Editing Karlovy Vary

{{Short description|Statutory city in the Czech Republic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Karlovy Vary
| other_name              = Karlsbad
| settlement_type         = [[Statutory city (Czech Republic)|Statutory city]]
<!-- images -->
| image_skyline           = Karlovy Vary Czech.jpg
| image_caption           = Aerial view of Karlovy Vary
| image_flag              = Karlovy Vary (CZE) - flag.gif
| image_shield            = Karlovy Vary COA.svg
| image_blank_emblem      = Karlovy Vary Logo.png
| blank_emblem_type       = [[Wordmark]]
<!-- location -->
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{CZE}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[Regions of the Czech Republic|Region]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Karlovy Vary Region|Karlovy Vary]]
| subdivision_type2       = [[Districts of the Czech Republic|District]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[Karlovy Vary District|Karlovy Vary]]
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
| image_map               = 
| map_caption             = 
| pushpin_map             = Czech Republic
| pushpin_relief          = 1
| pushpin_map_caption     = Location in the Czech Republic
| coordinates             = {{Coord|50|13|50|N|12|52|21|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
<!-- government type, leaders -->
| leader_title            = Mayor
| leader_name             = Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová
| leader_party            = [[ANO (political party)|ANO]]
<!-- established -->
| established_title       = Founded around
| established_date        = 1349
<!-- area -->
| area_footnotes          = 
| area_total_km2          = 59.08
<!-- elevation -->
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 447
<!-- population -->
| population_as_of        = 2025-01-01
| population_footnotes    = <ref>{{cite web|title=Population of Municipalities – 1 January 2025|url=https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/population-of-municipalities-t4l3n8d2iw|publisher=[[Czech Statistical Office]]|date=2025-05-16}}</ref>
| population_total        = 49073
| population_density_km2  = auto
<!-- time zone(s) -->
| timezone1               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset1             = +1
| timezone1_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = +2
<!-- postal codes, area code -->
| postal_code_type        = Postal codes
| postal_code             = 360 01, 360 06, 360 07,<br />360 17, 360 18, 364 64
| area_code_type          = 
| area_code               = 
<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website                 = {{URL|https://mmkv.cz/}}
| module                  = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
 | child = yes
 | WHS = Františkovy Lázně
 | Part_of = [[The Great Spa Towns of Europe]]
 | Criteria = {{UNESCO WHS type|(ii)(iii)}}(ii)(iii)
 | ID = 1613
 | Year = 2021
}}
| footnotes               =
}}
'''Karlovy Vary''' ({{IPA|cs|ˈkarlovɪ ˈvarɪ|-|Cs-Karlovy Vary.ogg}}; {{langx|de|Karlsbad}}, formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a [[spa town|spa city]] in the [[Karlovy Vary Region]] of the [[Czech Republic]]. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is located at the confluence of the [[Ohře]] and [[Teplá (river)|Teplá]] rivers.

Karlovy Vary is named after [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor]] and the [[King of Bohemia]], who founded the city in the 14th century. The site of numerous [[hot spring]]s, the city grew into a spa resort in the 19th century and was a popular destination for the European aristocracy and other luminaries. Karlovy Vary's rapid growth was brought to an end by the outbreak of [[World War I]]. After the [[Velvet Revolution]] in 1989, Karlovy Vary once again became a major tourist destination.

Karlovy Vary is the most visited spa town in the Czech Republic. In 2021, the city became part of the transnational UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] under the name "[[Great Spa Towns of Europe]]" because of its spas and architecture from the 18th through 20th centuries. The historic city centre with the spa cultural landscape is well preserved and is protected as an [[Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations|urban monument reservation]].

==Administrative division==
Karlovy Vary consists of 15 municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):<ref>{{cite web |title=Public Census 2021 – basic data|url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt-parametry&z=T&f=TABULKA&sp=A&skupId=4690&katalog=33475&pvo=SLD21043-CO|work=Public Database|publisher=[[Czech Statistical Office]]|language=cs|date=2022}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=12em}}
*Karlovy Vary (11,539)
*Bohatice (2,317)
*Čankov (110)
*Cihelny (16)
*Doubí (2,049)
*Drahovice (6,796)
*Dvory (1,884)
*Hůrky (304)
*Olšová Vrata (379)
*Počerny (325)
*Rosnice (185)
*Rybáře (9,204)
*Sedlec (570)
*Stará Role (7,614)
*Tašovice (1,031)
{{div col end}}

Cihelny forms an [[Enclave and exclave|exclave]] of the municipal territory.

==Etymology==
The city is named after its founder [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]]. The name Karlovy Vary means "Charles' Baths". The city was also colloquially called ''Warmbad'' (German for 'hot bath').<ref>{{cite web |title=Brno jako bahniště a ve Zlíně žil zlý člověk. Jak vznikla jména měst|url=https://www.idnes.cz/cestovani/po-cesku/nazvy-mest-praha-brno-plzen-zlin-jihlava-liberec.A180613_105008_po-cesku_hig|work=iDNES.cz|language=cs|date=2018-06-17|access-date=2022-04-30}}</ref>

==Geography==
Karlovy Vary is located about {{convert|106|km}} west of [[Prague]]. The northern part of the municipal territory with most of the built-up area lies in a relatively flat landscape of the [[Sokolov Basin]]. The southern part, including the valley of the [[Teplá (river)|Teplá]] River, lies in a hilly landscape of the [[Slavkov Forest]] and in the eponymous protected landscape area. The highest point is the hill Vítkův vrch at {{convert|642|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level.

The city lies at the confluence of the [[Ohře]] (which flows across the city) with the Teplá and [[Rolava]] rivers. There are several small bodies of water in the northern half of the Karlovy Vary territory. The most notable is the natural reservoir Rolava, which is located right in the centre of the city. It is used for recreational purposes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Koupaliště Rolava|url=https://www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity/koupaliste-rolava|publisher=CzechTourism|language=cs|access-date=2023-11-07}}</ref>

===Climate===
Karlovy Vary's climate is classified as [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dclo''). Among them, the annual average temperature is {{convert|7.4|C}}, the hottest month in July is {{convert|17.2|C}}, and the coldest month is {{convert|-1.8|C}} in January. The annual precipitation is {{convert|568.4|mm}}, of which June is the wettest with {{convert|71.1|mm}}, while February is the driest with only {{Convert|27.8|mm}}. The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from {{convert|-25.1|C}} on 21 December 1969 to {{convert|35.8|C}} on 27 July 1983 and 20 August 2012.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Karlovy Vary (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1961-present)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 14.2
|Feb record high C = 16.4
|Mar record high C = 21.8
|Apr record high C = 27.7
|May record high C = 31.0
|Jun record high C = 34.5
|Jul record high C = 35.8
|Aug record high C = 35.8
|Sep record high C = 31.0
|Oct record high C = 24.7
|Nov record high C = 17.0
|Dec record high C = 14.5
|year record high C = 35.8
|Jan high C = 0.6
|Feb high C = 2.2
|Mar high C = 6.6
|Apr high C = 12.7
|May high C = 17.1
|Jun high C = 20.6
|Jul high C = 22.6
|Aug high C = 22.4
|Sep high C = 17.2
|Oct high C = 11.4
|Nov high C = 5.1
|Dec high C = 1.3
|year high C = 11.7
|Jan mean C = -1.8
|Feb mean C = -1.0
|Mar mean C = 2.4
|Apr mean C = 7.5
|May mean C = 12.0
|Jun mean C = 15.4
|Jul mean C = 17.2
|Aug mean C = 16.7
|Sep mean C = 12.0
|Oct mean C = 7.2
|Nov mean C = 2.4
|Dec mean C = -0.9
|year mean C = 7.4
|Jan low C = -4.6
|Feb low C = -4.4
|Mar low C = -1.6
|Apr low C = 1.7
|May low C = 5.9
|Jun low C = 9.1
|Jul low C = 11.0
|Aug low C = 10.6
|Sep low C = 7.0
|Oct low C = 3.4
|Nov low C = -0.3
|Dec low C = -3.5
|year low C = 2.9
|Jan record low C = -23.4
|Feb record low C = -23.2
|Mar record low C = -19.5
|Apr record low C = -11.1
|May record low C = -5.4
|Jun record low C = -1.7
|Jul record low C = 0.8
|Aug record low C = 1.5
|Sep record low C = -2.8
|Oct record low C = -9.5
|Nov record low C = -14.0
|Dec record low C = -25.1
|year record low C = -25.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 35.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 27.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 34.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 29.9
|May precipitation mm = 56.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 71.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 68.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 67.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 55.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 43.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 38.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 40.8
|year precipitation mm = 568.4
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 9.0
|Feb precipitation days = 7.2
|Mar precipitation days = 8.3
|Apr precipitation days = 6.9
|May precipitation days = 9.7
|Jun precipitation days = 10.3
|Jul precipitation days = 10.7
|Aug precipitation days = 9.4
|Sep precipitation days = 8.1
|Oct precipitation days = 8.5
|Nov precipitation days = 8.5
|Dec precipitation days = 9.2
|year precipitation days = 105.9
|Jan snow cm = 28.9
|Feb snow cm = 23.1
|Mar snow cm = 12.0
|Apr snow cm = 1.7
|May snow cm = 0.0
|Jun snow cm = 0.0
|Jul snow cm = 0.0
|Aug snow cm = 0.0
|Sep snow cm = 0.0
|Oct snow cm = 0.9
|Nov snow cm = 10.8
|Dec snow cm = 24.6
|year snow cm = 101.9
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 87.4
|Feb humidity = 83.1
|Mar humidity = 78.0
|Apr humidity = 69.2
|May humidity = 69.1
|Jun humidity = 69.8
|Jul humidity = 69.4
|Aug humidity = 71.7
|Sep humidity = 79.4
|Oct humidity = 85.0
|Nov humidity = 89.8
|Dec humidity = 89.6
|year humidity = 78.5
|Jan sun = 44.2
|Feb sun = 75.3
|Mar sun = 116.0
|Apr sun = 177.9
|May sun = 209.5
|Jun sun = 213.9
|Jul sun = 229.0
|Aug sun = 222.9
|Sep sun = 154.9
|Oct sun = 100.5
|Nov sun = 41.2
|Dec sun = 33.8
|year sun = 1619.0
|source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]]<ref>{{cite web |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Karlovy Vary|url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/CzechRepublic/CSV/KarlovyVary_11414.csv|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date=2024-01-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904120801/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/CzechRepublic/CSV/KarlovyVary_11414.csv|archive-date=2024-09-04}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[Czech Hydrometeorological Institute]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Teplota vzduchu v jednotlivé kalendářní dny|url=https://www.envidata.cz/dataAnalysis/meteoKlima/T.php?ID=L3KVAL01&type=graphMD|publisher=[[Czech Hydrometeorological Institute]]|date=2023-12-23|language=cs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240904120957/https://www.envidata.cz/dataAnalysis/meteoKlima/T.php?ID=L3KVAL01&type=graphMD|archive-date=2024-09-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Množství nového sněhu v jednotlivé měsíce v jednotlivé roky|url=https://www.envidata.cz/dataAnalysis/meteoKlima/N.php?ID=L3KVAL01&type=graphMY|publisher=Czech Hydrometeorological Institute|language=cs|access-date=2024-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106210432/https://www.envidata.cz/dataAnalysis/meteoKlima/N.php?ID=L3KVAL01&type=graphMY|archive-date=2024-11-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Průměrná relativní vlhkost vzduchu v jednotlivé měsíce v jednotlivé roky|url=https://www.envidata.cz/dataAnalysis/meteoKlima/H.php?ID=L3KVAL01&type=graphMY|publisher=Czech Hydrometeorological Institute|language=cs|access-date=2024-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241106210556/https://www.envidata.cz/dataAnalysis/meteoKlima/H.php?ID=L3KVAL01&type=graphMY|archive-date=2024-11-06}}</ref>}}

==History==
[[File:Carlsbad (Merian).jpg|thumb|Karlovy Vary, 1650; engraving by [[Matthäus Merian the Elder|Matthäus Merian]]]]
An ancient late [[Bronze Age]] fortified settlement was found in Drahovice. A [[Slavs|Slavic]] settlement on the site of Karlovy Vary is documented by findings in Tašovice and Sedlec. People lived in close proximity to the site as far back as the 13th century and they must have been aware of the curative effects of thermal springs.<ref name=history>{{cite web |title=Založení Karlových Varů a Karel IV.|url=https://mmkv.cz/sites/default/files/krl/rl08kvetenpriloha1.pdf|publisher=City of Karlovy Vary|language=cs|access-date=2021-06-01}}</ref>

From the end of the 12th century to the early 13th century, German settlers from nearby German-speaking regions came as settlers, craftsmen and miners to develop the region's economy. Eventually, Karlovy Vary/Karlsbad became a town with a German-speaking population.<ref>{{cite book|title=Deutsche und Tschechen: Geschichte, Kultur, Politik|author=Walter Koschmal |author2=Marek Nekula |author3=Joachim Rogall |publisher=C.H. Beck|year=2001|pages=338–39}}</ref>

In 1325, Obora, a village in today's city area, was mentioned. Karlovy Vary as a small spa settlement was founded most likely around 1349.<ref name=history/> According to legend, [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] organized an expedition into the forests surrounding modern-day Karlovy Vary during a stay in [[Loket]]. It is said that his party once discovered a hot spring by accident, and thanks to the water from the spring, Charles IV healed his injured leg.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historie a současnost Karlových Varů|url=http://www.karlovy-vary.cz/cz/o-karlovych-varech/historie-a-soucasnost|publisher=City of Karlovy Vary|language=cs|access-date=2021-06-01}}</ref> On the site of a spring, he established a spa mentioned as ''in dem warmen Bade bey dem Elbogen'' in German, or ''Horké Lázně u Lokte'' (''Hot Spas at the Loket'').<ref>{{cite book|title=Zeměpisná jména Československa: slovník vybraných zeměpisných jmen s výkladem jejich původu a historického vývoje|author=Ivan Lutterer, Milan Majtán, Rudolf Šrámek|year=1982|language=cs}}</ref> The location was subsequently named "Karlovy Vary" after the emperor. Charles IV granted the town privileges on 14 August 1370. Earlier settlements can also be found on the outskirts of today's city.<ref name=history/>

===19th and 20th centuries===
[[File:Marktplatz in Karlsbad in the 1850s.jpg|thumb|Karlovy Vary in 1850]]
An important political event took place in the city in 1819, with the issuing of the [[Carlsbad Decrees]] following a conference there. Initiated by the Austrian Minister of State [[Klemens von Metternich]], the decrees were intended to implement anti-liberal censorship within the [[German Confederation]].

Due to publications produced by physicians such as David Becher and [[Josef von Löschner]], the city developed into a spa resort in the 19th century and was visited by many members of European aristocracy as well as celebrities from many fields of endeavour. It became even more popular after railway lines were completed from [[Prague]] to [[Cheb]] in 1870.

The number of visitors rose from 134 families in the 1756 season to 26,000 guests annually at the end of the 19th century.{{cn|date=December 2023}} The greatest year for tourism was 1911, when the number of visitors reached 70,956.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zázemí Imperialu nabízelo všechen myslitelný luxus|url=https://karlovarsky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/zazemi-imperialu-nabizelo-vsechen-myslitelny-luxus-20120616.html|publisher=Deník.cz|language=cs|date=2012-06-16|access-date=2023-12-29}}</ref> World War I ended the development of tourism. Other disasters for tourism were the world economic crisis and the beginning of World War II.<ref name=lazenstvi>{{cite web |title=Lázeňství a prameny|url=https://www.karlovy-vary.cz/cz/o-karlovych-varech/lazenstvi-a-prameny|website=karlovy-vary.cz|language=cs|access-date=2024-02-29}}</ref>

At the end of World War I in 1918, the large [[Germans in Czechoslovakia (1918–1938)|German-speaking population]] of Bohemia was incorporated into the new state of [[Czechoslovakia]] in accordance with the [[Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919)]]. As a result, the German-speaking majority of Karlovy Vary protested. A demonstration on 4 March 1919 passed peacefully, but later that month, six demonstrators were killed by Czech troops after a demonstration became unruly.<ref>{{cite web |title=Zdeněk Vališ: 4. březen 1919 v Kadani|url=http://www.virtually.cz/art.php?art=9442|publisher=Virtually.cz|access-date=2013-03-26}}</ref>

According to the 1930 census, the city was home to 23,901 inhabitants – 20,856 were ethnic Germans, 1,446 were Czechoslovaks (Czechs or Slovaks), 243 were Jews, 19 were Hungarians and 12 were Poles.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fidler|first1=Jiří|last2=Sluka|first2=Václav|title=Encyklopedie branné moci Republiky Československé|publisher=Libra|language=cs|year=2006}}</ref>

In 1938, the city was annexed by [[Nazi Germany]] according to the terms of the [[Munich Agreement]] and administered as part of the [[Reichsgau Sudetenland]]. During [[World War II]], the Germans established a [[Gestapo]] prison here.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gestapogefängnis Karlsbad|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=1986|website=bundesarchiv.de|language=de|access-date=2023-12-02}}</ref> After the war, in accordance with the [[Potsdam Agreement]] and [[Beneš decrees]], most German inhabitants were [[expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia|expelled]].

After the [[Velvet Revolution]] in 1989, spas and tourism began to develop rapidly again. The spa buildings were reconstructed and the spa became competitive again within Europe.<ref name=lazenstvi/> The spa became popular with Russian clientele, and brought many Russian investors and developers to the city and its surroundings.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ruští podnikatelé mění tvář Varů. Staví luxusní byty, sruby i celé vesnice|url=https://www.idnes.cz/bydleni/stavba/rusti-podnikatele-meni-tvar-varu-stavi-luxusni-byty-sruby-i-cele-vesnice.A091115_125841_stavba_web|work=iDNES.cz|language=cs|date=2009-11-18|access-date=2024-02-29}}</ref>

==Demographics==
In 2017, non-Czech residents were around 7% of the population of the Karlovy Vary region. After Prague, this is the highest proportion in the Czech Republic. The largest group of foreigners were [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]], followed by [[Germans]], [[Ukrainians]] and [[Russians]].<ref>{{cite news |title=V Karlovarském kraji se líbí cizincům |url=https://karlovarsky.denik.cz/zpravy_region/v-karlovarskem-kraji-se-libi-cizincum-20170714.html |work=Karlovarský deník |date=14 July 2017 |language=cs}}</ref>
{{historical populations
|align=none|cols=3
|1869|14185
|1880|22318
|1890|28629
|1900|42653
|1910|52808
|1921|53112
|1930|63506
|1950|41136
|1961|50034
|1970|52310
|1980|56992
|1991|56054
|2001|53358
|2011|48639
|2021|44323
|source=Censuses<ref>{{cite web |title=Historický lexikon obcí České republiky 1869–2011|url=https://csu.gov.cz/produkty/historicky-lexikon-obci-1869-az-2015|publisher=[[Czech Statistical Office]]|language=cs|date=2015-12-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Population Census 2021: Population by sex|url=https://vdb.czso.cz/vdbvo2/faces/en/index.jsf?page=vystup-objekt-parametry&z=T&f=TABULKA&sp=A&skupId=4429&katalog=33515&pvo=SLD21001-OB-OK|work=Public Database|publisher=[[Czech Statistical Office]]|date=2021-03-27}}</ref>}}

==Economy==
The city's economy is focused on services and only small and medium-sized industrial enterprises are based in it. The main industry is the food and beverage industry, characterized by the bottling of mineral waters and the production of unique delicacies. The largest industrial employer based in the city is [[Mattoni|Mattoni 1873]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Registr ekonomických subjektů|url=https://www.czso.cz/csu/res/registr_ekonomickych_subjektu|work=Business Register|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|language=cs|access-date=2023-03-27}}</ref> Karlovy Vary is known for the popular Czech [[liqueur]] ''[[Becherovka]]'', which has been produced here since 1807. The ''Karlovarské oplatky'' (Carlsbad [[wafer]]s) originated in the city in 1867. The city has also lent its name to "Carlsbad plums", candied stuffed [[prune plum]]s.

The other important industries are the production of glass and porcelain. Karlovy Vary is known for the [[lead glass]] manufacturer [[Moser Glass]] founded in 1857, which is considered the most luxurious Czech brand.<ref>{{cite news |title=Studie: Nejluxusnější českou značkou je Moser|url=https://www.mediaguru.cz/clanky/2016/08/studie-nejluxusnejsi-ceskou-znackou-je-moser/|work=MediaGuru.cz|language=cs|date=2016-08-11}}</ref>

The [[Karlovy Vary agglomeration]] was defined as a tool for drawing money from the [[European Structural and Investment Funds]]. It is an area that includes the city and its surroundings, linked to the city by commuting and migration. It has about 138,000 inhabitants.

===Spa===
[[File:Karlovy Vary colonnade 1..jpg|thumb|[[Mill Colonnade]]]]
Karlovy Vary is the most visited spa town in the Czech Republic.<ref>{{cite web |title=Návštěvnost českých lázní|url=http://www.e-lazne.eu/public/blog/clanek/navstevnost-ceskych-lazni|publisher=E-lazne.eu|language=cs|date=2021-12-31|access-date=2023-01-20}}</ref> As the principal city on the West Bohemian Spa Triangle and the largest spa complex in Europe, Karlovy Vary has over 80 springs.<ref name="nominate">{{cite report |title=Nomination of the Great Spas of Europe for inclusion on the World Heritage List|url=http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1613/documents/|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|access-date=21 August 2021}}</ref> They are a part of the [[Eger Graben]], a tectonically active region in western Bohemia. Although the infiltration area is several hundred square kilometres, each spring has the same hydrological origins, and therefore shares the same dissolved minerals and chemical formula. The hottest of the springs can approach 74 °C, while the coldest have temperatures under 40 degrees. All of the springs combined provide roughly 2,000 litres of water every minute.<ref name="nominate"/>

==Transport==
Local buses (Dopravní podnik Karlovy Vary) and [[cable car (railway)|cable car]]s take passengers to most areas of the city. The [[Imperial funicular]] is the oldest tunnel funicular in Europe and the steepest in the Czech Republic, the [[Diana funicular]] was at the time of commissioning the longest funicular in [[Austria-Hungary]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Nejstarší tunelová lanovka v Evropě slaví 100 let|url=https://www.idnes.cz/technet/technika/nejstarsi-tunelova-lanovka-v-evrope-slavi-100-let.A070522_234640_tec_technika_rja|work=iDNES.cz|date=2007-05-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Karlovy Vary – Unikátní lázně, do kterých se sjíždí celý svět|url=https://www.stream.cz/toulky-karlovarskym-krajem/10026279-karlovy-vary-svetove-proslule-lazne-stoji-za-to-navstivit?rss&dop-ab-variant=1&seq-no=1|work=Stream.cz|language=cs}}</ref>

The city is accessible via the [[D6 motorway (Czech Republic)|D6 motorway]] and inter-city public transport options include inter-city buses, [[České dráhy]], and [[Deutsche Bahn]] via the [[Karlovy Vary–Johanngeorgenstadt railway]]. [[Karlovy Vary Airport]] is an international airport located {{convert|4.5|km|0}} southeast from the city centre, at the village of Olšová Vrata.

==Culture==
[[File:Karlsbad-Kirche.jpg|thumb|160px|Church of St. Mary Magdalene]]
In the 19th century, Karlovy Vary became a popular tourist destination, especially known for international celebrities who visited for spa treatment. The city is also known for the [[Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]], which is one of the oldest in the world and one of Europe's major film events.

The city has been used as the location for a number of film-shoots, including the 2006 films ''[[Last Holiday (2006 film)|Last Holiday]]'' and ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'', both of which used the city's [[Grandhotel Pupp]] in different guises. Moreover, the Palace Bristol Hotel in Karlovy Vary was used as a model for ''[[The Grand Budapest Hotel]]''.

==Sport==
Karlovy Vary is home to the top-tier ice hockey club [[HC Karlovy Vary]], and the top-tier volleyball club [[VK Karlovarsko]].

The city is also represented by the football club [[FC Slavia Karlovy Vary]], which plays in the third tier of the [[Czech Republic football league system|Czech football system]].

==Sights==
Karlovy Vary is notable for its large concentration of monuments and architecturally valuable buildings. The origin of most of them is connected with the spa tradition of the city. Since 2018, the spa centre of the city along the Teplá river and the wider surroundings with the spa cultural landscape have been protected as an [[Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations|urban monument reservation]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Karlovy Vary s lázeňskou kulturní krajinou|url=https://www.pamatkovykatalog.cz/pravni-ochrana/karlovy-vary-s-lazenskou-kulturni-krajinou-381576645|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2023-01-20}}</ref> As part of the [[Great Spa Towns of Europe]], Karlovy Vary became a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]] because of its spas and architecture from the 18th through 20th centuries.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Great Spa Towns of Europe|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1613|work=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|publisher=[[UNESCO]]|access-date=2023-01-20}}</ref>

===Spa buildings===
[[File:KV-Kurbad-I-2.jpg|thumb|''Císařské lázně'' spa building]]
''Císařské lázně'' is the most important spa building, protected as a [[Cultural monument (Czech Republic)|national cultural monument]]. It was built in the [[Historicism (art)|historicist]] style of the French Neo-Renaissance in 1893–1895.<ref>{{cite web |title=Císařské lázně|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/cisarske-lazne-18060834|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2023-03-27}}</ref> The largest colonnade with five mineral springs is the [[Mill Colonnade]] (Czech: ''Mlýnská''; pseudo-Renaissance structure, built in 1871–1881). The best-known spring is Vřídlo, located in Hot Spring Colonnade (''Vřídelní''; built in [[Functionalism (architecture)|Functionalistic]] style in 1975). The spring gushes out in a geyser up to {{cvt|12|m}} high. Other colonnades in the city are Park Colonnade (''Sadová''; [[cast-iron architecture]] structure built in 1880–1881 by [[Fellner & Helmer]]), Market Colonnade (''Tržní''; a wooden structure, built in Swiss style in 1882–1883 by Fellner & Helmer), and Castle Colonnade (''Zámecká''; built in [[Art Nouveau]] style in 1910–1912 by [[Friedrich Ohmann]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Colonnades and springs|url=https://www.karlovyvary.cz/en/colonnades-and-springs|publisher=City of Karlovy Vary|access-date=2023-03-27}}</ref>

===Churches===
[[File:Karlovy Vary chrám svatého Petra a Pavla červen 2019.jpg|thumb|160px|Orthodox Church of Saint Peter and Paul]]
The most valuable church is the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene. It is a Catholic church, built in the Baroque style in 1732–1736 on the site of an old Gothic church from the second half of the 14th century. It was built according to the design by [[Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer]] and belongs to the most important buildings of the [[Czech Baroque architecture|Czech Baroque]]. It is protected as a national cultural monument.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kostel sv. Máří Magdalény|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/kostel-sv-mari-magdaleny-15326501|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref>

Among the most famous buildings of the city is the [[Church of Saint Peter and Paul, Karlovy Vary|Church of Saint Peter and Paul]]. It was built in the Byzantine style in 1893–1897. It is the largest [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]] church west of [[Post-Soviet states]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Největší pravoslavný chrám v Česku opět září nad Karlovými Vary|url=https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/regiony/1605005-nejvetsi-pravoslavny-chram-v-cesku-opet-zari-nad-karlovymi-vary|publisher=[[Czech Television]]|work=[[ČT24]]|language=cs|date=2015-10-20|access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref>

The Church of Saint Andrew was built in the late [[Czech Gothic architecture|Gothic style]] around 1500, reconstructed in the [[Empire style]] in 1840–1841. A cemetery was established next to the church for foreign guests of the spa who died in Karlovy Vary. In 1911, the cemetery was converted into a park, known as Mozart's Park, with many Neoclassical tombstones. Since 2005, it is owned by the [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Greek Catholic Church]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cemetery Church of Saint Andrew|url=https://www.karlovyvary.cz/en/cemetery-church-saint-andrew|publisher=City of Karlovy Vary|access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Kostel sv. Ondřeje s Mozartovými sady|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/kostel-sv-ondreje-s-mozartovymi-sady-20418124|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref>

The Church of Saint Anne was built in the Baroque style in 1738–1749 on the site of an old church. It is a pilgrimage church, in the construction of which K. I. Dientzenhofer took part.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kostel sv. Anny|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/kostel-sv-anny-19441570|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref>

The Church of Saints Peter and Paul is a pseudo-Gothic church, built in 1854–1856 and rebuilt in 1893–1894. Since 1946, it is property of the [[Czechoslovak Hussite Church]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Church of Saint Peter and Paul|url=https://www.karlovyvary.cz/en/church-saint-peter-and-paul|publisher=City of Karlovy Vary|access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref>

The Church of Saint Luke is a [[Methodism|Methodist]] pseudo-Gothic two-aisle church, built in 1876–1877. It was built with the financial support of English spa guests. Today it no longer serves religious purposes and houses a wax museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anglican Church of Saint Lucas|url=https://www.karlovyvary.cz/en/anglican-church-saint-lucas|publisher=City of Karlovy Vary|access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref>

The Church of Saint Leonard of Noblac was the oldest ecclesiastical structure in the territory of Karlovy Vary. It was first documented in 1246. This late Romanesque structure is located in the woods south of the city proper, where a village used to be. From the end of the 15th century, after the village was depopulated, the church began to deteriorate and became a ruin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anglican Church of Saint Lucas|url=https://www.karlovyvary.cz/en/romanesque-church-saint-linhart|publisher=City of Karlovy Vary|access-date=2023-03-26}}</ref>

==Notable people==
[[File:Petr Veliký, památník - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Peter the Great]] Monument]]
[[File:P9040307 Beethoven´s Monument in Karlovy Vary Carlsbad.JPG|thumb|[[Ludwig van Beethoven]] Monument]]
{{Category see also|People from Karlovy Vary}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Johann Josef Loschmidt]] (1821–1895), Austrian scientist
*[[Ignaz Ziegler]] (1861–1948), Austrian-Czech rabbi
*[[Walter Serner]] (1889–1942), writer, dadaist
*[[Lily Pincus]] (1898–1981), German-British social worker, marital psychotherapist and author
*[[Franz Planer]] (1894–1963), Czech-American cinematographer 
*[[Karl Hermann Frank]] (1898–1946), Nazi official
*[[Walter Becher]] (1912–2005), German-Czech politician
*[[Zbyněk Brynych]] (1927–1995), film director
*[[Gerda Mayer]] (1927–2021), English poet
*[[Georg Riedel (jazz musician)|Georg Riedel]] (1934–2024), Swedish musician and composer
*[[Karin Stoiber]] (born 1943), former First Lady of Bavaria
*[[Rudolf Křesťan]] (born 1943), writer
*[[Princess Michael of Kent]] (born 1945), member of the British royal family
*[[Vašo Patejdl]] (1954–2023), Slovak musician and composer
*[[Stanislav Birner]] (born 1956), tennis player
*[[Josef Řihák]] (born 1959), politician
*[[Rick Lanz]] (born 1961), Canadian ice hockey player
*[[Ludmila Peterková]] (born 1967), clarinetist
*[[Karel Dobrý]] (born 1969), actor
*[[Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová]] (born 1970), politician
*[[Karel Rada]] (born 1971), footballer
*[[Jana Sýkorová]] (born 1973) opera singer
*[[Tomáš Vokoun]] (born 1976), ice hockey player
*[[Petr Kopfstein]] (born 1978), aerobatic pilot
*[[Tomáš Došek]] (born 1978), footballer
*[[Milan Šperl]] (born 1980), cross country skier
*[[Hana Soukupová]] (born 1985), supermodel
*[[Tomáš Borek]] (born 1986), footballer
*[[Aiko (Czech singer)|Aiko]] (born 1999), Russian-Czech singer
{{div col end}}

===Associated with the city===
*[[Princess Dorothea Sophie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg|Dorothea Sophie]] (1636–1689), Electress of Brandenburg, died in Karlsbad
*[[Peter the Great]] (1672–1725), Tsar of Russia; visited Karlovy Vary in 1711<ref>{{cite web |title=Escape from Carlsbad|url=https://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk/the-magazine/issues/hidden-europe-43/escape-from-carlsbad/|work=hidden europe|date=2014-07-03|access-date=2024-12-13}}</ref>
*[[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]] (1749–1832), German poet, novelist and scientist; published a paper on local geology<ref>{{cite journal| last=Baier|first=Johannes|title=Goethe und die Thermalquellen von Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad, Tschechische Republik)|url=https://www.schweizerbart.de//papers/jber_oberrh/detail/94/76896/Goethe_und_die_Thermalquellen_von_Karlovy_Vary_Kar|journal=Jahresberichte und Mitteilungen des Oberrheinischen Geologischen Vereins|language=de|pages=87–103|date=2012-03-21|volume=94|issn=0078-2947}}</ref>
*[[James Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Findlater]] (1750–1811), Scottish noble and an accomplished amateur landscape architect and philanthropist; regularly visited the spa and became a patron of the city
*[[Jean de Carro]] (1770–1857), Swiss physician; published the Almanach de Carlsbad
*[[Ludwig van Beethoven]] (1770–1827), composer; came twice for spa treatments. In 1812, he performed a concert in the Czech Hall of the [[Grandhotel Pupp]].
*[[Adalbert Stifter]] (1805–1868), Austrian writer; treated here in 1865–1867
*[[Frédéric Chopin]] (1810–1849), composer; he and his parents met for the last time during a holiday in Karlsbad, August/September 1835
*[[Ivan Turgenev]] (1818–1883), Russian novelist; visited Karlsbad on numerous occasions
*[[Anthony J. Drexel]] (1826–1893), senior partner of [[Drexel, Morgan & Co.]] (JPMorgan, today) and founder of [[Drexel University]]; died in Karlsbad in 1893
*[[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] (1881–1938), [[Father of the Nation|founder of the Republic of Turkey]], as well as its first President; treated here in 1918<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/40411/Kemal-Ataturk/24780/Military-career|title = Kemal Ataturk &#124; Biography, Reforms, Death, & Facts &#124; Britannica}}</ref>
*[[František Běhounek]] (1898–1973), scientist and novelist; died here
*[[Vladimir Voronin]] (born 1941), former president of the [[Republic of Moldova]]; visits Karlovy Vary every year for spa treatments

==International relations==
[[Carlsbad, New Mexico]], United States<ref>{{cite web |title=About Carlsbad, New Mexico|url=https://cityofcarlsbadnm.com/about-carlsbad-new-mexico/|publisher=City of Carlsbad, NM|access-date=2023-01-20}}</ref> (after which [[Carlsbad Caverns National Park]] is named), [[Carlsbad, California]], USA<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Carlsbad|url=http://www.carlsbadca.gov/about/history/Pages/default.aspx#layout-tab-2|publisher=City of Carlsbad, CA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106010142/http://www.carlsbadca.gov/about/history/Pages/default.aspx#layout-tab-2|archive-date=2012-11-06|access-date=2012-03-23}}</ref> [[Carlsbad Springs, Ontario]], Canada, and [[Carlsbad, Texas]], USA, take their names from Karlovy Vary's English name, Carlsbad. All of these places were so named because they were the sites of mineral springs or natural sources of mineral water.

===Twin towns – sister cities===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Czech Republic}}
Karlovy Vary is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Zahraniční vztahy|url=https://mmkv.cz/cs/zahranicni-vztahy|publisher=City of Karlovy Vary|language=cs|access-date=2024-12-13}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=18em}}
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Baden-Baden]], Germany
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Bernkastel-Kues]], Germany
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Carlsbad, California|Carlsbad]], United States
*{{flagicon|ISR}} [[Eilat]], Israel
*{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Kusatsu, Gunma|Kusatsu]], Japan
*{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Locarno]], Switzerland
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Varberg Municipality|Varberg]], Sweden
{{div col end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Evlahos carlovy vary.jpg|Teplá River embankment
Pupp.jpg|The [[Grandhotel Pupp]]
EVLAHOS KARLOVY VARY.jpg|Vřídelní street, above sets of Jeanna de Carro
Karlovy Vary vřídelní kolonáda (3).jpg|Hot Spring Colonnade and Vřídelní street
KarlovyVaryTshekintasavaltaCzechRepublic 06.jpg|Dvořák Park
Karlovy Vary, divadlo.jpg|City Opera House
Karlovy Vary Gallery.JPG|Park Colonnade
Canal in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad).jpg|Canal in Karlovy Vary
Vřídlo - Karlovy Vary.jpg|Vřídlo, a geyser of mineral water
Exterior of Karlovy Vary Town Theatre (Divadlo Karlovy Vary) at night 02.jpg|City theatre
File:Karlovy Vary Goethova vyhlídka (2).jpg|[[Goethe's Lookout]]
</gallery>

===Panorama===
{{Wide image|2007-KarlovyVary-053-wide.jpg|770px|Key sites, from left to right, are: the dark grey Hot Spring Colonnade featuring a glass chimney. Directly above is the twin-steeple Church of St. Mary Magdalene. The large, stately building on the central hill is the Hotel Imperial. Below, to the right of the square, is the Opera House. The Grandhotel Pupp is the large white building, far right.}}

==See also==
*[[Karlsbad-style coffee maker]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Wikisourcecat}}
*{{citation |publisher=Karl Baedeker|title=Southern Germany and Austria|location=Koblenz|edition=2nd|date=1871|oclc=4090237|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/southerngermany10firgoog#page/n160/mode/2up|chapter=Carlsbad|ol=20619468M}}
*{{cite book |title=Carlsbad and its Environs|publisher=S. Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington|year=1886|url=https://archive.org/details/carlsbadanditse00merrgoog|first=Merrylees|last=John}}
*{{citation |publisher=J.H. Herz|location=Berlin|title=Guide through Germany, Austria-Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, &c|edition=9th|date=1908|oclc=36795367|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/guidethroughger00gesgoog#page/n413/mode/2up|chapter=Carlsbad|ol=6607948M}}
*{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Carlsbad|volume=5|page=346|short=1}}
*{{citation |publisher=Karl Baedeker|location=Leipzig|edition=11th|title=Austria-Hungary|date=1911|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/austriahungarywi00karl#page/n529/mode/2up|chapter=Carlsbad|ol=18759934M}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Karlovy Vary}}
{{wikivoyage|Karlovy Vary}}
*{{official|https://mmkv.cz/}} {{in lang|cs}}
*[https://www.karlovyvary.cz/en Official tourist portal]

{{Karlovy Vary District}}
{{Czech Seats}}
{{The Great Spa Towns of Europe}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Karlovy Vary| ]]
[[Category:Spa towns in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Populated places in Karlovy Vary District]]
[[Category:Populated riverside places in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Towns in the Ore Mountains]]