(Head to the bottom for tips, tricks, and travel bits)
If you are wanting to get anywhere in Czech, the best, and cheapest way is to jump on a bright yellow RegioJet Bus, that you can book through the student agency website. They are very comfortable, with plenty of space, and a hostess that brings you a hot beverage. We did exactly this when venturing out to the small town of Karlovy Vary, or Carlsbad.
Karlovy Vary is a small Spa town, on the Czech/German border. The older, quaint part of the town follows the flow of the river, in a U-bend between two small mountains. The style of building is the Czech’s take on Regency, and they are flooded with pastel colours. They take care with the detailing around the windows and the doorways, and you would never be able to spot any mistakes. Many corners of the buildings had impressive turrets, fit for a princess. I saw one turret that was a library, fitted out with fairy lights and comfortable seating – a perfect cosy spot for winter days. The place that we were staying in was in a similar building block to the rest of the town. A large square with an empty space in the middle. Our only thought was that it would have been old stables.
We went to Karlovy Vary for a New Years Eve getaway. It was Lars and I, and My Mum (Rebecca) and one of My Sisters (Kirsten). We booked the last available AirBnB, at the very last minute. It was a bit of a risk, and we thought that we had made a big mistake when we arrived at the main door. It was a giant barn door, and the surrounding walls seemed to be peeling away. We walked up the stairs and opened the front door to the apartment, with each of our breaths held. When we walked in, we were greeted by the sweetest and quaintest apartment we have ever been in. It was all down to the small detailings. The dining room table was in the kitchen, which made meal times very cosy. There were endless amounts of ornaments placed around, many paintings that were either fruits or something that was so abstract that you ended up confused. We had a wonderful time staying there, mostly spent sitting around the kitchen table, eating or drinking something hot.
On New Years Eve, we were able to see the thousands of fireworks going off. It lasted an hour, and plumages of sparkles raced to the dark night sky, like a flower blooming on a summer’s morning. the sound was tremendous, especially when it sounded like it was going off next door. It was a fantastic way to ring in the new year, that with Lars Saboring a Champagne bottle (don’t worry, he kept all of his fingers).
There are two main reasons that people visit Karlovy Vary, the Colonnades and the thermal water. There are four colonnades to wander about, each with their own style. One colonnade looks like you have walked straight on to the Mary Poppins set. Looking like a white parasol has been turned into a nice pathway to walk down. I felt upset that I wasn’t dressed in my Victorian clothing, I would have felt more the part. The next colonnade was made of wood, and was halfway through being cleaned. Walking through this one had me feeling as if I was at the races, ready to bet a sweet penny on racing horse. And the last colonnade that we visited seemed to be teleported from Ancient Greece. As we had just walked through the remade Stoa of Attola in Athens, this just felt as if it was an extension from that. They also had some great pillars that were perfect for a game of afternoon hide and seek, because we are adults and we can play these games if we wish.
The next ‘must do’ in Karlovy Vary is to drink the magic, thermal water. Apparently is has youthful effects on those who drink it. I was not keen on this, I already look so young that it may revert me back to a baby! The actual only effects that the water has on a person, is if you drink too much of the water, it may play unfriendly games with your digestive system. There are two different temperatures of water to drink, one was the lukewarm water; It tasted like a mixture of metal and blood, as if it had been made into a cocktail and then left out to become warm. The Greek colonnade had the hottest thermal water to drink, this also tasted like blood and metal, but the heat made it more pleasant. While walking around the colonnades, you come across plenty of market stalls. These market stalls are all selling the same strange mugs that have porcelain straws coming out the handle. These are the mugs that are made exactly for drinking thermal water, but they are just novelty souvenirs that cost far too much for what they are.
The best view is said to be at the top of the Funicular, at the Diana Tower. The ride up was enjoyable, mainly because I was so excited to not be walking up the hill for once. At the top, is a small cafe, a butterfly garden, and the Diana Tower. It is free to walk up/catch the lift up the tower, and up there is an exceptional view of the town and the palatial hotel on the hill. To get back to the town, you can take the scenic path, if you are to go during winter, I advise that you wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. There were multiple times that I wound turn around to see my Mum up to her ankles in mud, and then notice that I was also covered in the mud. Halfway down the path, you will be given the option to go towards town or wrap back around to come out further north. We chose the first path, because there is a very picturesque rotunda, dressed in green and red and sticking out over the town.
This is a very beautiful view, but as I mentioned, it is said to be the best view in town. I would say it comes in second. The view that you get from the old Camera Obscura viewpoint is a different perspective on the town, and seems to show off the architecture – like dolls houses on a large scale shelf. Here is also where you can see the U-bend of the river. The walk around this area will lead you past more pergolas, a creepy, abandoned house, and a building that has life sized baby statues crawling around the outside… they looked as if they come to life in the night… Creepy!
If you were to be walking around Karlovy Vary, and find yourself hungry for a snack, you would not be disappointed. Apart from the beloved Trdelnik, there are also some round wafers that you can nibble on. They are called Oplatky, they are the size of a small dinner plate, and you can choose from many different flavours. There are two thin wafers and then a very thin layer of which ever flavour you choose in the middle. You may have it toasted or not, I say try both ways! They cost 40 cents and you can buy them from anywhere, they seem to grow from out of the walls.
Tip, Tricks and Other Bits:
Bus station
Top tip for when you are leaving Karlovy Vary. The bus terminal is the one that is a bit of a way out of town, not the one that is directly in the centre. We were in a cafe near to the centre bus station, and the waitress told us about some ladies who had missed their bus because they waited at the wrong place. We listened to the story and then pretended that we knew exactly where we were going, when actually we would have missed the bus without this kind ladies advice.
Restaurant
Restaurace a pivovar Karel IV
Price – Beer 27czk to 60czk, Mains 208czk to 500czk
As we were in Karlovy Vary for New Years, we decided to go out for a nice dinner. Because we decided to do this on the 30th if December, no one had any available spaces for us. By accident, we found the most spectacular restaurant, that felt like we had gone back in time, Restaurace a pivovar Karel IV. The decor was all wood, fairy lights, and giant copper vats filled with the famous Czech Beer. We were told that they weren’t taking any more reservations and we could try our luck. At 6pm, on the last day of the year, we did exactly that – and we ate like kings and queens at the ridiculously low prices they have in The Czech Republic.
Cafés
Becherplatz
Price – Standard Czech Coffee prices!
On our last day in Karlovy Vary, we had all of our luggage and no compunction to carry it around with us anywhere. We spent our morning in two different cafes. One was in the same area as the amazing restaurant that we went to on NYE, Becherplatz. We spaced out our ordering of our drinks and managed to stay for quite a long time, each of us being able to organise ourselves.
Freedom Café
Price – Coffee 38czk to 78czk, Food 60czk to 125czk
The second cafe we went to, Freedom Cafe, was the first one found on trip advisor. Lars choose this one because it looked like it had lots of space for our luggage. The cafe was owned by two friends, who were the two ladies that were serving us. They make fresh cakes every day, and incredible coffees. I hadn’t even heard of some of the types that they had. They chatted to us and made us feel right at home, they even introduced us to a lady that frequents the cafe because she goes to New Zealand every six months to have a holiday. When we left, it felt as if we were leaving an old friend’s house. This is a highly recommended place for all!
– Laura
Two Travelling Kiwifruits 
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