Set in a wooded valley in western Bohemia, Karlovy Vary, also known by its German name Carlsbad, is the country's most famous spa town. It is celebrated for its hot mineral springs and its colonnaded, pastel-colored architecture.
Late spring and summer are ideal for the spa colonnades and woodland walks, with the international film festival lighting up early July; autumn brings golden foliage to the valley.
The wafer-like spa biscuits known as oplatky, the herbal liqueur Becherovka, and Czech mineral waters drunk from spa cups.
Historic spa hotels along the Teplá River offer wellness facilities; the upper valley is the most scenic and central area.
Ride the funicular to the Diana Tower, which takes in the whole pastel town set in its forested valley, clearest in morning light.
Read more in Prague & Bohemia: spires, spa towns & Gothic stone.
