Mariánské Lázně (; ) is a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...

in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. It has about 14,000 inhabitants. Most of the town's buildings come from its Golden Era in the second half of the 19th century, when many celebrities and top European rulers came to enjoy the curative carbon dioxide springs. The town centre with the spa cultural landscape is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument reservation. In 2021, the town became part of the transnational UNESCO

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

under the name " Great Spa Towns of Europe" because of its springs and architectural testimony to the popularity of spa towns in Europe during the 18th through 20th centuries.

Administrative division

Mariánské Lázně consists of six municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Mariánské Lázně (5,037) *Chotěnov-Skláře (109) *Hamrníky (661) *Kladská (32) *Stanoviště (71) *Úšovice (6,069)

Etymology

Both the initial German name ''Marienbad'' and the modern Czech name ''Mariánské Lázně'' mean ' Mary's spa'. It was originally the name of a mineral spring, near which the pious people hung an image of the Virgin Mary.

Geography

Mariánské Lázně is located about southeast of

Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...

and southwest of

Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; , formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá (river), Teplá ri ...

. The municipal territory extends into three geomorphological regions: the eastern part lies in a hilly landscape of the Teplá Highlands, the southwestern part with most of the built-up area lies in a flat area of the Upper Palatine Forest Foothills, and the northern tip lies in the Slavkov Forest. Most of the territory lies in the Slavkov Forest Protected Landscape Area. The Teplá River originates in the woods in the northeastern part of the municipal territory. The stream Kosový potok flows through the southern part of Mariánské Lázně. Its tributary, the stream Úšovický potok, flows through the town proper.

History

German settlers were called into this region by

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

n rulers from the

Přemyslid dynasty The Přemyslid dynasty or House of Přemysl (, , ) was a Bohemian royal dynasty that reigned in the Duchy of Bohemia and later Kingdom of Bohemia and Margraviate of Moravia (9th century–1306), as well as in parts of Poland (including Silesia ...

in the 12th century. Although the town itself is only about two hundred years old, the locality has been inhabited much longer. The first written record dates back to 1273, when there was a village of Úšovice. The springs first appear in a document dating from 1341 where they are called "the Auschowitzer springs" belonging to the Teplá Abbey. It was only through the efforts of Josef Nehr, the abbey's physician, who from 1779 until his death in 1820 worked hard to demonstrate the curative properties of the springs, that the waters began to be used for medicinal purposes. The place obtained its current name of Marienbad in 1808; became a watering-place in 1818, and received its charter as a town in 1868. By the early 20th century, approximately 1,000,000 bottles of mineral water were exported annually from Marienbad. The water from the Cross Spring (''Kreuzquelle, Křížový pramen'') was evaporated and the final product was sold as a laxative under the name of ''sal teplensis''. The modern spa town was founded by the Teplá abbots, namely Karl Kaspar Reitenberger, who also bought some of the surrounding forests to protect them. The inhospitable marshland valley was changed into a park-like countryside with colonnades, neoclassical buildings and pavilions around the springs. The name Marienbad first appeared in 1786; since 1865 it has been a town. Then came a second period of growth, the town's Golden Era. Between 1870 and 1914 many new hotels, colonnades and other buildings were constructed or rebuilt from older houses. In 1872 the town got a railway connection with the town of

and thus with the whole Austro-Hungarian Empire and the rest of Europe. The town soon became one of the top European spas, popular with notable figures and rulers who often returned there. At that time, about 20,000 visitors came every year. It was also a popular resort and vacation venue for European rabbis and their Hasidic followers, accommodating their needs with kosher restaurants, religious prayer services, etc. Marienbad remained a popular destination between

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After World War II, the ethnic German population of the town was forcibly expelled according to the

Potsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement () was the agreement among three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union after the war ended in Europe that was signed on 1 August 1945 and published the following day. A ...

, thereby emptying the town of the majority of its population. After the communist coup-d'état in 1948, it was sealed off from most of its foreign visitors. After the return of democracy in 1989 much effort was put into restoring the town to its original character. Today it is a spa town and a popular holiday resort thanks to its location among the green mountains of the Slavkovský les and the Český les, sports facilities (the town's first golf course was opened in 1905 by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

) and the proximity to other spa towns, such as

(Karlsbad) and Františkovy Lázně (Franzensbad).

Demographics

Until their expulsion in 1945, the majority of the population of the town were German. Afterwards, the Czechoslovak authorities repopulated the town with Czechs from the hinterland.

Transport

Mariánské Lázně is located on three important railway lines: Prague–Cheb,

Plzeň Plzeň (), also known in English and German as Pilsen (), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the Statutory city (Czech Republic), fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about west of P ...

–

and Františkovy Lázně– Bohumín. Mariánské Lázně Airport is situated on the southern border of the town.

Public transport

The town's public transport is operated mainly by trolleybuses and accompanied by buses servicing the neighbouring villages. There are four trolleybus lines and four bus lines in operation.

Sport

The town is represented by the football team FC Viktoria Mariánské Lázně, founded in 1945. It plays in lower amateur tiers. Mariánské Lázně has a

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

racing circuit. The venue, Mariánské Lázně Longtrack Speedway, hosted six Long Track World Champion finals from 1976 to 1994 and five rounds of Grand-Prix racing (the most recent in 2011). The town is known for the Royal Golf Club Mariánské Lázně.

Sights

Mineral springs and colonnades

The top attraction of the town is its 100 mineral springs (53 of them are tapped) with high carbon dioxide content and often also higher iron content, both in the town itself (40 springs) and its surroundings. The water in the springs has an average temperature of 7–10 °C, and is formed through interactions with the deep fault lines that run under the region. The mineral water is claimed to cure disorders of the kidneys and of the urinary tract, respiratory disorders, locomotive system disorders, metabolic disorders, oncological disorders and gynaecological disorders, including the treatment of sterility. Many of the springs have pavilions and colonnades built around them. Among them are: * ''Křížový pramen'' (Cross Spring) – a monumental pavilion with a cupola bearing a patriarchal cross and 72 Ionic columns was built over the spring in 1818–1826. Today's concrete building is a copy from 1911–1912, originally it was a light wooden and brick construction. The water from the spring is highly mineralized with a strong laxative effect, and has been used for both curative drinks and baths. * ''Rudolfův pramen'' (Rudolph's Spring) – with a wooden pavilion built over the spring, some water is tapped and piped to the nearby colonnade and some is bottled. Its water is weakly mineralized with high calcium content and has been used to cure urinary problems. * ''Karolinin pramen'' (Caroline's Spring) – named after the wife of the Emperor Francis I, Caroline Augusta. The nearby colonnade was built in 1869, the pavilion is a reconstruction from 1989. The water is weakly mineralized, with higher magnesium content. * ''Ferdinandův pramen'' (Ferdinand's Spring) – the water from the spring, similar in composition to ''Křížový pramen'', is bottled under the Excelsior label. * ''Ambrožovy prameny'' (Ambrose's Springs) * ''Lesní pramen'' (Forest Spring) * ''Zpívající fontána'' (Singing Fountain) The total yield of all of the springs is roughly 600 liters per minute.

Churches

Because of the diverse number of visitors the town is able to maintain churches of several denominations. These include the Anglican Church designed by the notable Victorian architect William Burges and founded by Lady Anna Scott in memory of her husband who died in Mariánské Lázně in 1867. The church was constructed in 1879, shortly before Burges's own death. It is no longer in use as a place of worship and is now a concert hall.

Notable people

* Maurice Loewy (1833–1907), astronomer * Werner Stark (1909–1985), sociologist and economist * Eduard Petiška (1924–1987), poet and author * Peter Hofmann (1944–2010), German tenor * Alex Čejka (born 1970), golfer * Jakub Flek (born 1992), ice hockey player

Notable visitors

A number of notable people visited Mariánské Lázně, among them: *

, British King; took annual holidays here * Franz Joseph I, Austrian Emperor * Nicholas II, Russian Emperor * Frederick Augustus III, King of Saxony *

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

, British Prime Minister * George S. Patton, General of the United States Army *

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

, German writer and statesman *

Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Tomáš () is a Czech name, Czech and Slovak name, Slovak given name, equivalent to the name Thomas (name), Thomas. Tomáš is also a surname (feminine: Tomášová). Notable people with the name include: Given name Sport *Tomáš Berdych (born 198 ...

, president of Czechoslovakia *

Edvard Beneš Edvard Beneš (; 28 May 1884 – 3 September 1948) was a Czech politician and statesman who served as the president of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938, and again from 1939 to 1948. During the first six years of his second stint, he led the Czec ...

, president of Czechoslovakia *

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 Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...

, Polish composer * Alfred Nobel, Swedish innovator *

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

, German composer *

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

, German philosopher *

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...

, American author *

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February11, 1847October18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, ...

, American inventor *

Emmy Destinn Emmy Destinn ( (); 26 February 1878 – 28 January 1930) was a Czech operatic dramatic soprano. She had a career both in Europe and at the New York Metropolitan Opera. She was one of the greatest opera singers of the 19th and 20th centuries. ...

, operatic soprano * Jacky Fisher, British admiral

Twin towns – sister cities

Mariánské Lázně is twinned with: * Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany * Chianciano Terme, Italy * Kiryat Motzkin, Israel * Malvern, England, United Kingdom * Marcoussis, France * Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Germany

In culture

named the poem Marienbad Elegy (1823) after the town. Among the films and TV series that were shot in Mariánské Lázně are '' Music from Mars'' (1955), '' Thirty Cases of Major Zeman'' (1978), '' Dobrodružství kriminalistiky'' (1989), '' Dáma a Král'' (2017) and '' Army of Thieves'' (2021). The French film '' Last Year at Marienbad'' (1961) bears the German name of the town in its name, but no filming was done in Mariánské Lázně.

References

External links

*
Tourist informationMariánské Lázně travel guideHamelika.cz
– History of Mariánské Lázně
Marienbad.com
– Accommodation, sights and trips {{DEFAULTSORT:Marianske Lazne Spa towns in the Czech Republic Cities and towns in the Czech Republic Populated places in Cheb District