The country’s most famous spa city – indeed, one of the most famous in Europe – was, the story goes, founded when the entourage of King Karel (Charles) IV discovered its mineral springs in 1370. Much of what you see of KV’s spa-resort section (as opposed to the regular city), however, is 19th-century Art Nouveau, Belle-Époque, and such, with the crown jewel being the Grand Hotel Pupp, including an elegant casino; originally founded as Saxony Hall in 1701; and redone as neo-Baroque in 1907 (you may’ve seen it in the 2006 Queen Latifah movie Last Holiday and/or the reboot of the James Bond flick Casino Royale that same year). As with the other towns, summer is the most popular season (and here there are festivals to help it along, such as July’s glamorous Karlovy Vary Film Festival). KV is also known for the country’s most popular tipple, a juniper-based liqueur called Becherovka.
Read more in my post 5 Gracious Spa Towns of the Czech Republic.
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