Things to do in Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad)

Mariánské Lázně is a health resort in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. The town, surrounded by green mountains, is a mosaic of parks and noble houses, most of which come from the town’s Golden Era in the second half of the 19th century. That time when many celebrities and top European rulers came to enjoy the curative carbon dioxide springs. The elite of Europe and beyond visited this little sister of Karlovy Vary that is set among the rolling green hills of West Bohemia. Goethe, Chopin, Bismarck and HRH King Edward II all gave it glowing recommendations and Mark Twain was even tempted to become a hypochondriac here.

Marianske Lazne means beautiful wellness parks, romantic colonnades, charming pavilions, cozy hotels and pleasant cafes. The town attracts thousands of visitors every year who come to soak up this atmosphere and bathe in the many healing mineral springs and revels in a unique atmosphere. It is a place where history meets today. Where a pleasant holiday means everything from relaxation through to actively participating in sports & walks and finally ending your day relaxing to a variety of entertainment programs. It offers you a vast variety of natural mineral springs among with magnificent parks and varied architecture and additionally many choices of cultural/entertainment programs and access to many sporting activities. Walking or cycling through the forest and parks is one of the ideal forms of relaxing regeneration of energy for spa guests. Walks around the town and surroundings offer unforgettable and unexpected views over the town.

The Singing Fountain is one of the dominant features of Mariánské Lázně. There is a daily program of music played as the fountain springs into life. The fountain is a circular pool, 18m in diameter with a 12-piece stone sculpture of stylized flower forms and a polished steel center piece in the middle. The fountain is made up of a water jet system that in total contains more than 250 nozzles, the center jet capable of reaching a height of six meters. The whole thing is computerized enabling it to produce a very creative and varied combination of effects which can include colored lights embedded in the pool. The fountain’s ability to put on such dramatic shows was the work of academic architect Pavel Mikšík. Each year on 30th April at 9 pm, the fountain puts on its first performance of the new tourist season. The official close of the season comes on 31st October at 8 pm when the fountain puts on its final show.

The top attraction of the town is its 100 mineral springs with high carbon dioxide content and often also higher iron content, both in the town itself and its surroundings. The different chemical composition of the town’s numerous springs makes it the perfect place to treat a wide variety of ailments. Most of them are well-kept and often pavilions and/or colonnades are built around them. The local springs containing a variety of minerals are the basic resource used in numerous spa treatments available. In the countryside around the town some 100 springs rise from the ground and within the town itself there are 40 springs.

The various mineral springs are now sheltered by pavilions and colonnades that have been built over them over the years, all of which helps create the town’s special wellness ambience. The most notable ones are: Křížový pramen (Cross Spring), Rudolfův pramen (Rudolph’s Spring), Karolinin pramen (Caroline’s Spring), Ferdinandův pramen (Ferdinand’s Spring), Ambrožovy prameny (Ambrose’s Springs) , Lesní pramen (Forest Spring) , Zpívající fontána (Singing Fountain)

Something’s got to soak up all that mineral water, so take a spa wafer break. Many shops sell these popular thin wafers filled with delicious things such as hazelnut and chocolate just down the pedestrian street from the Cross-Spring Colonnade.

Because of the diverse number of visitors the town is able to maintain churches of several denominations. These include the Anglican Church designed by the notable Victorian architect William Burges and founded by Lady Anna Scott in memory of her husband who died in Mariánské Lázně in 1867. It is no longer in use as a place of worship and is now a concert hall.

Another unmissable sight in Marianske Lazne is the Colonnade (the Kolonada).  The main colonnade in Marianske Lazne is one of the most beautiful ones in the Czech Republic. The locals call it the Colonnade of Maxim Gorky and it is one of the main symbols of the city. It was built in the Neo-Baroque style at the end of the 19^th century and its designer was inspired by the Viennese style that was then fashionable. A graceful cast iron structure, it’s a bit sleepy but it’s the spine of the spa zone, connecting the Singing Fountain with the Cross Spring Pavilion. The construction survived both World Wars, which unfortunately cannot be said about other parts of the city. Nowadays it is surrounded by a large park with the Cross Pavilion and one of forty city springs. From the Colonnade, it is only a few steps to shops with renowned spa wafers that you will never forget, and the main street full of restaurants and bars.

Park Boheminium is a 2 minute walk from Rubezahl castle hotel and is an educational and leisure area on the eastern edge of Mariánské Lázně featuring detailed models of the most important historical buildings and technical monuments in the Czech Republic. For every visitor, a walk through Boheminium Park is an exciting experience. In addition to the beautiful landscape, you will see more than 70 smaller copies of famous historical monuments located in the Czech Republic. On a 1:25 scale there is Karlstejn Castle, Cervena Lhota Castle, telecommunication tower on Jested Mountain or the stone bridge in Pisek.

The Parks of Marianske Lazne

If you like hikes and strolls, walking some of the many historical trails is one of the top outdoorsy things to do in Marianske Lazne. You’ll have fun checking out the Goethe Trail, Royal Trail, Mitterach Trail and the Edward Trail, though it is a challenge for anyone to stay on any particular one, and usually ends up zigzagging along two or three before landing up back in town. A map from the tourist board or your hotel, or a quick study through the info boards will help you find the trailheads. No doubt at some point you’ll land up at the Geological Park, a trail through the beech forest that highlights no end of rocks and flora and will get you well acquainted with the geology of the region.