2019-04-20
Karlovy Vary & Plzeň

I start my day early in Plzeň. Before my companions awake I go out of the hotel to visit the city.

The Cathedral of St. Bartholomew is located in the main square. Apart from the beautiful architectural construction, the square hosts a small street market. I purchase some delicious pastry for breakfast.

Plzeň is a modern city with a beautiful city centre. Buildings are clean and in very good shape. It's a pleasure to wander around the city for a couple of hours. I especially liked Mestský Park, Velká Synagoga (the second largest synagogue in Europe), and the buildings in the main square.

We repeat the same pattern that days before. The two golfers go to play meanwhile I and my Czech friend go to see a new city.

Karlovy Vary has been a touristic city for a very long time, there were 134 families visiting the city in 1756, by 1911 there were 71000 guests. It has numerous hot springs and it is possible to drink water from many of them. Tourists use a small spa cup for drinking hot and salty water. I get mine in one of the many souvenir shops. A little caution before drinking is recommended as the hottest spring has a temperature above 70°C!

All along the river, it is possible to see historical buildings. Only the Spa Hotel Thermal breaks the view with its brutalist style. It was built in 1976 and hosts the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The big pool with views of the city seems closed. 

"Karlovy Vary is a spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá. It is named after Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and the King of Bohemia, who founded the city. Karlovy Vary is the site of numerous hot springs (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River), and is the most visited spa town in the Czech Republic." .- Karlovy Vary. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

I go to buy one of the touristic porcelain spa cup, but i just realize that I do not have cash on my and they do not accept credit cards. A friend of a friend hands me the money and says that it is a gift. So, I get a fantastic gift today.

As it begins to get late, we do a quick stop for some street food.

We don't do anything special. Just to walk along the river and enjoy the view is enough to make time fly. We have a kick snack at the riverside and continue our stroll thru the city.

After lunch, we go to the golf course to get our friends and drive back to Prague.