Karlovy vary

The northwest Bohemian city of Karlovy Vary (better known by its German name of Karlsbad, or the anglicized Carlbad) is the foremost of the famous Bohemian spa towns in the area, which also includes Marianske Lazne (Marienbad) and Frantiskovy Lazne (Franzensbad), as well as the oldest. Though the legend is that King Charles IV discovered the beneficial properties of the area's springs - hence, Karlovy (Charles') - the village was already settled by the time of his ascension to the Czech throne.

The area that is now the town of Marienske Lazne (known in German as Marienbad) had belonged to the Premonstratensian monastery in the nearby town of Tepla, which in the 18th century was already selling "medicinal water" and salt. At the end of that century, the abbot, Karel Reitenberger, and Dr. Josef Nehr went ahead and established a spa on the site. By the end of the 19th century, the town had grown into one of the most famous spas in Europe, frequented by European royalty and celebrities. Because the town grew so rapidly in such a short time, its architecture all comes from the same late-19th century Enpiricist school, with opulent pavillions lining the main street housing the individual springs.

more info

Once a mining town, iron, lead and silver were extracted here, mainly in the 15th and 16th century. Over the town rises a Gothic tower from the 14th century, which was converted to a belltower in the 18th century.

The Cheb regional path runs through the town of Stribro, a mining town which is the oldest documented site of silver ore extraction in the Czech Republic. It was raised to the rank of a royal town in 1252.

more info