Secrets of Karlovy Vary's Forest Trails: Why Walking Was Part of Spa Treatment

When you come to Karlovy Vary today, most visitors first head to the springs. A spa cup in hand, a slow walk along the colonnade, and a taste of mineral water – this is an image we know from photographs and our own experience.

However, few people know that the spa treatment included not only drinking mineral water but also regular exercise in the surrounding forests. The Karlovy Vary forest trails, viewpoints, and gazebos were not created just for romantic excursions. They were part of a well-thought-out health care system that functioned more than two centuries ago. Doctors at that time literally prescribed walking to their patients as part of the cure.

When the spa doctor prescribed a walk

In the 18th and 19th centuries, people from all over Europe came to Karlovy Vary primarily to treat digestive, liver, gallbladder, and metabolic diseases. However, the treatment was not just about drinking mineral water and medical procedures.

Spa doctors knew very well that mineral water works best in combination with exercise and fresh air.

A typical spa day therefore looked roughly like this:

• before breakfast, a drinking cure from the springs + a slow walk along the colonnades
• medical procedures as indicated
• before lunch, a drinking cure from the springs + a slow walk along the colonnades
• afternoon procedures or a walk into the surrounding forests and hills
• rest in a gazebo, at a viewpoint, or a forest café
• drinking cure before dinner + a slow walk along the colonnades

Notice that this regimen included a fair amount of exercise, which helped stimulate metabolism, supported digestion, and simultaneously calmed the nervous system.

Karlovy Vary is not just a city of springs, it is also a city of spa forests and parks.

Forests as natural therapy

The spa forests of Karlovy Vary are still among the most extensive urban forest complexes in Europe. In the vicinity of the city, there are over 180 kilometers of marked spa trails.

These were built from the 18th century specifically for the needs of spa guests.

The trails are designed to:

• lead at a pleasant pace uphill
• offer resting places
• provide views of the city, its surroundings, and the Teplá River valley

Walking in hilly terrain naturally promotes blood circulation, breathing, and metabolism. And this was precisely why it was part of spa treatment.

Most famous viewpoints and spa gazebos

Jelení skok (Deer's Leap)

One of the most famous viewpoints in Karlovy Vary offers an iconic view of the historical city center. According to legend, Emperor Charles IV discovered the healing springs here.

Today, it is a popular destination for a short spa walk.

More information can be found here

St. Linhart

The forests around Linhart are among the quieter parts of Karlovy Vary. Here you will find extensive trails, viewpoints, and popular game preserves with fallow deer and deer. It is an ideal place for a longer walk or light hiking.

More information can be found here

Diana

The Diana Observation Tower is one of the most visited places in the city. It offers a beautiful view of the entire Karlovy Vary and the surrounding landscape. You can get up by cable car, but a slow walk on the "Friendship Path" has much more charm: Instead of the main asphalt road, choose the winding forest path marked with historical signs. It's steeper, but that's the real "cure".

More information can be found here

Where to go if you want to escape the crowds and discover hidden gems?

Most tourists end up at Jelení skok. But the Karlovy Vary forests offer over 180 kilometers of trails. If you are looking for peace and the authentic atmosphere of spa trails, try these lesser-known destinations:

• Altán u obrazu (Russel's Path): A hidden wooden gazebo in the deep forests above Březová. The path to it is gentle, and you will be surrounded by silence that you won't find on the colonnade.
• Findlater's Gazebo: A romantic structure above the valley of the Teplá River. It offers one of the most beautiful views of the city, and yet you will often be completely alone here.
• Camera Obscura Viewpoint: A true "cinema" of the 19th century. Here, thanks to an optical phenomenon, guests used to watch a live image of the landscape projected onto the walls of the gazebo. Today, it is an ideal place for a panoramic view of the Vřídlo spring in the picturesque valley.

Movement and minerals: a natural connection

When exercising in fresh air, the body naturally loses fluids and minerals. And that is why walking in Karlovy Vary has always been associated with drinking mineral water from the local springs.

Minerals contained in the thermal water help the body replenish electrolytes and maintain the internal balance of the organism. This simple principle worked two hundred years ago and still works today.

How to do a drinking cure in the field?

Whether you head into the Karlovy Vary hills or for a walk anywhere else, you can draw inspiration from the spa tradition of Karlovy Vary.

Prepare water with dissolved Karlovy Vary thermal salt in your sports bottle or simply drop in one effervescent tablet. This will turn ordinary water into a functional drink full of minerals and electrolytes that help the body replenish what it naturally loses during exercise. Your body will thus receive the necessary support even before the first fatigue sets in.

Next time you venture into the Karlovy Vary forests, remember the generations of spa guests before you. You are not just going for a walk; you are going for health. And with a pinch of thermal salt in your pocket, your journey can be even more enjoyable.

Find out more about Karlovy Vary thermal salt

Photo source: Karlovy Vary City Information Center. Available from: www.karlovyvary.cz.