A large white building sitting on top of a lush green hillside
A large building with a clock tower on top of it
A river running through a lush green park
A river running through a city next to tall buildings
brown concrete building near bridge under white sky during daytime
Photo by Dana Ward on Unsplash

Holiday in Karlovy Vary

City in Czech Republic — tips, highlights & best time to visit 🇨🇿

Country

Czech Republic

Type

City

Best time to travel

May to September for walks, film festival in July, December for Christmas atmosphere

Budget/day

65-110 € (spa hotel, restaurants)

Getting there from Germany

Car from Nuremberg about 2 hours, from Dresden 2.5 hours, from Munich 3.5 hours

About Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) is the most magnificent spa town in Central Europe — a city that resembles an imperial film set, nestled in a wooded valley by the Teplá River. For centuries, spa guests have been coming here to drink the healing thermal water from 15 hot springs. Beethoven, Goethe, Chopin, and Kafka — they all took the waters here. The main colonnade spans the hottest spring, the Vřídlo geyser, which shoots up to 12 meters high. The five historic colonnades line the river and invite visitors to promenade and drink thermal water — traditionally from the typical Karlsbad drinking cups. The city impresses with pastel-colored Art Nouveau facades that rise amphitheatrically up the slopes. The Grandhotel Pupp — filming location for the James Bond film Casino Royale — embodies the Belle Époque elegance of spa tourism. From Germany, the city is reachable in a few hours: from Nuremberg in two hours, from Dresden in 2.5 hours.

Relaxation
90
Safety
90
Romance
80
Culture
70
Food
60

Top 4 highlights in Karlovy Vary

The places you absolutely must not miss.

1

Vřídlo-Geysir

Hottest spring at 73°C, shoots up to 12 meters high in the main colonnade

2

Historical Colonnades

Five magnificent colonnades in various architectural styles for promenading and drinking cures

3

Grandhotel Pupp

Legendary hotel from the Belle Époque, filming location for James Bond's Casino Royale

4

Becherovka Museum

Museum and tasting of the famous herbal liqueur, made since 1807 from a secret recipe

Hotels in Karlovy Vary

Vergleiche tausende Hotels, Apartments und Resorts auf Expedia – mit Bestpreis-Garantie, kostenloser Stornierung und Bonuspunkten.

Über 700.000 Hotels
Kostenlose Stornierung
Bestpreis-Garantie
Hotels in Karlovy Vary vergleichen

* Weiterleitung zu Expedia.de. Es gelten die dortigen Nutzungsbedingungen.

Reise-SIM für Karlovy Vary

Günstig surfen im Urlaub mit travSIM

Pauschalreisen & Rundreisen

Berge & Meer – 170 Tage Cookie

Best time to travel for Karlovy Vary

Recommended travel time

May to September for walks, film festival in July, December for Christmas atmosphere

Summer

Pleasant, 18-26°C, ideal for spa walks

Winter

Cold, -3 to 4°C, fog in the valley gives a mystical atmosphere

How much does a holiday in Karlovy Vary cost?

Average costs per person per day

🎒

Budget

35-55 € (guesthouse, local cuisine)

Hostel, Street food, Public transport

🏨

Mid-range

65-110 € (spa hotel, restaurants)

Hotel, Restaurant, Excursions

🌟

Luxury

130-250 € (Grandhotel Pupp, spa treatments)

Boutique hotel, Fine dining

Book a package holiday to Karlovy Vary

Compare thousands of package holidays to Karlovy Vary and find the best deals with flight & hotel.

Compare package holidays now

5 travel tips for Karlovy Vary

Insider knowledge that makes your holiday better.

Buy a Karlsbad drinking cup and do the drinking cure through all the colonnades

Visit the Grandhotel Pupp at least for a coffee — an experience even without an overnight stay

Reach the Diana lookout tower by funicular — panoramic view over the entire valley

Buy Karlsbad wafers fresh — the original spa wafers are a must

Come in July for the International Film Festival — the most important film festival in Eastern Europe

Food & drink in Karlovy Vary

These specialties you must try!

Karlsbad wafers — thin wafers with various fillings, a souvenir since the 19th century
Becherovka — the famous herbal liqueur made from 20 herbs and spices
Svíčková na Smetaně — beef in cream sauce with dumplings and cranberries
Trdelník — sweet yeast pastry baked on the grill, warm with sugar and cinnamon
Kulajda — creamy dill potato soup with poached egg and mushrooms
Suitable for:SpaThermal waterArt NouveauCzech RepublicWellnessJames BondArchitectureBohemia

Ready for Karlovy Vary?

Plan your Karlovy Vary holiday now with our free tools.

All destinations in Czech RepublicAll destinations in Europe