Karlovy Vary, the town of spas
Karlovy Vary is a name that I heard a lot while living in Czech Republic and even in Slovakia. But while I lived in Brno and later in Bratislava somehow I never got the chance to actually see it.
And considering that I love spas is quite something. But then we moved to Prague and there was no excuse for it.
Public holidays and the chance to have a long break
Aside from the normal days of the holidays agreed as per the work contract you can take in consideration also the public holidays when booking your vacation. In the past I used to consider the public holidays just some extra free days.
But I think I started to see their full potential when I moved first time to Czech Republic. I had colleagues at work who maximized them! They planned and got the vacations approved months in advance. Just to avoid the situations like having their plans canceled because of too many requests. Somebody needs to work! But if you move fast your days are already approved by the time the rest realizes that around the corner there is a public holiday. 🙂
This was a learning point for me and now I plan better  my time. Karlovy  Vary trip was organized around one of these public holidays and combined with a long weekend. We got ourselves a mini vacation! 🙂
Karlovy Vary  or where is my bed?
In our family I book the accommodation for most of all our vacations. That because I have the patience to verify more sites and compare the prices. And make sure that I have fulfilled all our main requirements. And yes I do spend a bit of time on what other people wrote about the place. Just to get a feeling on the place.
For Karlovy Vary I had a look at more sites and I spend a bit of time checking:
- Location ( how far from the center or main attractions)
- Parking possibilities (since we travel by car that was quite a necessity)
- Pet friendly (this time we traveled with Browsy so we wanted to make sure that the place accepted pets.
What I found out about Karlovy Vary?
- That in the center is hard to find parking. But if you find you will need to pay. There are some paid parking but the prices varies . You might want to check with your hotel if they do not have some discounts that you can use.
- The buildings in the center are very nice and pretty. However be aware that most of them do not have elevator. So if you have a lot of luggage, or you travel with a small kid that could present a challenge
- Be aware of cobble streets in some areas! 🙂 In case you have a stroller with you! The streets look very beautiful but you might have a bumpy ride! 😉 Nothing that can not be labeled under “adventure”. 🙂
- The public spas open are preserving the original decor and furniture. They look a bit out dated and a bit uncomfortable. But they are very cheap!
- If you like your comfort then is better to book a hotel that has its own spa facilities. There are quite a few options!
- The town is not very big but has a few good restaurants. You might want to check TripAdvisor for recommendations. In our case they proved accurate.
What I liked the best in Karlovy Vary
The town is very cute! The architecture is well preserved! There are many Russians influences. In fact  you will notice many Russians tourists and not only tourists. Chances are that more people will speak Russian as a second language.
What I liked the best in Karlovy Vary was to walk from one colonnade to another. The route is very nice. With plenty to see! And you can buy one of the beautiful cups for water tasting along the way! I saw people who filled  whole bottles. As it says that they have different medical properties! Some even taste like medicine! 🙂
There are a few public holidays coming and if you do not have any plans yet you might consider visiting Karlovy Vary!
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