreigners were Vietnamese
Vietnamese may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia
** A citizen of Vietnam. See Demographics of Vietnam.
* Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam
** Overse ...
, followed by Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
, Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
and Russians
, native_name_lang = ru
, image =
, caption =
, population =
, popplace =
118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate)
, region1 =
, pop1 ...
.
Economy
The city's economy is focused on services and only small and medium-sized industrial enterprises are based in it. Karlovy Vary is known for the popular Czech liqueur
A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...
''Becherovka
Becherovka (), formerly Karlsbader Becherbitter, is a herbal bitters, often drunk as a digestif. It is produced in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic by the Jan Becher company. The brand is owned by Pernod Ricard. It is made from a secret recipe ...
'', which has been produced here since 1807, and for the production of the lead glass
Lead glass, commonly called crystal, is a variety of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass. Lead glass contains typically 18–40% (by weight) lead(II) oxide (PbO), while modern lead crystal, historically als ...
manufacturer Moser Glass
Moser a.s. is a luxury glass manufacturer based in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic (previously Ludwig Moser & Sons in Bohemia, Austria-Hungary). The company is known for manufacturing stemware, decorative glassware (such as vases, ashtray, candlestick ...
founded in 1857, which is considered as the most luxurious Czech brand. The ''Karlovarské oplatky'' (Carlsbad wafer
A wafer is a crisp, often sweet, very thin, flat, light and dry biscuit, often used to decorate ice cream, and also used as a garnish on some sweet dishes. Wafers can also be made into cookies with cream flavoring sandwiched between them. They ...
s) originated in the city in 1867. The city has also lent its name to "Carlsbad plums", candied stuffed prune plum
The prune plum (''Prunus domestica'' subsp. ''domestica'') is a fruit-bearing tree, or its fruit. It is a subspecies of the plum ''Prunus domestica''. The freestone fruit is similar to, but distinct from, the clingstone damson (''Prunus domesti ...
s.
Transport
Local buses (Dopravní podnik Karlovy Vary) and cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems:
* Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable
** Aerial tramway
** Chairlift
** Gondola lift
*** Bi ...
s take passengers to most areas of the city. The Imperial funicular is the oldest tunnel funicular in Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and the steepest in the Czech Republic, the Diana funicular was at the time of commissioning the longest funicular in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
.
The city is accessible via the D6 motorway and inter-city public transport options include inter-city buses, České dráhy
České dráhy (English: ''Czech Railways''), often shortened to ČD, is the major railway operator in the Czech Republic providing regional and long-distance services.
Overview
The company was established in 1993, after the dissolution of Cze ...
, and Deutsche Bahn
The (; abbreviated as DB or DB AG) is the national railway company of Germany. Headquartered in the Bahntower in Berlin, it is a joint-stock company ( AG). The Federal Republic of Germany is its single shareholder.
describes itself as the se ...
via the Karlovy Vary–Johanngeorgenstadt railway
The Karlovy Vary–Johanngeorgenstadt railway connects Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic with Johanngeorgenstadt in Saxony, Germany. The highest point of this mountain railway lies above the sea level. The entire line was opened for regular tra ...
. Karlovy Vary Airport is an international airport located southeast from the city centre, at the village of Olšová Vrata.
Spa
As the principal town on the West Bohemian Spa Triangle and the largest spa complex in Europe, Karlovy Vary has over 80 springs. They are a part of the Eger Graben
The Eger Graben (much less commonly called the Ohre or Ohře Graben; cs, Oherský rift, german: Egergraben) is a geological structure in the Czech Republic. It runs southwards, parallel to the Ore Mountains and its formation is linked with th ...
, a tectonically active region in western Bohemia. Although the infiltration area is several hundred square kilometres, each spring has the same hydrological origins, and therefore shares the same dissolved minerals and chemical formula. The hottest of the springs can approach 74 °C, while the coldest have temperatures under 40 degrees. All of the springs combined provide roughly 2,000 litres of water every minute.
Culture
In the 19th century, Karlovy Vary became a popular tourist destination, especially known for international celebrities who visited for spa treatment. The city is also known for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ( cs, Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary) is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become ...
, which is one of the oldest in the world and one of Europe's major film events.
The city has been used as the location for a number of film-shoots, including the 2006 films '' Last Holiday'' and '' Casino Royale'', both of which used the city's Grandhotel Pupp
The Grandhotel Pupp () is a 228-room luxury hotel located in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), Czech Republic. The hotel hosts the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The hotel began as the ''Saxony Hall'', built in 1701 by Burgomaster Deim ...
in different guises. Moreover, the Palace Bristol Hotel in Karlovy Vary had been used as a model for ''The Grand Budapest Hotel
''The Grand Budapest Hotel'' is a 2014 comedy-drama film written and directed by Wes Anderson. Ralph Fiennes leads a seventeen-actor ensemble cast as Monsieur Gustave H., famed concierge of a twentieth-century mountainside resort in the fiction ...
''.
Sport
Karlovy Vary is home to the top-tier ice hockey club HC Karlovy Vary
HC Energie Karlovy Vary is a professional ice hockey team based in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. They play in the highest-level national league, the Czech Extraliga.
The club
The history of the ice hockey in Karlovy Vary dates back to the 1932, ...
, and football club FC Slavia Karlovy Vary, which plays in the third tier of the Czech football system.
Sights
Churches
*Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Church of SaintMary Magdalene – built by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer
Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer ( cs, Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer) (1 September 1689, Prague – 18 December 1751) was a Bohemian architect of the Baroque era. He was the fifth son of the German architect Christoph Dientzenhofer and the Bohemian-German ...
in 1737
*Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral – 1898
*Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
Church of Saints Peter and Paul – 1856
*Church of Saint Anne – 1745
*Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually.
The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...
cemetery Church of Saint Andrew – 1500
*Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
Church of Saint Luke – 1877
*Ruins of the Church os Saint Leonard of Noblac from 1246
*Synagogue (opened 1994)
Notable people
*Johann Josef Loschmidt
Johann Josef Loschmidt (15 March 1821 – 8 July 1895), who referred to himself mostly as Josef Loschmidt (omitting his first name), was a notable Austrian scientist who performed ground-breaking work in chemistry, physics (thermodynamics, optics, ...
(1821–1895), Austrian scientist
*Ignaz Ziegler
Ignaz Ziegler ( hu, Ziegler Ignác; 29 September 1861 in Dolný Kubín, then Hungary – 1948) was an Austrian-Czech rabbi, chief rabbi of Karlovy Vary.
He was educated at the Budapest University of Jewish Studies and at the University of Buda ...
(1861–1948), Austrian-Czech rabbi
*Walter Serner
Walter Serner (15 January 1889 – August 1942) was a German-language writer and essayist. His manifesto ''Letzte Lockerung'' was an important text of Dadaism.
Life
Walter Serner was born Walter Eduard Seligmann in Karlovy Vary, Carlsbad (Ka ...
(1889–1942), writer, dadaist
*Karl Hermann Frank
Karl Hermann Frank (24 January 1898 – 22 May 1946) was a prominent Sudeten German Nazi official in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia prior to and during World War II. Attaining the rank of ''Obergruppenführer'', he was in command of th ...
(1898–1946), Nazi official
* Walter Becher (1912–2005), German-Czech politician
*Zbyněk Brynych
Zbyněk Brynych (13 June 1927 – 24 August 1995) was a Czech film director and screenwriter. He directed 30 films between 1951 and 1985.
Selected filmography
Czechoslovakia
* ''Suburban Romance'' (1958)
* ''Five in a Million'' (1959)
* ''S ...
(1927–1995), film director
*Gerda Mayer
Gerda Kamilla Mayer (9 June 1927 – 15 July 2021) was an English poet born to a Jewish family in Karlsbad, Czechoslovakia. She escaped to England from Prague in 1939, aged eleven, on a Kindertransport flight organised by Trevor Chadwick. Havi ...
(born 1927), English poet
* Georg Riedel (born 1934), Swedish musician and composer
*Karin Stoiber
Karin Stoiber, née Rudolf (born 6 July 1943 in Buchau, Nazi Germany (now Bochov, Czech Republic)) was the spouse of the minister-president of Bavaria from 1993 to 2007.
Karin Stoiber is the wife of the former prime minister of the state of Bavar ...
(born 1943), former First Lady of Bavaria
* Rudolf Křesťan (born 1943), writer
*Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent (born Baroness Marie-Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945) is a member of the British royal family of German, Austrian, Czech and Hungarian descent. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, ...
(born 1945), member of the British royal family
* Stanislav Birner (born 1956), tennis player
* Josef Řihák (born 1959), politician
*Rick Lanz
Richard Roman Lanz (born September 16, 1961) is a Czech-born Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent 10 seasons in the National Hockey League and is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks. He was born in Czechoslov ...
(born 1961), Canadian ice hockey player
* Ludmila Peterková (born 1967), clarinetist
*Karel Dobrý
Karel Dobrý (born 2 May 1969) is a Czechs, Czech film, television and stage actor. He is known for playing Liet-Kynes in the ''Frank Herbert's Dune, Dune'' 2000 miniseries, and Korba (Dune), Korba in the 2003 sequel ''Frank Herbert's Children of ...
(born 1969), actor
* Karel Rada (born 1971), footballer
* Jana Sýkorová (born 1973) opera singer
*Tomáš Vokoun
Tomáš Vokoun (; born 2 July 1976) is a Czech former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Nashville Predators, after he was originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the ninth round, 226 ...
(born 1976), ice hockey player
*Petr Kopfstein
Petr Kopfstein (born March 18, 1978) is a Czech aerobatic pilot, representing the Czech Republic in flying aerobatics in an Unlimited category, and most recently a racer in the Master Class category of the Red Bull Air Race. He is the first winn ...
(born 1978), aerobatic pilot
*Tomáš Došek
Tomáš Došek (born 12 September 1978 in Karlovy Vary) is a former Czech football player who last played for FC Zbrojovka Brno. His twin brother Lukáš plays for FC Thun in the Swiss Super League. They played together at SK Slavia Praha from ...
(born 1978), footballer
* Milan Šperl (born 1980), cross country skier
* Hana Soukupová (born 1985), supermodel
* Tomáš Borek (born 1986), footballer
Associated with the city
*Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
(1672–1725), visited Karlovy Vary in 1711
*Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as trea ...
(1749–1832), German poet, novelist and scientist, published a paper on local geology
*James Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Findlater
James Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Findlater and 4th Earl of Seafield (10 April 17505 October 1811) was a Scottish peer and an accomplished amateur landscape architect and philanthropist. He promoted the British landscape garden in mainland Europe, ...
(1750–1811), Scottish noble and an accomplished amateur landscape architect and philanthropist, regularly visited the spa and became a patron of the city
*Jean de Carro
Jean de Carro (born in Geneva, August 8, 1770; died at Carlsbad, March 12, 1857) was a Swiss-born physician who worked from Austria to promote vaccination against smallpox.
Champion of vaccination
Taking up his abode in Vienna in 1795, he becam ...
(1770-1857), Swiss physician, published the Almanach de Carlsbad
*Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
(1770–1827), composer, came twice for spa treatments. In 1812, he performed a concert in the Czech Hall of the Grandhotel Pupp
The Grandhotel Pupp () is a 228-room luxury hotel located in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), Czech Republic. The hotel hosts the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The hotel began as the ''Saxony Hall'', built in 1701 by Burgomaster Deim ...
.
*Adalbert Stifter
Adalbert Stifter (; 23 October 1805 – 28 January 1868) was an Austrian writer, poet, painter, and pedagogue. He was notable for the vivid natural landscapes depicted in his writing and has long been popular in the German-speaking world, while ...
(1805–1868), Austrian writer, treated here in 1865–1867
*Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...
(1810–1849), composer, he and his parents met for the last time during a holiday in Karlsbad, August/September 1835
*Ivan Turgenev
Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...
(1818–1883), Russian novelist, visited Karlsbad on numerous occasions
*Anthony J. Drexel
Anthony Joseph Drexel Sr. (September 13, 1826 – June 30, 1893) was an American banker who played a major role in the rise of modern global finance after the American Civil War. As the dominant partner of Drexel & Co. of Philadelphia, he founde ...
(1826–1893), senior partner of Drexel, Morgan & Co. (JPMorgan, today) and founder of Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
, died in Karlsbad in 1893
*Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...
(1881–1938), founder of the Republic of Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, as well as its first President, treated here in 1918
* František Běhounek (1898–1973), scientist and novelist, died here
*Vladimir Voronin
Vladimir Voronin (; born 25 May 1941) is a Soviet and Moldovan politician. He was the third president of Moldova from 2001 until 2009 and has been the First Secretary of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) since 1994. He ...
(born 1941), former president of the Republic of Moldova
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
, visits Karlovy Vary every year for spa treatments
International relations
Carlsbad, New Mexico
Carlsbad ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Eddy County, New Mexico, Eddy County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city population was 32,238. Carlsbad is centered at the intersection of U.S. R ...
, United States (after which Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is an American national park in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is the show cave Carlsbad Cavern. Visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natura ...
is named), Carlsbad, California
Carlsbad is a coastal city in the North County region of San Diego County, California, United States. The city is south of downtown Los Angeles and north of downtown San Diego. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 114,746. ...
, USA Carlsbad Springs, Ontario, Canada, and Carlsbad, Texas
Carlsbad is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in northwest Tom Green County, Texas, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 87 northwest of the city of San Angelo, the county seat of Tom Green County. Its elevation is 2,024& ...
, USA, take their names from Karlovy Vary's English name, Carlsbad. All of these places were so named because they were the sites of mineral springs or natural sources of mineral water.
Twin towns – sister cities
Karlovy Vary is twinned with:
* Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...
, Germany
* Bernkastel-Kues
Bernkastel-Kues () is a town on the Middle Moselle in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a well-known winegrowing centre. The town is a state-recognized health resort (''Erholungsort''), seat of the ''Ver ...
, Germany
* Carlsbad, United States
* Eilat
Eilat ( , ; he, אֵילַת ; ar, إِيلَات, Īlāt) is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of , a busy port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan ...
, Israel
* Kusatsu, Japan
* Locarno
, neighboring_municipalities= Ascona, Avegno, Cadenazzo, Cugnasco, Gerra (Verzasca), Gambarogno, Gordola, Lavertezzo, Losone, Minusio, Muralto, Orselina, Tegna, Tenero-Contra
, twintowns =* Gagra, Georgia
* Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
...
, Switzerland
* Varberg
Varberg () is a locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 35,782 inhabitants in 2019.
Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their "typical west coast" sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wi ...
, Sweden
Gallery
Evlahos carlovy vary.jpg, Teplá River embankment
Pupp.jpg, The Grandhotel Pupp
The Grandhotel Pupp () is a 228-room luxury hotel located in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad), Czech Republic. The hotel hosts the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The hotel began as the ''Saxony Hall'', built in 1701 by Burgomaster Deim ...
EVLAHOS KARLOVY VARY.jpg, Vřídelní street, above sets of Jeanna de Carro
Karlovy Vary Czech Rep.jpg, Area over Vřídelní street
KarlovyVaryTshekintasavaltaCzechRepublic 06.jpg, Dvořák Park
Karlovy Vary, divadlo.jpg, City Opera House
Karlovy Vary Gallery.JPG, Park Colonnade
Canal in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).jpg, Canal in Karlovy Vary
Vřídlo - Karlovy Vary.jpg, A geyser
Panorama
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Official tourist portal
Unofficial tourist portal
Karlovy Vary regional television channel KTB
Pictures & Streetmap from 1725 (?), A. F. Zuerner/Schenck (Amsterdam)
Pictures & Streetmap from 1733, Homannische Erben (Nuernberg)
Karlovy Vary City Card – guide, maps, discounts
{{Authority control
Spa towns in the Czech Republic
Cities and towns in the Czech Republic
Populated places in Karlovy Vary District
Towns in the Ore Mountains