Karlovy Vary
Have you seen the movie The Last Holiday? It is a 2006 romantic comedy about a woman, played by Queen Latifah, who is mistakenly told she only has weeks to live. She sells everything and heads off for a luxury vacation at the Hotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary.1
Denise’s Second Visit
Denise had visited the Czech Republic 17 years ago with her sisters, nieces, and nephews. Because of the movie, they included Karlovy Vary in their itinerary. When she returned she reported that the Hotel Pupp did not look nearly as grand as it did in the movie. However, the town was charming!
Now fast forward to July of this year. A few days before we left for our road trip I got a message from our Airbnb host in Prague. She explained that her condo was turning off the hot water on the last day of our stay. She would permit us to cancel, shorten our visit, or offer a discount. We chose the “shorten our visit” option and booked a room in Karlovy Vary for one night. It really is a picture postcard kind of town.
Spa Town
Karlovy Vary is the most visited spa town in the Czech Republic. Frankly, I didn’t know there was such a thing as a spa town … Denise is into spas and massages, me not so much. But, in fact, the city received UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 2021 under the heading Great Spa Towns of Europe. It received this designation for two reasons:
The historic city center is very well preserved. Much of the restoration of the city is due to Russian investors who were frequent visitors to the spas.
There are 200 spa houses in this small town fed by 60 springs. The therapeutic benefits of the springs that run through the town were promoted by physicians in the 19th century. 26,000 visitors (primarily European aristocracy and celebrities) came to seek the benefits of the spas in 1900. This number rose to over 70,000 in 1911…the beginning of WWI.
Following the Velvet Revolution, the spa business once again grew rapidly. The therapeutic effects of the hot (74 degrees Celsius/ 165 Fahrenheit) and not-so-hot (40 degrees Celsius/104 Fahrenheit) are still promoted today.
In the center of town, you will find a building with a free exhibit endorsing the benefits of the springs. You will find that people fill cups with the hot liquid and sip it as they walk about the town.
Karlovy Vary springs are of a natural ionic solution containing dissolved carbon dioxide. The main dissolved substances are sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, further sulfate, chloride, and many other mineral substances in a small quantities up to trace quantities. — Bohemia-Lazne.cz
And the Hotel Pupp
That’s the Hotel Pupp pictured above. We did not stay there … it is a bit pricey … but we did visit. Denise commented that the hotel looked “better” than when she had first visited. We asked and learned that a major renovation was undertaken 2 years after her first visit.
You can read a detailed history of the building here, but permit me to share the Cliffs Notes version: first building 1701, fire in 1759, 1767 Pupp’s acquire it, 1801 first restaurant opens, 1821 flood pretty much destroys everything, 1828 ownership taken from Pupp family, 1868 Pupps regain ownership,1892 construction of modern Pupp hotel begins, 1894 Pupp Hotel opens, 1944 part of hotel becomes a German hospital, 1950s’ Hotel Pupp comes back to life, 1968 business cools off due to occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact troops, 1992 family sells the name and the building to a public company, 2019 most recent renovation. Phew, and that is just the CliffsNotes.
So if you are looking for a picturesque small town just 2 hours from Prague, or if your digestive system isn’t up to snuff … you might want to consider a visit. Our visit was short but most enjoyable.
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Até à próxima semana, fica bem,
Nanc
The Hotel Pupp also appears in Casino Royale and was used as a model for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
I'm not much into spas or massages, either, but it looks like a lovely place to visit. So much of Eastern Europe left to explore! Thanks for sharing your impressions.
Your trip has been amazing. I have learned so much. Thanks for sharing your adventures.