Karlovy Vary region – KARLOVARSKÝ KRAJ.
Spa City of Karlovy Vary – LÁZEŇSKÉ MĚSTO KARLOVY VARY is a famous city for its Hot Spring – VŘÍDLO – the warmest and the most yielding of the mineral springs – MINERÁLNÍ PRAMEN in Karlovy Vary. Today, the Hot Spring is the only thermal spring used for baths and drinking cures as a part of the spa treatment. The geyser – GEJZÍR – may be found at the Hot Spring Colonnade – VŘÍDELNÍ KOLONÁDA – in the heart of the spa zone of Karlovy Vary where it spouts up to an amazing 12 metres. In Karlovy Vary used to be a 10 % Jewish community, you may visit the Jewish cemetery – ŽIDOVSKÝ HŘBITOV – where the family of the founder of famous Moser glass factory – Mr. Ludwig Moser – have their monument – POMNÍK. Karlovy Vary is well known for its Becherovka drink – BECHEROVKA, observation tower Diana and Grand Hotel Pupp where the James Bond movie Casino Royale was filmed.
Since 1946 the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – FILMOVÝ FESTIVAL KARLOVY VARY – takes place annualy. The festival has established itself as a prestigious international film event.
Other spa cities are MARIÁNSKÉ LÁZNĚ and FRANTIŠKOVY LÁZNĚ.
Bečov Chateau and Castle – ZÁMEK a HRAD BEČOV NAD TEPLOU is one of the most visited historical sites in the Region of Karlovy Vary. Apart from beautiful interiors – PŘEKRÁSNÉ INTERIÉRY, the complex consisting of a castle dating to the 13th century – HRAD ZE 13. STOLETÍ and a chateau built in the 18th century – ZÁMEK Z 18. STOLETÍ also houses the unique Reliquary of Saint Maurus – RELIKVIÁŘ SVATÉHO MAURA , which is regarded as a historical artefact of European significance and one of the most eminent masterpieces of jewel-making. It has been created in the 13th century. It is the second most valued historical relic of its kind – HISTORICKÁ RELIKVIE SVÉHO DRUHU – in the Czech Republic after the crown jewels – KRÁLOVSKÉ KLENOTY.
The Gothic Loket Castle – GOTICKÝ HRAD LOKET has stood on the bank of the Ohře River – NA BŘEHU ŘEKY OHŘE – near Karlovy Vary since the beginning of the 13th century. Loket Castle offers a number of interesting items such as the castle prison with an authentic exhibition of torture instruments – AUTENTICKÁ VÝSTAVA ÚTRPNÉHO PRÁVA, the museum of weapons – MUZEUM ZBRANÍ, and a porcelain exhibition – VÝSTAVA PORCELÁNU.
CHEB is a remarkable historical town near the German border. For several hundred years from its foundation in the 12th century, the castle in Cheb served as a crucial defense point, as well as a representative residence for the emperor’s audiences – REPREZENTAČNÍ SÍDLO CÍSAŘOVÝCH NÁVŠTĚV. The robust defensive Black Tower – OBRANNÁ ČERNÁ VĚŽ, and the unique Romanesque and Gothic Chapel of St. Martin, St. Erhard and Ursula – ROMÁNSKO-GOTICKÁ KAPLE SV. MARTINA, ERHARDA A URŠULY – have been preserved to this day. The historical center of the town of Cheb has been declared an urban monument reserve – MĚSTSKÁ PAMÁTKOVÁ REZERVACE .
Premonstratensian Monastery in Tepla – KLÁŠTER PREMONSTRÁTŮ V TEPLÉ – founded by Blessed Hroznata – BLAHOSLAVENÝ HROZNATA – in 1193, belongs among the most significant complexes in the Czech Republic. It comprises of the Baroque convent – BAROKNÍ KLÁŠTER , the abbey church with a Romanesque chapel – OPATSKÝ KOSTEL S ROMÁNSKOU KAPLÍ and a Gothic presbytery – GOTICKÝ PRESBITÁŘ,the abbey library – OPATSKÁ KNIHOVNA, which is the second largest in the Czech Republic with more than 100,000 volumes of books – KNIHY and manuscripts – SVAZKY, the abbey park, the abbey cemetery, and the museum. The most noteworthy structure is the Church of the Annunciation of the Lord – KOSTEL ZVĚSTOVÁNÍ PANNY MARIE – built between the years 1193 and 1232. The abbey brewery – PIVORAR , hayloft – SENÍK or the granary – SÝPKA, are also a part of the monasterial grounds.
The village of CHLUM SVATÉ MÁŘÍ is a much sought-after pilgrimage site, entwined with interesting legends. According to one of them, a butcher’s apprentice – ŘEZNICKÝ TOVARYŠ – found a statuette of the Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus – SOŠKA PANNY MARIE S DÍTĚTEM – in the middle of a hazel shrub a long time ago. He took it home with him but there was no sign of it the next day. The statuette was once again in the hazel shrub where he had found it the day before. Convinced that it was a sign from God – BOŽÍ ZNAMENÍ, the apprentice built a wooden chapel – DŘEVĚNÁ KAPLE – over the statuette to protect it. Many pilgrims – POUTNÍCI – soon started coming from all over the country. By the end of the 14th century, the wooden chapel was replaced by a small stone church. The present-day Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene – KOSTEL NANEBEVZETÍ PANNY MARIE A SVATÉ MÁŘÍ MAGDALENY – was built and consecrated – VYSVĚCEN – in 1702 and it has remained a popular pilgrimage site ever since.
