9 of the Top Spa Towns in the Czech Republic

If you only have the time to visit one spa town in the Czech Republic, make it Karlovy Vary. It’s the most famous of all the historic spa towns in the Czech Republic, and the apex of the so-called “spa triangle” made up of the three most famous spa towns in the country. It was named for King Charles IV, the 14th-century king of Bohemia and Holy Roman emperor who, legend has it, discovered the springs here. The town, west of Prague, has also been a favorite among writers (Goethe hung out here) and movie stars (the long-running Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is held here every July). With dozens of springs, lots of beautiful architecture, elegant grand hotels, and luxurious treatment centers, this is the ultimate Czech spa town.

The second point on the Czech Republic’s spa triangle, Mariánské Láznĕ is like a smaller version of Karlovy Vary. The town is also home to a beautiful late-19th century, neo-Baroque, cast-iron colonnade—a kind of decorative, enclosed promenade. This type of structure is found in many Czech spa towns (though most have deteriorated over time), and the one in Mariánské Lázně has colorful frescoes painted on its ceiling. The town’s other sites include the Singing Fountain, the Hamelika Lookout Tower, and Park Boheminium —which features miniature-scale models of notable Czech buildings. Visit them between spa treatments, which typically include mineral water soaks, underwater massages, and more.

The third point in the spa triangle, Františkovy Lázně is the smallest of the three top spa towns but is just as beautiful as the others, boasting both colonnades and landscaped parks. Some of the excellent treatments available here include mud baths and carbonic baths built on carbon dioxide springs. Františkovy Lázně (like Mariánské Lázně) is also quite close to the western Bohemian city of Pilsen, which is famous for its Pilsner Urquell beer, and you can easily visit both towns on a weekend trip from Prague.

Jáchymov claims to be the oldest radon spa in the world—radon being a radioactive gas that is used in a controversial (but nevertheless quite popular) biomedical treatment for relieving pain. The town is even home to an upscale spot called the Hotel Radium Palace as well as now-decommissioned uranium mines. Whether you want to partake in radon treatment or just enjoy more conventional spa activities, Jáchymov offers a quiet alternative to the towns of the spa triangle. It’s also located quite close to the more famous areas, just north of Karlovy Vary (and right beside the German border).

Teplice, in northern Bohemia, was founded in the 12th century and is both the largest Czech spa town and also (reportedly) the oldest. Beethoven stayed here in the early 19th century, and the town now boasts the Beethoven Spa House, where you can get specialized massage treatments and swim in a modernized pool fed by the thermal springs. Other things to do in Teplice include visiting Teplice Castle, which houses a regional museum, and the hilltop Doubravka Castle, which was built in the 15th century. Teplice is also one of the closest spa towns to Prague; it’s only about an hour’s drive away, so you can easily visit on a day trip.

The southern Bohemian town of Třeboň is notable for its warming peat spas, where local peat is heated and used as a body wrap or a bath. The treatments are said to be beneficial after an injury or surgery. The beautiful town is also home to a Renaissance château and is every bit as fairy tale–beautiful as its more famous neighbor, the UNESCO-listed Český Krumlov. That said, the two towns are close together, so it’s easy to visit Třeboň and Český Krumlov on the same itinerary (ideally over the course of three to four days); you can even swing by nearby České Budějovice, home of Budvar beer, on the same trip.

The healing waters in Luhacovice, a town in the country’s eastern Moravia region, east of Brno, have been celebrated since the mid-1700s. The town's significance has even been recognized by UNESCO, which has placed it on the Tentative List of potential future heritage sites. The town itself is also worth seeing. The oldest preserved building here is the baroque Chapel of St. Elisabeth, which dates from 1795, and the town’s early-20th century buildings here are especially notable for the way they combine Slavonic folk architecture and Art Nouveau details.

Located at the foot of Mt. Praděd, in the Jeseníky Mountains, at an elevation of around 2,542 feet (775 meters), Karlova Studánka is the highest spa town in the Czech Republic. It’s a tiny place with just a couple hundred inhabitants, so if you’re looking to escape the spa tour bus crowds, this spot might fit the bill. There’s a small spa and pool center, where visitors can bathe in spring-fed thermal waters, and hotels in the area tend to have small spa baths and saunas. The town also offers well-preserved 17th-century architecture. While in the area (one of the less-touristy spots in the country) you can also visit the city of Olomouc, which has several ornate baroque fountains and a gothic cathedral, and make a stop at the lovely medieval Bouzov Castle.

The tiny village of Lázně Darkov sits on the Olza River in the eastern Silesia region, just a couple of miles from the Polish border—making it an ideal spot if you want to hop over the border and also try that country’s notable spa towns. There are two health resorts in the village: One is in a large modern building without much atmosphere. The other (and more notable of the two), the Spa House in Spa Park, is housed in Empire-style Fryštát Chateau, a lovely older structure. While in Darkov, you should also visit the Karviná–Darkov bridge, a Czech National Cultural Monument (Národní Kulturní Památka) built in the 1920s that is notable for its coat-hanger shape.