Welcome to Karlovy Vary
This beautiful spa town, once known as Karlsbad or Carlsbad, is in western Bohemia. It's one of the world's most famous spas with its hot mineral springs in use since the Middle Ages. It is set in wooded countryside 130km west of Prague.
The waters are used largely for drinking cures. There are currently 12 main hot springs, the best known being Vridlo rising from a depth of 3,000m. There are 300 smaller springs and the warm water Tepla River.
Many celebrities have visited including the composers Dvorak, Beethoven and Chopin and the writers Goethe, Schiller and Tolstoy. The town is often used in films, most recently the Bond movie 'Casino Royale'.
Moser Glass is based here and Princess Michael of Kent was born in the town. It is also home to a major film festival and the liqueur Karlovarská Becherovka. There is rumoured to be a strong Russian Mafia presence, so much so that the local airport has flights to Moscow.
