Karlovy Vary & Loket

Though our major Spring Break trip was planned for the second week of the boys' vacation, we thought it would be fun to have a quick overnight somewhere in the country prior to that. Karl had teaching obligations through Thursday, so we took off for western Bohemia on Friday morning, heading toward the spa town of Karlovy Vary.

We rented a car for the first time this year to give us a little flexibility to visit multiple sites without too much trouble. The boys were so excited that we'd have our own car, especially Ben, although it's not clear why. An hour or so out of Prague we were treated to the usual refrains of the "Ballad of the Road Trip" ("I'm bored," "When will we get there?" and that old chestnut, "He's on my side!").

By legend, the thermal springs of Karlovy Vary, also known as Karlsbad in German (or Carlsbad in English), were discovered by a hunting party led by Charles IV in the 14th century. The story goes that one of the hunting dogs fell into a hot spring while chasing a deer. Upon further investigation, Charles himself declared the waters to have restorative properties and ordered that the area be settled with bathhouses built around the springs.

A relief in one of the colonnades depicting Charles IV's hunting party. You can see the dog clambering to escape the water in the lower left-hand corner.

Karlovy Vary, which means Charles' hot springs, is located at the confluence of the Ohře and Teplá Rivers. It has been a world-renowned vacation destination for the rich and famous for centuries. Russian Tsar Peter the Great often "took the waters" there. In their respective days J.S. Bach, Goethe, Beethoven, Marx, Dvořak, and Freud were all regulars. Apparently Goethe and Beethoven liked to take chatty walks together between spa treatments. And the long list of one-time visitors covers a wide spectrum: Mozart, Kafka, Hitler, Hailé Sellasie, Robert Redford, Madeleine Albright, and Matt Damon, to name a few.

The springs are located in several colonnades along the promenade on the river. Each is marked with its name and the temperature of the water.

Sadová kolonáda (Park Colonnade), built in 1880.

The custom is to walk from spring to spring, collecting samples of water to sip. Among the market stands offering the usual touristy fare, there are vendors selling little porcelain cups which are meant to be used to take the waters. The area is known for its porcelain, and the cups looked very sweet. But we opted to use juice bottles from lunch, as we feared the porcelain would not be long for this world in our possession.

Ben fills up at Hadí pramen (Snake Spring), 30° C/86° F.

It's just as well we didn't invest in the cups as none of us was really a fan of the water's taste. Not to mention the fact that after the Snake Spring, the waters were scalding hot!

Mlýnská kolonáda (Mill Colonnade), built 1871-1881.

Architect Josef Zítek, whose work includes Prague's Rudolfinum and the National Theatre, designed the Mill Colonnade. Statues peering down from the roofline seem to be his signature.

Libuše pramen (Libuše's Spring), 62° C/143° F.

Storefronts and apartments

Every July restaurants and hotels swell with visitors to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Occasionally the town itself makes its way onto the screen. It's been featured in numerous films, including Casino Royale, the 2006 James Bond flick.

Promenade along the river.

Tržní kolonáda (Market Colonnade), built in 1883.

Tržní pramen (Market Spring), 62° C/143° F.

After our promenade through the colonnades we headed up into the hills for a short hike overlooking the town.

Karl and Garrett in the lookout hut. The Hotel Imperial is in the distance.

Resting after the hike. Is it ice cream time?

At the foot of Karl Marx. Garrett is trying to look appropriately sour.

The onion domes of the Orthodox Church of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The Russian influence in Karlovy Vary is significant. Many signs advertising shops and services are in Czech and Russian (occasionally German and English as well). Some lingering feelings about Soviet occupation persist, as shown in this April 2010 NY Times article.

After a treat of zmrzlina (ice cream), we made our way back to the car and headed for Loket, an adorable medieval town located in the middle of a circular bend in the Ohře river. "Loket" means "elbow," and in fact the German name for the town is Elbogen.

A few months ago our friend Chris took possession of the Lazy River Hostel, which is just below Hrad Loket (Loket Castle). Chris owns/runs some hotels and hostels in Prague. When a colleague contacted him to see if he wanted to take over the Lazy River, Chris knew he didn't have the time to do it himself. But he figured his parents might be interested in a post-retirement hobby.

And so, Chris's parents, Tom and Cyndy, are now the congenial proprietors of a 15-bed hostel in western Bohemia. We enjoy hanging out with them -- we were all together at Chris and Laura's on Christmas Eve and Karl and I sat with Tom and Cyndy at Burns' Night -- so we knew it would be fun to check out the hostel. As luck would have it, Chris and his boys were in Loket for the night as well! (Laura stayed home for a mental health break.)

Lazy river Hostel, in the morning light.

Arriving at dinner time, we dropped our bags and headed right out to Pizzeria na Ruzka, which boasts a wood-fired oven and makes great pizza. (Clever blog readers will recall a mention of the pizzeria in this post.)

Owen is between B&G. From the top of the table is Chris, Elliot, Cyndy and Tom (next to Karl).

Back at the hostel, the boys challenged Grandma to a light-saber duel before retiring to bed. Cyndy and I stayed at LRH while Karl joined Chris and Tom at the local brew pub.

Rodinný pivovar Svatý Florian (St. Florian Family Brewery). If it's been around since 1352, they're probably doing something right.

I took an early morning walk on Saturday to see more of the town.

Goethe also frequented Loket.

Town square

After breakfast, the whole gang headed out the door, up the stairs, and to the castle.

Ben, Garrett, and Owen

Watchtower

Stones used in catapults. Those would leave a mark.

Garrett surveys the countryside on our trip up the tower.

We found the Lazy River Hostel!

The elbow in the river.

Loket Amphitheater

With the dramatic backdrop of the Loket Castle, the amphitheater is the site of the annual Loket Opera Festival.

Courtyard view from the watchtower. Garrett and I spotted some Jedi knights.

Gotta watch out for the dragon at the bottom of the stairs.

Had a little crossbow practice before we left the castle.

I wasn't sure this technique would work, but ...

... the proof is in the pudding.

A close-up, in case you forgot your glasses. (And, yes, that's Ben's arrow!)

It was handy to be so close to our accommodations. We went back down the stairs and grabbed a bite to eat before Tom led us on a lovely walk around the perimeter of the town.

Along the ramparts

Footbridge

We crossed the big bridge and headed for the day's reward.

We have certainly done our part this year in propping up the economy in zmrzlina sales.

Finally, Karl, Ben and Garrett, introduced Tom and Owen to the fun of geocaching. I stayed back at the hostel for a rest, but Tom took some fun pics which you can see here.

After the geocaching it was time for us to pack up and leave. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting Loket, and not just because our friends were here. It was charming, historic, and uncrowded. And the lack of crowds made it very relaxing! If we had more time here in the Czech Republic, we would love to get back out there.

More pictures, if you're so inclined ~

Karla IV pramen (Charles IV's Spring), 64° C/147° F.

Thermal Spa, built 1969-1975. A communist era hotel spa -- "relaxation for the people!"

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

 

A mime acknowledges Garrett's contribution to the hat.

The gang at Pizzeria na Ruska. See? I was there, too.

Finally, a quiz. How many international leaders/figures can you name in this piece of artistic debauchery?

Postcards for those who participate!