Western Bohemia Spas

for an active rest. Entire area of this region belongs to the Slavkovský les protected landscape area.

Perhaps the most important spot of this region is the world-known spa town of Karlovy Vary. The characteristic attribute of this town is the abundance of colonnades and of the warm healing mineral springs. The town has been visited by many important celebrities thanks to its healing springs. It is located in the hilly area, which allows very nice views of the town and surroundings.Times of rest and the walks in the adjacent spa forests have been complemented by a number of forest gazebos since the 19th century, which make the walks around the surrounding forests very pleasant. Supporters of active rest can utilize the swimming pools, golf course areas, tennis courts or the riding halls. The region has a well-developing network of the marked bicycle routes. The second important spa town is Mariánské Lázně. This youngest Western Bohemia spa town is embedded into abeautiful natural environment. The historic center of the town and its spa parks and the Singing Fountain create the unrepeatable ambiance of leisure and relaxation. The third pillar of the spa region is the town of Františkovy Lázně. A smaller but the very beautiful town takes advantage of the mineral springs, of its location near the border with Germany, of the historic town of Cheb, and of the recreational water reservoirs of Skalka and Jesenice. We will see the remains of the originalfolk architecture in the area, the so-called half-timber buildings. On the route between the towns of Karlovy Vary and Františkovy Lázně, we can visit the towns of Kynšperk nad Ohří and the former County Capital of Sokolov. In its proximity, there is a rural monument zone called Královské Poříčí, and just a few kilometers from here, there is a town of Loket, where we can find the castle bearing the same name. If we continue from Karlovy Vary to the south, we cannot miss the town ofBečov nad Teplou with its well-known castle and manor. The reliquary of St. Maur had been discovered in its castle chapel; it is one of the most significant and priceless relics in the Czech Republic right after the crown jewels of the Bohemian Kings. We can continue through the town of Toužim to the little town of Teplá with its historically important Premonstratensian cloister. We definitely must not forget the spa town of Lázně Kynžvart with a beautiful manor, the spa town ofKonstantinovy Lázně, and the spa town of Jáchymov that is a significant point of interest even when being on the border of the region. This is the first radioactive spa resort in the world. There are still another larger towns present in this region, for instance Horní Slavkov, Planá, Chodov and Žlutice. From the monuments we can remind the Seeberg castle in Cheb and the manors of Chyše and Valeč in the east direction of Karlovy Vary at the border of this region.

Culture life inthis region is really exceptionally rich. The museums, theaters, spa concerts, International Movie Festival in Karlovy Vary, the music festival of "Týden Johanna Strausse" (the Week of Jonann Strauss), or the "Chopin’s Festival" and "Mozart’s Festival" in Mariánské lázně. This is just a brief summary of the most well known cultural opportunities and events.

The beautiful nature in this area is a perfect scene for your walking and bicycle trips. A rich network of the markedroutes connects the individual historic monuments with beautiful natural locations. Even the horse riding trips have their charm and they are becoming a very widespread and popular tourist experience.