Legend has it that Emperor Charles IV was out hunting in the forests of western Bohemia in the fourteenth century when a stag he was chasing, or in some versions one of his hounds, fell into a pool of scalding water, and that is how the hot springs of Karlovy Vary were found. Whatever the truth, the town that grew up around them bears his name, Karlsbad in German, and by the nineteenth century it had become one of the most fashionable spas in Europe, visited by tsars, composers, poets and the cream of European society. In 2021, it became part of the UNESCO listing of the Great Spa Towns of Europe.
The town fills a narrow, winding valley along the Teplá river, lined with grand hotels, villas and colonnades painted in pastel colours. The springs are free to taste, and visitors stroll along the colonnades sipping the warm, mineral water from special porcelain cups with a spout. The hottest spring, Vřídlo, shoots a column of steaming water into the air inside a modern hall. The town is also known for Becherovka, a herbal liqueur, for its crisp spa wafers, and for its international film festival, held every summer, when the streets fill with stars and film buffs.
The riding around Karlovy Vary is excellent. The roads that climb out of the valley into the hills are steep and twisty, with good surfaces, and the forests of the Slavkov Woods to the south and the Ore Mountains to the north offer endless options. The road up to Boží Dar, on the German border, climbs high into the mountains, with long curves and great views. The Ohře valley, west of the town, is also scenic, with castles and rock formations. Traffic is moderate, but busy in summer and on weekends.
Karlovy Vary, with fifty-two thousand inhabitants, has all services, including fuel, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels. The centre is mostly pedestrianised, so park outside and walk. Try svíčková, beef sirloin in a creamy vegetable sauce with dumplings, or a plate of goulash with a Czech beer. Pick up a box of spa wafers as a souvenir, and if you are brave, try the mineral water: it is an acquired taste.