And you will think this is the main reason we came here... to hob knob with the stars, eh?
It was a coincidence that I booked our tour to Karlovy Vary the day before the International Film Festival. It was a pretty busy town that day which is quite nice. Everyone was gearing up to THE BIG DAY.
IFF aside, Karlovy Vary is a known spa town in Czech. They have one of hottest concentration of healing springs in Europe.
Citizens can get a prescription from their doctors for a 2 week spa time and they will automatically head down here. I think Germany has the same practice and Germany has a town for spa as well, a "medical" "relaxation" spa. Just don't know if it's as good as this one.
In Dubai, we don't need hot springs... we have have a natural "sauna". Tee hee hee!
It was a coincidence that I booked our tour to Karlovy Vary the day before the International Film Festival. It was a pretty busy town that day which is quite nice. Everyone was gearing up to THE BIG DAY.
IFF aside, Karlovy Vary is a known spa town in Czech. They have one of hottest concentration of healing springs in Europe.
Citizens can get a prescription from their doctors for a 2 week spa time and they will automatically head down here. I think Germany has the same practice and Germany has a town for spa as well, a "medical" "relaxation" spa. Just don't know if it's as good as this one.
In Dubai, we don't need hot springs... we have have a natural "sauna". Tee hee hee!
Typical Eva, the day has to start with either a background of the town or a full immersion at the onset.
On our way to Karlovy Vary, she took out her Becherovka and asked hubby and I to drink it. It is apparently a herbal bitter. The taste was so strong, I don't even know whether it is an alcoholic drink, if it's not, it gave my head a spin for sure!
With the drink, she offered us the traditional wafer of Karlovy Vary, Oplatky. It comes in different flavours but we opted for the chocolate ones when we bought boxes to bring home. I loved the wafer, the Becherovka, not so much.
On our way to Karlovy Vary, she took out her Becherovka and asked hubby and I to drink it. It is apparently a herbal bitter. The taste was so strong, I don't even know whether it is an alcoholic drink, if it's not, it gave my head a spin for sure!
With the drink, she offered us the traditional wafer of Karlovy Vary, Oplatky. It comes in different flavours but we opted for the chocolate ones when we bought boxes to bring home. I loved the wafer, the Becherovka, not so much.
Straight away, from the parking lot we have to pass by Grandhotel Pupp. If you don't know what is Grandhotel Pupp, it is just the hotel where the stars stay at during IFF and the hotel that was featured in Queen Latifa's movie, The Last Holiday.
You still don't know what it is? Watch these clips and get entertained!
You still don't know what it is? Watch these clips and get entertained!
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So of course, one in the list for this town is a dang photo op by the Grandhotel Pupp's grand facade. But we need to stay focus, we came here for the hot spring, eh? So understanding why the town is so popular lesson, here we come!
From Grandhotel Pupp, we walked our way to the Hot Spring Colonnade which houses Vridlo, Spring 1. On our way, we did our competition for the day... paper boat race!
I can't really remember who won. I definitely lost. My boat succumbed to the flat waveless body of water. I think Alex's boat had a head start, then Jason overpowered his, must be the unconventional folding the boy did. Then hubby's boat for some reason went against the stream?
His is the only one that floated upright so he got a special award for that. It was fun. People were wondering "what are these cuckoos cheering about?"
His is the only one that floated upright so he got a special award for that. It was fun. People were wondering "what are these cuckoos cheering about?"
Whoah it was hot! Honestly, the sunny weather was a little too hot for me so going straight away to Hot Spring Colonnade was exactly like sauna :)
The original temperature of Vridlo spring is 73 degrees C, too hot for us! So we opted for the cooled down temp of 30 degrees C. The taste was .... honestly, if it's cooler, it tastes.... well to put it mildly, I didn't really like it. It's like drinking water from a corroded water pipe. Harsh but true....
I know I came from Dubai where summer is hell but the good thing about the UAE is that A/C everywhere is on full blast, summer or not!
In Czech, A/C is not on full blast. It's just barely there to make sure you have the artificial breeze but not too much to overpower the natural one. Actually Europe in general, I heard is like that.
The original temperature of Vridlo spring is 73 degrees C, too hot for us! So we opted for the cooled down temp of 30 degrees C. The taste was .... honestly, if it's cooler, it tastes.... well to put it mildly, I didn't really like it. It's like drinking water from a corroded water pipe. Harsh but true....
I know I came from Dubai where summer is hell but the good thing about the UAE is that A/C everywhere is on full blast, summer or not!
In Czech, A/C is not on full blast. It's just barely there to make sure you have the artificial breeze but not too much to overpower the natural one. Actually Europe in general, I heard is like that.
We bought these babies as a souvenir but also to drink the spring water, local style. We saw everyone carrying these while walking around town, chatting. We should try it too. We asked what it's called, nothing special, it's a "sipping cup". Literally, you can only sip.
The Springs
There are 15 main springs to be exact, I'll just trust that and wouldn't want to actually challenge it. Few of them are far from the rest so we skipped them. We have visited the springs that are located in the colonnades nearby. Those are free, not commercialized, it actually look quaint, if only there's not a herd of tourist in ALL of the colonnades.
The sun, the walk, the heat, frankly I couldn't wait to eat lunch! Let's finish the colonnades and hunt for a shaded place (preferably with A/C) where we can seat and eat fooood!
I'm a foodie after all.
There are 15 main springs to be exact, I'll just trust that and wouldn't want to actually challenge it. Few of them are far from the rest so we skipped them. We have visited the springs that are located in the colonnades nearby. Those are free, not commercialized, it actually look quaint, if only there's not a herd of tourist in ALL of the colonnades.
The sun, the walk, the heat, frankly I couldn't wait to eat lunch! Let's finish the colonnades and hunt for a shaded place (preferably with A/C) where we can seat and eat fooood!
I'm a foodie after all.
These mugs come in different shapes, colours, materials. The only constant in its design is the spout. In the end, we understood why the spout was so small and why really the most you can do is sip from it.
We filled them mugs up, placed the tip to our mouth and sip we did... bleh! It's mineral spring water alright. It tasted like all sorts of metals. You'd think you'll drop down dead from lead poisoning or something. As I said above, the cooler it is, the stronger the after taste is.
Surprisingly, we're all okay. We survived tasting a few of them, I think I tried 5, I got a little dizzy afterwards, not sure if from the heat or the big surge of minerals into my system. Either way, I didn't feel good for awhile.
We filled them mugs up, placed the tip to our mouth and sip we did... bleh! It's mineral spring water alright. It tasted like all sorts of metals. You'd think you'll drop down dead from lead poisoning or something. As I said above, the cooler it is, the stronger the after taste is.
Surprisingly, we're all okay. We survived tasting a few of them, I think I tried 5, I got a little dizzy afterwards, not sure if from the heat or the big surge of minerals into my system. Either way, I didn't feel good for awhile.
| 1. Vridlo spring is the first one we visited. At 73 degrees C, it is the hottest and obviously the most pressurised of them all. It is the geyser in the photos above that shoots up to 12 meters. (Hot Spring Colonnade) 2. Charles IV spring, 64 degrees C, Market Colonnade 3. Market Spring, 65.2 degrees C, Market Colonnade 4. Lower Castle Spring, 55 degrees C, Market Colonnade 5. Libuse Spring, 63 degrees C, Mill Colonnade 6. Mill Spring, 56 degrees C, Mill Collonnade. This is the first spring to be recommended for drinking in 1705. This spring is bottled and distributed all over the world. I am yet to find out if this bottling practice still exists until today. | 7 and 8. Prince Wenceslas Spring 1 and 2, Mill Colonnade. 9. Rock Spring, 46.9 degress C, Mill Colonnade 10. Rusalka Spring, 60 degrees C, Mill Colonnade 11. Freedom Spring, 52.4 degrees C, Freedom Spring Arbour Colonnade 12. Upper Castle Spring, 55.9 degrees C, Castle Colonnade 13. Park Spring, 41.6 degrees C . Popular with guests due to its high carbon dioxide. Park Colonnade 14. Snake Spring, 28.7 degrees C. Less minerals but higher in carbon dioxide. Snake because the spout's shape is a snake. 15. Stepanska Spring, 13 degrees C. Coldest mineral spring among the lot with a high carbon dioxide concentration. |
Colonnades were built as masterpieces by architects and designers to house the springs for locals and guests alike. Comfortable and convenient during harsh weathers. Some of them were initially temporary structures but became a fixture like the Market Colonnade. When we visited, there's a small coffee shop serving snacks and cakes. You can sit down there and people watch, it looked very inviting. According to Eva, that shop is very new, she hasn't seen it before (and she's a local and a tour guide!). As for us, we moved on (though I would have loved to people watch).
Mill Colonnade's original plan was supposed to be a ginormous two story structure but the locals didn't want anything too big for their small town, even so, Mill's arch is still impressive and very much pronounced. If the original plan was bigger than what they have now, THAT IS REALLY BIG!
Mill Colonnade's original plan was supposed to be a ginormous two story structure but the locals didn't want anything too big for their small town, even so, Mill's arch is still impressive and very much pronounced. If the original plan was bigger than what they have now, THAT IS REALLY BIG!
After sipping a lot of spring water and me feeling a little drunk, we walked some more around town.
We saw a Greek Orthodox church, sadly I'm not sure whether a photo was taken. There are a lot of gold designs in it. Apparently, whenever a prayer is answered, parishioners show their gratefulness by donating an item that is either gold plated or gold leaves wrapped or stuck on them. It's very different from Catholic Churches.
We also saw an Anglican Protestant church. We didn't go inside though Jason surely tried.
We head back to the main boulevard and in the street we saw a couple of musical steps. We couldn't figure out which note is which so we mostly just jumped on it and made some awful clanging sound. Some Germans made use of them better by dancing some folk steps, all with interlocking hands and what not.
But it's been a long couple of days, tired and by now, I was really hungry, frankly getting cranky. I was already seeing stars!
We saw a Greek Orthodox church, sadly I'm not sure whether a photo was taken. There are a lot of gold designs in it. Apparently, whenever a prayer is answered, parishioners show their gratefulness by donating an item that is either gold plated or gold leaves wrapped or stuck on them. It's very different from Catholic Churches.
We also saw an Anglican Protestant church. We didn't go inside though Jason surely tried.
We head back to the main boulevard and in the street we saw a couple of musical steps. We couldn't figure out which note is which so we mostly just jumped on it and made some awful clanging sound. Some Germans made use of them better by dancing some folk steps, all with interlocking hands and what not.
But it's been a long couple of days, tired and by now, I was really hungry, frankly getting cranky. I was already seeing stars!
Aaaaand speaking of stars, hungry or not... my priorities are straight... red carpet needs its due respect... so I and Jason must grace it with our presence. I can almost imagine the swarming paparazzi the next day. International stars everywhere? Oooof, heavenly!
Finally food! I enjoyed my ghoulash and enjoyed bits and pieces of everyone's food. It was my first time to have ghoulash, it felt like a warm hug in a cold weather.
I ordered the duck with Czech version of dumpling and cabbage stuff but I tell you, I am not a fan of how they combine salty duck with sweet and sour cabbage side dishes. It's an acquired taste and my taste on this particular meat is the Oriental one.
For sure it's a big hit with the local since our guide seems to be in love with it. I mean, separate each part, I can appreciate it. Together, it sort of put me off and it's nothing to do with the dish, my palate needs more training. So yes, we have to come back to Czech after a year.
I ordered the duck with Czech version of dumpling and cabbage stuff but I tell you, I am not a fan of how they combine salty duck with sweet and sour cabbage side dishes. It's an acquired taste and my taste on this particular meat is the Oriental one.
For sure it's a big hit with the local since our guide seems to be in love with it. I mean, separate each part, I can appreciate it. Together, it sort of put me off and it's nothing to do with the dish, my palate needs more training. So yes, we have to come back to Czech after a year.
It's not over until it's over. Eva book us for our last field trip. A tour of the innards of the hot spring itself. Our new guide showed us the geyser of Vridlov first and explained how the springs were discovered and how it works.
A miniature version of town is in display with indications of where the pipes were inserted.
According to legend, it was by accident that the spring was discovered. Prince Wenceslas was walking through the vicinity when a donkey fell into a water. When they tried to save the donkey, they discovered the hot temperature of the water the donkey is in. That's the legend.
Going back to reality, for a period of time the water was only used for bathing and external healing until it was proven safe to be consumed and proven to be healing.
Initially they let the hot springs where it want to "spring out" but a number of accidents occurred when the pressure is too much and explosions became inevitable.
They then helped eased the hot pressure by inserting pipes that distribute water to different Colonnades and hotels around town.
A miniature version of town is in display with indications of where the pipes were inserted.
According to legend, it was by accident that the spring was discovered. Prince Wenceslas was walking through the vicinity when a donkey fell into a water. When they tried to save the donkey, they discovered the hot temperature of the water the donkey is in. That's the legend.
Going back to reality, for a period of time the water was only used for bathing and external healing until it was proven safe to be consumed and proven to be healing.
Initially they let the hot springs where it want to "spring out" but a number of accidents occurred when the pressure is too much and explosions became inevitable.
They then helped eased the hot pressure by inserting pipes that distribute water to different Colonnades and hotels around town.
Any hotel the bears the seal means they are connected to the towns pipe for natural hot spring.
The guide led us underground, in a really, hot tunnel. Fumes and calcification and build ups of minerals is everywhere.
She showed us a sample of pipes that is replaced where a thick build up of minerals will be impossible to take off. A scheduled maintenance and replacements of pipes is a must to ensure health, safety and hygiene.
In the tunnel are some photos of colonnades and the building stages it went through.
She showed us a sample of pipes that is replaced where a thick build up of minerals will be impossible to take off. A scheduled maintenance and replacements of pipes is a must to ensure health, safety and hygiene.
In the tunnel are some photos of colonnades and the building stages it went through.
Souvenirs processing was also shown where a rose made of a strong paper material is drenched with the hot spring for a few hours and dried for a day. The stages of mineral build up is shown. The white rose turning into rusty-like covered rose. These souvenirs are available for sale in the shops around town.
Souvenirs covered in hot spring mineral varies from vases to mugs to other decorative items that can withstand the process.
Souvenirs covered in hot spring mineral varies from vases to mugs to other decorative items that can withstand the process.
She let us walk outside where we can actually see hot water bubbling from the ground. The whole wet area seems to be abundant of bubbles. She said that there are more springs coming up everyday, everywhere. It is just how the nature of town is. I was drenched in sweat and it's mostly because they are not kidding! It is hot spring! 73 degrees C worth of hot springs everywhere!
Algae were also very visible and so we asked how it affects the water supply. Since algae requires sunlight, water in pipes does not have them.
Algae were also very visible and so we asked how it affects the water supply. Since algae requires sunlight, water in pipes does not have them.
After literally a hot day, hot springs, IFF, jam packed with activity day, we wrapped our last out of town tour and our last day under Eva's guidance. It was indeed a wonderful and memorable journey.
We celebrated the first of the many things we discovered and tried by having a sit down at Grandhotel Pupp's coffee shop. I had coffee ice cream, hubby and Eva had tea, boys had some ice creams and juices. It was a glorious day.
We couldn't be more happy and grateful for the sunny day (though it was hot), our every patient and accommodating guide, Eva and our lovely and wonderful driver Adrien.
Our guide is Eva of Sightseeing Prague. She and Adrienne (our designated driver) fetch us from Prague and brought us to the destination and back today.
Our tours were a mix of education, fun and relaxing moments. It's never too much of everything.
Email: [email protected]
Mobile phone: +420 728 880 367.
Website: http://www.sightseeing-prague.com/en
We celebrated the first of the many things we discovered and tried by having a sit down at Grandhotel Pupp's coffee shop. I had coffee ice cream, hubby and Eva had tea, boys had some ice creams and juices. It was a glorious day.
We couldn't be more happy and grateful for the sunny day (though it was hot), our every patient and accommodating guide, Eva and our lovely and wonderful driver Adrien.
Our guide is Eva of Sightseeing Prague. She and Adrienne (our designated driver) fetch us from Prague and brought us to the destination and back today.
Our tours were a mix of education, fun and relaxing moments. It's never too much of everything.
Email: [email protected]
Mobile phone: +420 728 880 367.
Website: http://www.sightseeing-prague.com/en
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