Karlovy Vary is truly one of my favorite cities in all of Europe!
It's about a two hour drive from Prague, and we arrived in Karlovy Vary before lunch, so we had plenty of time to check out the kayak and paddleboard river race they were having on the Tepla River. It was really fun to watch (surprisingly!) - except for this guy on the paddleboard who bit it.
The kayakers had to navigate the rough waters along the Tepla and then try to go back upstream at the little control structures. It looked really hard!
Karlovy Vary is probably more well known for it's German name: Carlsbad, which means "Charles's Baths." It was named for the Bohemian King Charles IV (who also happened to be a Holy Roman Emperor) and is most well known for it's thermal springs and baths.
The Bailey family in the Park Colonnade. This Colonnade, one of many in Karlovy Vary, was built in 1881.
Lots of people were out along the Tepla River on a warm, sunny day.
Todd snapped this pretty picture of the kayakers on the Tepla.
The Mill Colonnade is the largest one in Karlovy Vary and has five mineral springs inside. Although there has been a promenade hall here since the late 1700s, this one in particular was built in the 1870s.
Strolling along Vridelni, looking for a place to grab some lunch.
Outside of the Mill Colonnade, someone had made a sand sculpture! I also love the buildings creeping up the side of the hill.
I want to marry this building. Is that a thing? Is that possible? It's just so beautiful!
It was time to eat, so we escaped the heat beneath an umbrella at a restaurant right on the Tepla River. After a couple of beers, we started yelling out, "Ahoj" to the kayakers going by. It's pronounced, "Ahoy" which we all found really amusing. Some of them ignored us, but most would yell "Ahoj" back at us!
"I'll have the meat skewer with three kids of meat, please! And don't forget the vegetabels and peppesauce, please!"
Sometimes I don't even know this kid. Escargot with goulash in a bread bowl. That's what she ate for lunch. This one. Who won't eat a grilled cheese.
Gangsta.
After our lengthy lunch, we kept exploring Karlovy Vary. We decided to walk from one end of the city to the other - which is VERY doable in a day.
There was a church on the site of St. Mary Magdalene as far back as about 1350, but was destroyed due to fire and rebuilt in the 1730s.
Across the street from St. Mary Magdalene is the Hot Spring Colonnade. The newer building was built in 1975 in the Functionalistic (read: ugly) style.
It's not much prettier on the inside either. The thermal spring water comes out at various temperatures (warm, hot and hotter.)
This is the super hot mineral water. It tasted just how you would expect: like a penny!
It was unanimous that the water was just gross. But we sure had a fun time drinking it!
Warm springs also geyser into the air outside of the Hot Spring Colonnade.
Isn't he the cutest!?
I think they normally have fountains running here but they must have stopped them for the kayak race.
With my honey on a bridge in Karlovy Vary.
The architecture is so pretty and can be overwhelming to the senses! How about the random palm trees in this picture though!?
Thanks for feeding my need to see pretty manhole covers, Czechia.
Sassy in front of our next destination (after slow walking past many garnet jewelry shops): The Grand Hotel Pupp. This hotel was built in 1701, and has hosted MANY famous people, such as Lou Reed, Johann Sebastian Bach, Robert Redford, Beethoven, Napoleon, Keira Knightly and...
One of my favorites, the Empress Maria Theresia!
This is exactly what you should do at the Grand Hotel Pupp.
The Grand Hotel Pupp is at the far southern end of the downtown area and this is the view looking to the northeast.
Kern got in trouble for taking this picture in a store as we walked back through the city to check into our Airbnb. But it was just so pretty!
I can't even stand how pretty this is!
Our walk back to the Airbnb took us past the Market Colonnade. This was once the home to the oldest baths in Karlovy Vary. This building was built in the early 1880s.
At the Market Colonnade, turned around and looking back south again. Market Colonnade covers three mineral springs: the Charles IV, the Market Spring and the Lower Castle spring.
Flowers were blooming in Karlovy Vary. This city is really pretty all year round, but seeing in the late spring was much better than in the dead of winter!
We finally checked into our AirBnB, which was AMAZING. It was on the north side, near the bus station. It was two stories and had a great balcony!
There was just enough time to enjoy a glass of wine before dinner and before the storms came.
Thankfully, there were lots of restaurants on the block we were staying on. We went downstairs and about 50 feet to the left to have dinner outside at the Charleston. (I know, I know... at first I thought - "Why did they name a restaurant after a city in South Carolina?" But remember the German name for Karlovy Vary is Carlsbad, or "Charles's Baths!") Duh, Colleen....
And once again, my drink came in a series of four glasses. One glass of bourbon. One of ice. One empty glass. And one bottle of Coke Zero.
Before we drove back home the next morning, we decided to go on another walk around Karlovy Vary. We saw people eating Karlovy Vary wafers and decided we MUST try them! Good news for peanut allergy folks: There are no peanut products in them, at least not at the place we bought them, Lazenske Oplatky. The kids got white chocolate and Dorothy had gotten a coconut and they were both AMAZING-- much better than I had expected them to be!
Sometimes we like to play with silly filters. Todd took this one of the Park Colonnade and it turned out really cute!
This time, our morning adventures took us to the other bank of the river.
He's funny. I'm gonna have to make sure he brings his sunglasses from now on!
We finally checked into our AirBnB, which was AMAZING. It was on the north side, near the bus station. It was two stories and had a great balcony!
There was just enough time to enjoy a glass of wine before dinner and before the storms came.
And once again, my drink came in a series of four glasses. One glass of bourbon. One of ice. One empty glass. And one bottle of Coke Zero.
Before we drove back home the next morning, we decided to go on another walk around Karlovy Vary. We saw people eating Karlovy Vary wafers and decided we MUST try them! Good news for peanut allergy folks: There are no peanut products in them, at least not at the place we bought them, Lazenske Oplatky. The kids got white chocolate and Dorothy had gotten a coconut and they were both AMAZING-- much better than I had expected them to be!
Sometimes we like to play with silly filters. Todd took this one of the Park Colonnade and it turned out really cute!
This time, our morning adventures took us to the other bank of the river.
He's funny. I'm gonna have to make sure he brings his sunglasses from now on!
Kern looks like he's trying to grab that random woman on the bridge. But they had discovered that when their put their arms out and made shadows on the river below, the fish got scared and moved.
Alas, we had to get back home so Kern and Dorothy could continue on to Munich for their following day journey back to Seattle! Come back soon, Kern and Dot!
Until next time, Karlovy Vary!
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