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Spabad Tjeckien

16 July 2018 / 24 Comments

Trying out hot tubs in the Czech Republic - Marianske Lazne

In co-operation with Czech Tourism

We finally got to try a real spa in the Czech Republic, in the Czech spa town of Marianske Lazne. It was a Roman spa at a five-star spa hotel, with several different pools, whirlpools and saunas. We have visited Marianske Lazne 2 times... Once by motorhome and once by train and staying in a hotel. We write about both experiences.

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By motorhome to Marianske Lazne

Then we have finally visited the third of the spa resorts in the Czech "spa triangle". After visiting both Karlovy Vary and Frantiskovy Lazne (without bathing), it was finally time for us to bathe in Marianske Lazne! It only took a little over half an hour to drive here from Frantiskovy Lazne, and we chose to stay at a parking lot (parking where you can stay with a motorhome overnight) within walking distance to the city.

The large car park is located on Kollárova and costs 12 euros per day (2018). It is mainly used for parking large cars such as motorhomes, buses and lorries.

Ställplats Marianske Lazne
We ended up being a bunch of motorhomes at the caravan park in Marianske Lazne!

Marianske Lazne

In Marianske Lazne, you are greeted by beautiful Art Nouveau houses, lush parks, colonnades, fountains and countless bathhouses and spa hotels. We walked around for a while and enjoyed the lovely atmosphere and the park in the centre of town. The river that flows naturally through the city (Usovicky Potok) is a 10.5 km long tributary of the Elbe, and adds to the beautiful setting.

Marianske Lazne
The river Usovicky Potok flows through the entire Karlovy Vary region.
Häst och vagn
Marianske Lazne

Pillar walk in Marianske Lazne

The Colonnade (Lazenska kolonada) in Marianske Lazne is amazing! It was built in neo-baroque style between 1888 and 1889, and was restored in the 1970s. At one end of the colonnade is a large fountain that constantly changes the way the water flows.

Marianske Lazne kolonn
 Maxim Gorky Colonnade as it is also called
Marianske Lazne pelargång
Marianske Lazne tak
Beautiful paintings by painter Josef Vyleťal

Singing Fountain

Next to the Colonnade and the statue of Abbot Karel Kaspar Reitenberger is the Singing Fountain (Zpívající fontána) which plays a couple of classical works every evening with a light show. It was staged on 30 April 1986.

Fontän Marianske Lazne
Marianske Lazne

Colonnade

The beautiful Colonnade at Anglická 270/49 and not far from the fountain is worth seeing.

Colonnade

Roman spa in the Czech Republic

Then it was finally time for the spa in the Czech Republic! We have visited a total of three health resorts in the Czech Republic and there are of course lots of baths to choose from. We wanted to go for a really nice bath, so we chose the Roman bath at the 5-star spa hotel. Danubius Spa Resort Nove Lazne. It certainly wasn't the cheapest option (we paid about 270 SEK per person for three hours), but it was definitely worth it!

Spa Tjeckien

Roman columns in Marianske Lazne

Wow, we say! We first went into the room that has a Roman bath with columns. Here we could (completely alone!) enjoy two pools, one with 25-degree water, and one with 34-degree water (if I remember correctly). Fantastically nice!

Spabad i Tjeckien, Marianske Lazne
Spabad i Tjeckien

Kneipp therapy

We also tried two of four different saunas, one with 50-degree heat and one with 80-degree heat. We skipped the freezing cold bath outside the sauna. However, Peter couldn't resist trying "kneipp therapy", where you have to walk a number of laps through alternately cold and hot water ...

Marianske Lazne sauna
Bastu Marianske Lazne
Spa treatment/spabad I Tjeckien

Wonderful hot tub in the Czech Republic

We finished off with a long soak in the whirlpool and then lay down on the beds under the heat lamps (where we fell asleep!). So, this was really nice, and a perfect ending to our trip through the Czech spas. If you are wondering if we were completely alone in the spa baths, we were not. There were some other guests there, but there were so few, and since there were several different pools, we could always choose one where we were alone.

Bubbelpool och spabad i Tjeckien
Spabad i Tjeckien

Imperial cabin and Royal cabin

There are two excellent spas for just one person at a time in 5-star Nove Lazne, and it used to be that not just anyone could bathe there. Mosaic and marble and all the latest stuff you could find to suit kings and emperors.

until 1904, the Imperial spa was prepared for Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I to meet Britain's King Edward VII, who was given his own spa in the Royal Cabin in Marianske Lazne.

Imperial cabin spa
Marianske Lazne
Marianske Lazne

Casino in Marianske Lazne

Culture and congress centre from 1901 with Italian Renaissance style, located in the Casino next to the spa in Nove Lazne. Every year Fryderyk Chopin is honoured with a concert because Czechs love classical music. It is also a congress centre. There is also a street and a music school named after him in Marianske Lazne.

Casinot

Pizza and spa waffle in Marianske Lazne

After the long bath, we were super hungry, so it was tuna pizza and beer at Pizzeria Bohmische Hof on a nice outdoor terrace. It sat well you can say! Then I "had" to test a traditional spa biscuit (Colonnada Oblaty) from Marianske Lazne. "Everyone" went and ate these, so we did not want to be worse. How it tasted? Very sweet! Thanks to this lovely spa town for a really nice day!

restaurang Marianske Lazne
Oblat och spabad i Tjeckien

Royal Golf Club Maranske lazne

One of the oldest golf courses in Europe where the most important people played in the early 1900s. The golf course was forgotten during the communist era for forty years, but Queen Elisabeth II did not forget. She declared in 2003 that the golf course was the only one in central Europe allowed to use the name 'Royal'.

Marianske Lazne

Park Boheminium miniature park

A 15-minute walk from the Nove Lazne hotel is the "Mini Czech Republic", in the form of the Park Boheminium. This is really fun to see because it is all the most famous places in the Czech Republic in miniature. It is really worth a walk and a nice half-day excursion.

Marianske Lazne
Karlstejn Castle outside Prague in miniature

Beer spa near Marianske Lazne

  • Located 13 minutes from the city by car, Chodova Plana is a cosy place to live. beer spa in the Czech Republic which you can read about here.
  • In Marianske Lazne there is another beer spa that we have not tried. Pivni Lazne - Beer spa Beerland on Hlavní tř. 279/7.
Ölspa i Tjeckien

See more: Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad)

Don't miss the famous and beautiful Art Nouveau town of Karlovy Vary, one of the spa triangle in the Czech Republic, the discovery of the healing springs made by Charles IV on a hunting trip in 1349 and the most famous spa resort in Europe. See Grandhotel Pupp, Becherovka museum, Moser glass museum, spa hotel Thermal with its annual film festival, Park Colonnada, Mlynska Kolonada and much more.

Spastaden i Tjeckien
Mill Kolonade

See more: Frantiskovy Lazne

The second in the spa triangle is the yellow town of Frantiskovy Lazne, founded by Austrian Emperor Franz I in the 18th century, where Johann Strauss, Kafka and Beethoven travelled to improve their health. When Johan Wolfgang von Goethe lived here, he described the town as 'heaven on earth'.

Tjeckien

See more: Kynzvart Castle

Kynzvart Castle's earliest history dates back to the latter half of the 13th century. In the 16th century a Renaissance castle was built, which was replaced in the 17th century by a baroque mansion. The castle you see today is from the 19th century, built in the neoclassical style.

Full of Czech history and a beautiful castle, it's just 13 minutes from Marianske Lazne by car. After the visit, if you want, you can stay on for Czech food and perhaps a local beer (Bakalar) at the Metternich restaurant.

Slott i Tjeckien

A film from Marianske Lazne

We conclude with a film about the three spa towns in the western Czech Republic (Karlovy Vary, Frantiskovy Lazne and Marianske Lazne) and the charming town of Loket, which is surrounded by the three spa towns.

All our top tips for the Czech Republic. Click on the image!

Facts about Marianske Lazne

  • Marianske Lazne: Czech Republic
  • Residents: 12 800 (2019)
  • Height: 578 metres above sea level
  • Time difference: Same time as Sweden
  • Language: Czech, but many also know English
  • Currency: The Czech koruna (CZK) is cheaper in the Czech Republic than in Sweden, with an index of 70 compared to 100 in 2018. 

Travelling to Marianske Lazne

  • Flight: Many different flights go to Prague, and now also low-cost flights with Ryan Air since 2018. 
  • At the airport: The exchange rate at many of the ATMs at the airport is high, so you should choose the banks' ATMs. These can be found between Terminals 1 and 2 and are labelled with the name of the bank.
    If you want to buy water or snacks and don't want to pay too much, look for the BILLA store. 
  • Bus: It's easy to take a bus from Prague Airport to Marianske Lazne, the bus journey takes about 2 hours 10 minutes. The buses leave just outside the airport, under the big bridge. It is possible to buy a ticket on board the bus, but there is a risk that the bus is full, therefore it is better to buy a ticket online in advance. The bus ticket can be booked at Regiojet.com and for travelling to Marianske Lazne, the price is about 60 euros (2019). 
  • The train to Marianske Lazne takes about 2 hours and you can pre-book it at Czech transport.com
  • Travelling by bus in the Czech Republic: During the bus journey you have access to WiFi, TV, headphones and the possibility to charge your mobile phone. There is also a menu and you can order soft drinks, beer, sweets and snacks. Just remember to bring Czech money (and preferably in smaller denominations) to pay.

Restaurants in Marianske Lazne

  • Pizzeria Bohmische Hof at Hlavní tř. 52/38 where we had a very good pizza.
  • Restaurant Hvezda at Goethovo Namesti 1
  • Wiener café on Anglická 353 01

Accommodation in Marianske Lazne

The whole town of Marianske Lazne is spa and hotel and there are lots of them. We stayed at the 4-star Hvezda and it was very nice in early 20th century style. All these hotels below are owned by the Danubius Hotels Group and all the hotels are in a semi-formed column. You can go underground to all the hotels mentioned below if the weather is bad outside.

  • Nové Lazne at Reitenbergerova 53. 5-star hotel from 1828, remodelled in 1896.
  • Centralni Lazne on Goethovo Namesti 1. 4-star hotel from 1812 rebuilt in 1892.
  • Maria Spa on Goethovo Namesti 1. 4-star hotel
  • Hvezda on Goethovo Namesti 7. 4-star hotel from 1819 and remodelled in 1837.
  • Grandhotel Pacific on Mirove Namesti 84. 4-star hotel.
  • Butterfly on Hlavni 655. 4-star hotel from 1995.
  • Vltava on Anglicka 475. 4-star hotel
  • Svoboda at Chopinova 393. 3-star hotel from 1905.
  • Labe on Masarykova 21. 3-star hotel
  • Accommodation by mobile vehicle can be found at camping and caravanning sites in the Czech Republic.

Sources in Marianske Lazne

All springs in Marianske Lazne are cold springs and are 7-10 degrees. The water from Ferdinand spring is also available under the name Excelsior which is available in bottles. Get your cup and drink the healing water.

  • The cross springs (Krizovy pramen) From 1818
  • The Ferdinand Spring (Ferdinanduv barge) From 1826-1827
  • The Forest Spring (Lesni barge) From 1869
  • The Rudolph Spring (Rudolfuv barge) From 1902
  • The Ambrose Spring (Ambrozuv barges)
  • The Caroline Spring (Karolinin barge) From1869

Churches in Marianske Lazne

  • Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption at Goethovo nám. 110/31 which is opposite the Hotel Maria spa. There are 33 steps symbolising the life of Jesus on earth (1844-1848).
  • Evangelic Church (Evangelicky Kostel) at Mírové nám. 90/7. (1853-1857)
  • The Anglican Church on Ruská 98/5 is a beautiful little church built by London architect William Burges for King Edward VII, who visited the Marianske 9 times. (1878-1879)
  • The Orthodox Church of St Vladimir at Ruská 347/9 is a very beautiful church (1900-1902).

Viewpoints in Marianske Lazne

  • Mecséry Lookout
  • Goethe's Rest Place
  • Karola Lookout
  • Laska Chapel
  • Hamelika Lookout
  • Clemens Place

History - Marianske Lazne

Already in the 13th century, the local people or tribes knew that the water and the springs were something special. In 1528, King Ferdinand ordered tests to be made for the healing water. Throughout the Karlovy Vary region (spa triangle), which includes Mariaske Lazne, Frantiskovy Lazne and Karlovy Vary, these healing springs passed by.

Early 19th century

In 1805-1807 the doctor Dr Johann Josef Nehr set up the first wooden house for spa guests. He was convinced that the water had a healing effect and the house was built at the Cross spring. In 1818 Marianske Lazne was recognised as a spa town and a town museum was built. The house "at the White swan" was built in 1820 and Chopin stayed there in 1836. Today, this house is known as the Chopin House and can be visited.

Between 1817 and 1823, three famous citizens joined forces to build a beautiful spa town. Gardener Václav Skalník, architect Jiří Fischer and master builder Anton Turner. Funding was provided by monk Karel Kašpar Reitenberger. These men created a beautiful town with parks, pavilions, colonnades and spa houses in the neo-baroque style.

Late 19th century

Between 1820 - 1850, the Marianske Lazne was visited by fine people from all over Europe such as Johann Wolfgang Goethe, Prince Friedrich of Saxony, Earl Kašpar Šternberk, Joens Jakob Berzelius, Václav Jan Tomášek, Rickard Wagner and Marie Szymanowsky. On 29 May 1865, Marianske Lazne was officially declared a spa town by Emperor Franz Joseph I.

In 1872 the railway was extended to Marianne Lazne with links to Chef, Vienna, Prague and Pilsen. In 1898 Karlovy Vary was also linked to the railway network. The railway brought people like Gustav Mahler, Friedrich Nietzsche, Franz Kafka, Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain, Thomas Alva Edison, Pierre de Coubertin, King Edward VII of England, the Czar Nicholas II and Emperor Franz Joseph I.

1800-1900s

1870-1914 was the golden age of Marianske Lazne, when the city acquired the beautiful Art Nouveau look it has today. The architects behind this were Friedrich Zickler, Josef Schaffer, Arnold Heymann and Josef Forberich. In 1872 the railway was extended to Marianne Lazne with links to Vienna, Prague and Pilsen. In 1898 Karlovy Vary was also linked to the railway network.

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16 July 2018 6:00
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16 Comments

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  1. Seija Viitamäki-Carlsson says:

    Pleasant, enticing, beautiful. There will be a trip there, Western Czech Republic. I went east of these places last autumn! Thanks again and good luck in Switzerland!

    16 July 2018 - 8:41

    Reply

  2. Britt-Marie Lundgren says:

    What a spa! So delicious, and we who are a bit "spa crazy".
    I understand that you fell asleep in the heat after checking all the pools.
    After the spa and food, you'll be ready for new experiences.
    Salzburg, next!

    16 July 2018 - 9:04

    Reply

  3. JoY says:

    Looks really nice with SPA. Nothing I tried when I was there, then we played golf and drank pink bubbles hihihi.
    Hugs and continue to enjoy

    16 July 2018 - 9:37

    Reply

  4. Liniz Travel says:

    But wow this sounds like something for me and Diana 🙂 looks absolutely amazing. Enjoy the trip hugs

    16 July 2018 - 12:34

    Reply

  5. Maria / Magnolia Magis says:

    Oh...now I want to go there!!! How nice! 270 SEK per person for 3 hours - are you crazy??!!! Expensive? Really not! Very cheap I would say! From some of our more well-known health resorts in Sweden, you can count on between 400-800 SEK for similar, no by the way, not at all the environment!!! Congratulations there you made a bargain! ;D How wonderful!

    16 July 2018 - 16:32

    Reply

    • Comment by post author

      Helena says:

      It's super nice! And you're absolutely right, it's not expensive! Admittedly, I did not really know about Swedish prices (thanks for that!) but I realise that this is a good price. Although, as I said, it was probably one of the most expensive baths here! The Czech Republic is a very affordable country!!! You get a lot for your money, almost everywhere.

      16 July 2018 - 23:08

      Reply

  6. Lena - good for the soul says:

    What a cool spa! Matching the powerful music to the powerful buildings!

    Hug Lena

    16 July 2018 - 19:08

    Reply

  7. Veiken says:

    The Old East has so much to offer. These preserved beautiful old buildings are a feast for the eyes!
    SPA is never wrong...

    16 July 2018 - 20:14

    Reply

  8. BP says:

    What a great film! Since you have a cooperation with Czech Tourism, they should not only be incredibly happy with the film but ask to use it for marketing purposes as well. Best film so far from the trip. As for the health resorts, I probably stick to Karlsborg. Most powerful simply!
    Cool with the Roman bath. Glad that there were so few visitors there so that you could take photos and films and swim of course;-) without being disturbed.

    16 July 2018 - 21:46

    Reply

    • Comment by post author

      Helena says:

      Glad you liked the film! Carlsbad is probably the city that we are most eager to go back to. It is the largest city and there is a lot going on! But if I am in the vicinity of Mariánské Lazne in the future, I would probably like to swim again as well 🙂 And yes, I agree, it really facilitated the photography that it was so sparse with visitors! 🙂

      16 July 2018 - 23:14

      Reply

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