Karlovy Vary in Czech Republic
Published by vanhal in Cultural, Czech Republic, Europe, Spa, Travel Stories, Urban Tourism
Karlovy Vary, also known as Carlsbad, is one of the most important spa towns in Central Europe.The water from the natural hot springs was highly valued for its curative powers, and the town maintains an old-worldly air, with the bathhouses and many of the town’s key buildings dating from that time.
The therapeutic effect of the Karlovy Vary springs has been utilized ever since the Middle Ages. The spa became a tryst of aristocracy in the 17th and 18th centuries. The town’s most valuable architecture has its origin in this period as well, the Baroque Church of St. Mary Magdalen, built by K. I. Dientzenhofer in 1727 – 1736. Though, the spa’s greatest upsurge occurred only in the 19th century when Karlovy Vary became world famous. The spa buildings, colonnades and pavilions were constructed in the mood of a sober Empirical and, later, Art Nouveau styles. The center of the present spa bustle in Karlovy Vary is a modern pavilion with the main Karlovy Vary spring, VÅ™Ãdlo, and the Mlýnská Colonnade.
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