Prameny života – Karlovy Vary, kde se můžete napít…. na zdraví

Poslechněte si podcast zde: Prameny života – Karlovy Vary, kde se můžete napít…. na zdraví

Vzpomeňte si, jak jsem vám řekla o lokti Jamese Bonda – odkaz na tento příspěvek:

a zmínila jsem Karlovy Vary, krále Karla IV. a hotel Grand PUPP? Řekla jsem, že se k tomuto tématu opět vrátíme, protože to stojí za to. A uvidíte sami, zda to stálo za to nebo ne 🙂

Říká se, že Karel IV. kdysi podnikl loveckou výpravu do lesů, která oplývala zvěří. Během lovu začal jeden ze psů pronásledovat jelena, při jehož pronásledování spadl do pramene, ze kterého tryskala voda. Pes začal vykřikovat bolestí.

Lovci, kteří slyšeli výkřik psa, se k němu vrhli a mysleli si, že byl zraněn loveným zvířetem. Byli ohromeni podívanou, která se před nimi odehrála. Přišli blíž, vytáhli psa ven a pak ochutnali vodu, která se ukázala být horká.

Císař Karel IV. byl o incidentu informován a spěšně se vydal na toto místo s velkou družinou obdivovat mimořádné dílo přírody. V přítomnosti svých lékařů moudrý vládce poznamenal, že taková horká voda může odpuzovat mnoho vážných onemocnění a je velmi užitečná a osvěžující. On sám ji nalil na svou nemocnou nohu, což mu přineslo úlevu a zlepšení.

Podle legendy bylo místo, kde císař používal pramenitou vodu, přeměněno na lázně. Do skály tam byla vytesána židle, na které seděl panovník. Nakonec nařídil obývat oblast kolem pramene.

Pod Jelení skálou – Jelení Skok, můžete vidět četné pozůstatky hradeb, které měly obklopovat město, ale nikdy nebyly dokončeny. Osada se nazývala Horké prameny císaře Karla – Karlovy Vary.

Zdroj: internet

Když jsem poprvé vkročila do Karlovarského kraje, viděla jsem v té době mnoho krásných vesnic třpytících se zlatem podzimu. Nečekala jsem však, že uvidím místo tak neobvyklé jako Vary. Karlovy Vary, toho Karla ze stokorunové bankovky, z Karlova mostu v Praze a z hradu v Lokti, o kterém jsem se již zmínila ve svém druhém článku. Vlastně první jméno města bylo Královské lázně na hradě Loket, pokud si dobře pamatuji.

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Město – Perla se táhne podél řeky Teplé, ale krásné stavby se nacházejí i ve vyšších částech na obou březích řeky.

Na první pohled upoutá pozornost postkomunistická budova, navíc dost neobvyklá, a kdybyste jí dali trochu barvy a přidali jí trochu života, nebylo by to vůbec tak hrozné. Byl vytvořen jako hotel a slouží jako jeden z mnoha v tomto městě. Jmenuje se Hotel Thermal a zmíním se o něm ještě níže.

Právě zde na mostě se zásobujeme Karlovarskými oplatkami se zmačkanými obrázky a názvem města a lahodnými krémovými náplněmi, ze kterých si můžete vybrat. Vyrábí se zde od roku 1788. Lahodnost – prsty lízat! 🙂 A chutnají nejlépe teplé, čerstvě upečené.

Source: internet

Jdeme:

Zdroj: google maps

Dočasně se držíme pravého břehu Teplé, ktera je opravdu tepla 🙂 Ale nedotkli jsme se vody, protože se nechceme proměnit ve zkamenělinu. Páry se vznášejí nad vodou a z nich uchází teplo. Ve Varech si můžete koupit slavnou růži, což je živá květina, která po namáčení v pramenitých vodách oblasti je pokryta sedimentem železa a dalších minerálů. Nechtěli jsme být tohle, tak jsme si dávali pozor, abychom neklopýtli a neskončili v řece 🙂

Všude je slyšet ruštinu a pokud to ještě nezvite, zjistíte, že Karlovy Vary jsou prakticky ruským městem v České republice. Dokonce i na místní letiště létají pouze ruské, nejčastěji soukromé jety. Chcete-li najít práci ve Varech, ruština je požadavek, a krásné panorama města je ovládán, vypadajici stejně jako hrad v Disneylandu, krásnou Pravoslavnou církvi věnovanou svatému Petrovi a Pavlovi postavený v devatenáctém století pro potřeby často navštěvujicých Rusů.

Zdroj: tipotravel
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Zdroj: wir-sind-offroader

Různé příběhy lze slyšet o historii Rusů ve Varech. Někdy můžete vidět muže v teplákových soupravách, jak nastupují do velmi drahých luxusních aut. Je všeobecně známo, že Rusové okupovali Československo desítky let a není divu, že se jim Karlovy Vary líbily, protože je to opravdu unikátní město. Car Petr I. sám zde byl pravidelným návštěvníkem, stejně jako Tolstoj, Gagarin a mnoho dalších. Ať už je historie jejich všudypřítomnosti v tomto městě jakákoli, zdá se, že díky nim jsou místní hotely, obchody a činžovní domy dobře udržované a město vzkvétá.

A krásně kvete. Zvláště na jaře. A na podzim se obklopuje zlatými a červenými barvami karlovarského lesa.

A v létě, v první polovině července, se město naplní hvězdami světové kinematografie. Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary je festivalem celovečerních filmů, dokumentů a krátkých filmů. Jedná se o nejprestižnější filmovou recenzi ve střední Evropě. První ročník se konal v roce 1946 v Mariánských Lázních, ale o rok později se festival přesunul do Karlových Varů. Od té doby se zde koná pravidelně a nepřetržitě dodnes.

Festival každoročně uvádí premiéry filmů z celého světa. Zúčastnit se ho mohou pouze ti, kteří ještě nebyli představeni na jiných mezinárodních akcích. Ale to je norma ve filmových soutěžích. Hlavní cenou je Křišťálový glóbus, ale jsou zde také: zvláštní ceny poroty, nejlepší režie, nejlepší herečka a ceny za nejlepšího herce. Centrem festivalu je hotel Thermal, jehož mimořádnou stavbu jsem již zmínila výše. Filmové projekce se však konají prakticky po celém městě. Nejúžasnější projekce jsou ty pod širým nebem.

Karlovy Vary se často proměňují ve filmové pozadí, včetně těch velkých hollywoodských produkcí, jako je již zmíněný Bond. Grand PUPP Hotel je místo, kde bylo vytvořeno několik scén z Casino Royale. Před hotelem jsou dlažební kostky se jmény některých z nejslavnějších herců v historii světové kinematografie. Mini verze Hollywood-Vary Avenue of Fame.

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Zdroj: sffczech

Interiér lázeňského domu dole hrál roli interiéru kasina ve filmu.

Lázeňský dům v Casino Royale screenshot z filmu

Ale pokračujme dál, protože máme před sebou opravdovou lahůdku. Ti, kteří cestují do pramenitých vod, znají malé šálky s nosy, které často mají podobu zvířat nebo rostlin. Takže i zde si určitě kupte šálek. Nezapomeňte také, že kvůli bohatým ložiskům kaolinu v této oblasti nejsou tyto šálky vyráběny v You know Where, ale lokálně.

A proč potřebujete takový šálek? Největším bohatstvím Karlových Varů je 12 pramenů horké minerální vody, využívaných při léčbě onemocnění trávicího ústrojí, poruch metabolismu, ale i onkologických onemocnění a pohybových problémů (jedná se o nejoblíbenější prameny nacházející se v centru města v krásných kolonádách, zřejmě jich je celkem 79, ale ostatní se nacházejí na okolních kopcích a jednoho dne se o nich zmíním, protože si to zaslouží).

A tak se potulujete kolem, doplňujete svůj šálek vodou po vodě a pomalu popíjíte, jak se stále procházíte.

Prameny s léčivou vodou jsou ukryty pod pěti kolonádami postavenými na přelomu devatenáctého a dvacátého století a obnovenými po druhé světové válce:

  • Sadová Kolonáda
  • Tržni Kolonáda
  • Mlýnská Kolonáda
  • Zámecká Kolonáda, a
  • Vřídelní Kolonáda.

Cestou od hotelu Thermal směrem k hotelu Grand PUPP míjíme kolonády a prameny v opačném pořadí. První a jedna z nejkrásnějších z nich je: Sadová Kolonáda ze složitě tepaného železa podle návrhu vídeňských architektů:

12. Sadový pramen (dřívější název: Císařský pramen) se nachází ve Vojenském sanatoriu, používaném od roku 1852, teplota vody 41,6 °C, účinnost zdroje 1,5 l/min, obsah CO2: 750 mg/l. Pramen byl objeven při výstavbě Vojenských lázní. Jedná se o jeden ze dvou pramenů, ke kterým je omezen přístup, všechny ostatní kromě jednoho, který je pro veřejnost uzavřen, jsou k dispozici 24 hodin denně, 7 dní v týdnu a bez omezení.

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11. Pramen Svoboda (dřívější názvy jsou: Lázeňský pramen a Františka Jozefa I., současný název byl dán v roce 1946), nachází se v altánu Prameni Svoboda, který byl nad ním postaven v roce 1865 a používá se od počátku 60. let devatenáctého století, teplota vody 62,4 °C, kapacita zdroje 5 l/min, obsah CO2: 550 mg/l. Pramen byl objeven při kopání základů nové budovy Lázní III.

Dále Mlýnská Kolonáda s vysokými mramorovými arkádami:

Ve filmu Casino Royale hraje tato kolonáda roli vlakového nádraží v Černé Hoře.

Casino Royale a kolonáda jako nádraží v Černé Hoře – screenshot z filmu

Mlýnská Kolonáda je největší kolonáda v Karlových Varech – novorenesanční stavba se 124 korintskými sloupy.

Stavba probíhala v letech 1871-1881 podle 2. návrhu Josefa Zítka. Projekt byl původně koncipován jako dvoupodlažní budova. Místo druhého patra je zde pouze balustráda s dvanácti sochami, které mají představovat alegorii dvanácti měsíců. Kritika budovy během její výstavby byla zničující. Přirovnávalo se to k bowlingové dráze nebo ke záhonu z mrkve a chřestu. Dnes je největším symbolem města.

V půlkruhovém sále si můžete přečíst slavnostní latinskou báseň “Óda na Vřídlo” Bohuslava Hasištejnského z Lobkovic z roku 1500. Pro zajímavost byl úředníkem a dvořanem polského krále Władysława Jagiełła.

Součástí kolonády je celkem pět pramenů – Skalní, Mlýnský, Libušin, Knížete Václava a Rusalčin. A tady jsou:

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10. Skalní pramen, známý již v roce 1845, teplota vody 48 °C, kapacita zdroje 2,2 l/min, obsah CO2: 650 mg/l. Původně pramen šlehal přímo z koryta Teplé.

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9. Pramen Libuše (předchozí název byl: Pramen Alžbětiných růží, současný název byl dán v roce 1947). Pramen je znám již od 70. let devatenáctého století, poprvé byl zaznamenán při stavbě kamenné Mlýnské kolonády, teplota vody 62 °C, kapacita zdroje 3-5 l/min, obsah CO2: 550 mg/l. Voda pro misku je dodávána ze čtyř malých pramenů.

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8. Pramen knížete Václava I a II, používá se od roku 1784, (dříve známý jako Bernardův pramen podle názvu skály, ze které tekl přímo do řeky Teplé). V minulosti byl pramen mnohem účinnější a jeho časté vypouštění vody do výšky 4 m ho činilo podobným Vřídlu, prameni číslo 1, o kterém budu mluvit o něco později. Pevnost pramene se výrazně snížila, když byla postavena kamenná kolonáda a její vody směřovaly do dvou mís. První miska je napájena vodou o teplotě 65,6 °C a objemu 4 l/min, obsah CO2: 500 mg/l.

Druhá mísa je umístěna na mostě přes řeku Teplou, před Mlýnskou kolonádou a je napájena vodou o teplotě 58 °C a objemu 2 l/min, obsah CO2: 500 mg/l. 2. pramen knížete Václava je nejmladším pramenem v Karlových Varech. Pravděpodobně důvod jeho vzniku v roce 1964 byl pověrčivý. Podle pověstí by mělo být v Karlových Varech dvanáct pramenů. Vody tohoto pramene byly dříve využívány k výrobě karlovarských léčivých solí.

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7. Pramen Rusalka (dříve nazývaný Nový pramen), známý již v šestnáctém století, teplota vody 60,2 °C, kapacita zdroje 4-7 l/min, obsah CO2: 600 mg/l. Pramen původně tekl přímo z řeky Teplé. Hned vedle, v osmnáctém století, byli vysvěceni lázeňští lékaři.

6. Mlýnský pramen, také známý od šestnáctého století, teplota vody 56,6 °C, kapacita zdroje 4,5 l / min, obsah CO2: 600 mg / l. Jeho jméno pochází od mlýna na řece Teplé, který zde stál až do konce osmnáctého století. Pacientům byl doporučen již v roce 1705. V té době se používá hlavně pro léčivé koupele. Voda z tohoto pramene je balena a prodávána po celém světě.

Dostali jsme se do oblasti středověkého trhu, starého centra, takže prameny zde patří k nejstarším a nejdéle využívaným ve městě.

V letech 1882-1883 byla nad prameny postavena dřevěná Tržní kolonáda neboli švýcarská Tržní kolonáda podle návrhu vídeňských architektů Fellnera a Helmera.

Jeji hlavní funkcí bylo zakrýt prameny, které se objevily na místě tehdejšího trhu. Prameny jsou zde: Tržní, Karla IV. a Dolní Zámecký:

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5. Tržní pramen – Teplota vody 62 °C, kapacita zdroje 4,9 l/min, obsah CO2: 500 mg/l. Objeven při stavebních pracích na historickém trhu pod Zámeckou věží v roce 1838. To způsobilo spoustu starostí pro lidi v lékárně “U bílého orla” a v domě “U žirafy” v centru tehdy slavného trhu, ale díky tomuto nepoddajnému prameni, který opakovaně zmizel a znovu se objevil, vznikla krásná vyřezávaná kolonáda. Dnes je pramen k dispozici v půlkruhové apsidě, která je díky svým vynikajícím akustickým vlastnostem oblíbeným koncertním místem.

Teď přeskočím z pátého pramena na druhy, ale nebojte se, všechno vysvětlím za minutu.

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2. Pramen Karla IV (dříve nazývaný Žrout). Teplota vody 64 °C, kapacita zdroje 4,8 l/min, obsah CO2: 250-450 mg/l. Tento pramen se používá od roku 1769. Těsně nad mísou je reliéf od Adolfa Zoerklera z roku 1930 představující objev karlovarských pramenů Karlem IV. při slavném lovu jelenů. Je to tedy zřejmě i ten, ve kterém si sám Karel IV. léčil nemocnou nohu, a právě tento legendární pramen vedl ke vzniku Karlových Varů. Tato mísa stojí v místě, kde se kdysi nacházely první lázně ve městě.

A co nás donutilo přeskočit 3. a 4. pramen, byla Zámecká kolonáda. Tato budova byla původně postavena v letech 1911-1913. Jeho tvůrcem byl vídeňský architekt Friedrich Ohmann. V roce 2001 získala svou současnou podobu přestavbou na Zámecké lázně. Tehdy byl do Tržní kolonády přivezen 3. pramen Dolního hradního pramene a zpřístupněn veřejnosti, zatímco 4. pramen Horního hradního pramene zůstal v lázních, pro veřejnost uzavřený.

Z vnějšku je Zámecká kolonáda zdobena prvky klasicismu a artesuvie. Uvnitř této kolonády je socha Ducha pramenů od V. Hejdy. 🙂 A vypadá to takto:

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Zdroj: globalblue
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3. Dolní zámecký pramen Teplota vody 55,6 °C, kapacita zdroje 2,5 l/min, obsah CO2: 600 mg/l. Známý od roku 1769. Krávy byly první, kdo věnoval pozornost tomuto prameni a rád se shromáždil v blízkosti jeho vod. Později v něm děti udělaly malý bazén. Během velmi chladné zimy roku 1784, kdy voda ve městě zamrzla, tento pramen zásoboval vodou veřejné kašny. V roce 1809 na 14 let zcela zmizel.

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4. Horní zámecký pramen používá se také od roku 1769, teplota vody 49,8 °C, kapacita zdroje 1,5 l/min, obsah CO2: 600 mg/l, je nepřístupny veřejnosti. Nízká teplota vody je údajně způsobena vyšší polohou tohoto pramene.

A konečně vlevo vidíme také královnu karlovarských pramenů, a je to:

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Zdroj: oddviser

1. Vřídlo, se nachází ve Vřídelní Kolonádě, původně postavené v roce 1826 pod dohledem vídeňských architektů Fellnera a Helmera. Již v roce 1939 tato budova zkorodovala a byla zbourána. Současná podoba pochází z let 1971-75 a vznikla ve stylu funkcionalismu pod vedením architekta Jaroslava Obraby.

Vody tohoto pramene slouží lidem již od šestnáctého století. Vřídelní sál viditelný na fotografii byl postaven vedle původního pramene, v souladu s léčebnými zásadami Davida Bechera, které vyžadovaly pitnou vodu hned vedle pramenů. O Becherovi budu mluvit o něco později.

Vřídlo je nejteplejší ze všech pramenů, je to něco opravdu neobvyklého; téměř 2 000 litrů vody o teplotě 72-75 °C vystřelující z hloubky téměř 3 000 metrů každou minutu do výšky 12-15 metrů. Obsah CO2: 400 mg/l, k dispozici během otevírací doby pavilonu.

Dnes se voda ta používá hlavně ke koupání, méně často k pití. V minulosti byly jeho vody využívány ve všech karlovarských zařízeních, protože jejich léčivé vlastnosti byly chváleny již v šestnáctém století.

Za starých časů, nepravidelné vodní stříkání, mohly vyděsit místní obyvatele docela dobře, kvůli jejich síle. Dnes je tento jev regulován, ale stále dělá úžasný dojem na pozorovatele. Výbuchy gejzírů jsou tak vysoké, že opravdu nemůžete absorbovat celou slávu této podívané, natož pořídit pěknou fotografii.

Teplo vody způsobuje, že kapičky, které na vás padají, mají magicky uklidňující sílu a při pohledu na tento jedinečný jev tam stojíte bez špetky. Zájemci se mohou vydat na exkurzi s názvem “Podzemní horký pramen”.

A zatímco oficiální číslo 13 patří prameni Dorotka, mnozí tak nazývají slavnou Becherovku – alkoholický nápoj vytvořen Dr. Becherem, který se léta zabýval studiem obsahu a vlastností minerálních vod v karlovarských pramenech. Jak vidíte, teplota a hladina oxidu uhličitého podle něj nestačily 🙂 na vyléčení všech bolestí, a proto dnes můžete navštívit Muzeum Becherovky.

tuzexová

Přečtěte si zde o čísle třináct a já mezitím vás mohu osobně ujistit, že pokud ještě neznáte tento horký pramen, neměli byste váhat se s ním 🙂 seznámit. Má mnoho příchutí, je také široce dostupný po celém světě a léčí mnoho onemocnění. Zkontrolovala jsem to, a vím!

Pokud hrajete Geocaching, máte již jedno místo k návštěvě: pramen 13

A ti, kteří vědí, kam jít a jak se tam dostat, jako my 🙂, vylezou na střechu Mlýnské kolonády a absorbují Úžasný výhledy na město.

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Zdroj: net
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Zdroj: net

Zajímalo by mě, jestli náš polský národní básník Adam Mickiewicz, který zde pobýval v roce 1829, také běžel na střechách Karlových Varů.

Přeji vám všem hodně zdraví!

Anka

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A story of a Yellow Town that will make you pregnant

Listen here to this article: A shaky story of a Yellow Town that will make you pregnant.

On the day of 27th April 1793, already by court decree, Františkovy Lázně has been established. A city that sprang out of the spring 🙂

Some academic sources claim that its initial name was the Village of Emperor Franz (Kaiser Franzensdorf or Franzensbrunn), Emperor Francis I (Franz Stephan von Lothringen), Duke of Lorraine and Bar, as well as the Grand Duke of Tuscany, who thanks to the marriage with Maria Theresa of Austria became the last non-Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria. This village was later, in 1807, renamed as Františkovy Lázně.

The initial rural spa with one – Francis or František Spring (Františkův pramen), wooden colonnade, several spa houses and the Social House very quickly became one of the most sought-after European spas.

Francis Spring is the oldest local spring. It has been known since the Middle Ages, when the neighboring village of Cheb was using it as everyday mineral table water. It was known then as Slatinná kyselka (Mineral water of Slatina village) or Chebská kyselka (Mineral water of Cheb village).

The first written mention of the mineral waters in the area around Františkovy Lázně dates back to 1502.

Around 1600 it had a reputation of the most healing spring in Europe and its water was exported in ceramic bottles to all major cities. Rumours about the miraculous effects of the local water rapidly spread throughout the empire (Austro Hungarian that is), just as the clay bottles in which the water was originally sold and distributed.

Dr Adler is a person who gradually, starting in the second half of the 18th century, grew the town into a renowned global spa famous for its therapeutic springs.

During the foundation of the spa in 1793, the second wooden pavilion was built and stood above the spring until 1832. At that time, the current brick Classicist roundel with Doric columns was built, which has been preserved in its original form and is one of the symbols of Františkovy Lázně. Construction of the first spa hotel, Loimann-Badehaus (The Three Lilies) was also undertaken in 1793.

The original village street with today’s Národní třída in the form of a spa promenade was extended by three more parallel roads and took the form of a town. In order to create a truly spa environment, Františkovy Lázně had its today’s historical center surrounded with a wide strip of English parks, which were supposed to give the village the appearance of a garden town. All new streets then always led along the perimeter of the greenery and created one of the most beautiful spa destinations in Europe – a spa in a sea of parks and forest parks.

When walking around, you will definetely come accross a statue of a little boy with a fish. Originally a park sculpture from 1924 by a local sculptor Adolf Mayerl. After the IIWW it was transferred to the front of the Social House, where patients enjoyed being photographed with it.

To increase the popularity of little František, a spa photographer, Mr. Škarda invented one of the most beloved legends, according to which, every female patient who touches the large toe of his left leg becomes pregnant.

Do I have to mention what everyone is really after? His little wee-wee shines more than the bigger version at the port of Funchal 🙂 Remember R.E.M. and shiny happy people from my other blog post, if not, check it out below:

It worked for me anyway…. even though this one is only an imitation of the original Francis that can be visited at the city museum. Both are admired equally.

Particularly by the grannies :/

Luisa’s spring (Luisin Pramen) was discovered in 1806. In the following year, the spring was captured and named after Empress Luisa, the wife of Francis I.

Source: internet

Ten years later, another spring, called the Cold Spring (Studený pramen) was discovered in its vicinity. The springs remained uncovered for a long time. Today’s Empire Pavilion was built according to the project of the local engineer Stöhr in 1826.

In the place of today’s Colonnade of the Salt and Meadow Springs (Solný a Luční pramen), an insignificant elongated mound once protruded. It was during a survey under the guidance of spa doctors, dr. Pöschman and surgeon Kubicz, carried out in 1817, that the Salt Spring had been discovered. Shortly afterwards, the Meadow Spring was also found here. Opened in 1843, it is located in a sustainable, late classicist building that respects the park environment.

Both pavilions with springs are freely accessible. In the wings there are exhibition galleries. These springs’ waters are known to have a positive effect on the respiratory tract.

In 1865, Emperor Franz Joseph I elevated Františkovy Lázně to the status of a town. After being connected to the Saxon, Bavarian and Czech railway networks, it gained the dimension of a world renowned spa and in the period before the 1st World War, annual attendance of up to 20,000 patients and almost 80,000 so-called passants – spa tourists had been noted.

You could come accross some real famous names and rub your shoulders with the likes of:

  • J. W. Goethe
  • Franz I, Austrian Emperor
  • Peer Metternich
  • Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Johann Strauss

while wandering around the town back in the day.

After the WWI, the city council began looking for ways to expand the therapeutic spectrum of the local waters in the aim to revive tourism at Františkovy Lázně. The first test wells were dag out in order to find deeper springs with a high content of carbon dioxide suitable for baths.

Three springs were discovered – Kostelní (Church Spring), Glauber III and Glauber IV. All with a high content of carbon dioxide. The most interesting one of them, is surely the Glauber IV Spring. Found at a depth of 92 m, it contains the most decahydrate sodium sulphate in the world. Since the 17th century, it has been known as mirabilite, as well as Glauber Salts.

Source: internet

These important three springs required a covered colonnade or a pavillion. Ernst Engelhardt designed a hall that was completed in 1930. The local sculptor, Adolf Mayerl designed the spring cabinets on the inside.

In the society of the 20s and 30s of the 20th century, it was a good habit of the better-off to visit the spa at least once a year.

The Pavilion of the Pramen Natálie (Natalie Spring) with two wings and the building of the spring was designed and put into operation in 1931 by the local architect Sgustav.

Source: internet

Its water has been exported as far as to America already before the war and remains one of the popular ones along with the Francis Spring.

After the Second World War, the spa as a whole, was nationalized and the only large state enterprise in the size of the town of Československé státní lázně a zřídla was established. Unfortunately, as any other communist invention, it served working people and only a small percentage of the foreign clientele was treated there. A good level of doctors and medical staff remained, but the treatment facilities and spa houses were not developing.

Now it was time to rub your shoulders with some of these folks:

  • Božena Němcová
  • Vítězslav Nezval
  • Franz Kafka
  • Václav Havel
  • Václav Klaus

In 1992, Františkovy Lázně was declared an urban conservation area, a Municipal Heritage Reservation added to the UNESCO World Heritage as one of 11 exceptional spa towns under the common name Great Spas of Europe, along with the likes of Baden-Baden, Bath or Vichy. A completely new chapter in the history of the city began. In the same year the company Františkovy Lázně a.s. was established and a new, demanding program was set by the city management. An extensive reconstruction was undertaken. New guest houses and treatment facilities are now also being operated by private entrepreneurs.

Today’s Františkovy Lázně is a town, which has retained its historical facades and architecture to a unique degree. It is no wonder that in 2005, it was awarded the prize of “Most Beautiful Historical Town of the Czech Republic”. In the same year, Spa Resort Pawlik–Aquaforum, The World of Water and Relaxation – was opened. It is in the historical building of the Imperial Spa, which is a part of it, where you can enjoy the beneficial effects of peat baths according to the original Františkovy Lázně recipe. It was actually in this town where the therapeutic effects of peat baths were discovered for the good of mankind. For each separate bath, 80 kg of specially treated local peat is used.

The ambient of a spa is felt here everywhere you go. Thus, Františkovy Lázně has treasured its spa industry for centuries up to the present as its greatest gem, and so it never became a busy town or entertaining wellness centre. All is focused on the high-quality spa treatments and the improvement of the health of everyone who arrives to Františkovy Lázně for this very purpose.

…or to get pregnant…

In fact František owes me at least one baby still…

But instead of making babies, let’s make safe love and adopt those that are already born and sadly have no one to take care of them.

You may know about the surrogate business in Ukraine but perhaps you may not realize that many of the sperm+egg deals end up in the babies never being claimed by their biological parents. A surrogate in such case receives her pay, however the children end up in the facilities. This is one of the more popular countries where this type of business thrives. Accross the world there are millions of children in need of mommies and daddies. Do consider them, please before asking Francis for help.

Anna

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A shaky story

Wanna listen to this rather than read? Click here: A shaky story

We woke up that morning a bit shaky and shaken. There were not many things in the apartment we slept in as it was being sold at that time and all we really had left in there was a mattress, old sofa, a table and some basic stuff in an old kitchen and bathroom.

Maminka rang to say that there was an earthquake during the night.

I said: what??? An earthquake in Czech Republic?

Yea, it’s nothing new here. One day I woke up to see the furniture slide around and you could feel the block swing. – she said.

Okay, that was new to me. But oh how exciting! We quickly ran out into the grocery shop opposite from the block we were in. A huuuuuuge but huuuuuge masacre housing hundreds upon hundreds of rabbit cages filled with humans. A brilliant communist invention. But at least these apartments were real well designed. They are extremely spacious and in fact comfortable. See an example below (not the one we were in):

Source: internet

So maybe they were a disastrous idea size-and-shape-of-the-entire-edifice-wise, but other than that you cannot compare any of the blocks built today to them, comfort-wise.

At the shop we ran straight to the cooling area where rows of freshly made chlebičky were screaming at us: eat me!

You cannot resist chlebičky. It’s a slice of a baguette cut diagonally and topped with the yummiest of foods possible; fresh salads, butter, cheeses, hams, and each one differs from the others. Look here and drool.

Back in, we had some coffee and got ready for a short ride visit to our friend who back then purchased a house in a pretty village, just off the border with Germany, not far from a town of Aš, called Krasna which literally translates a “pretty”.

And pretty it truly is. Surrounded by thick forests of healthy tall trees and plenty of places where geologist souls would hop for joy learning about the rich geological deposits that can be found in the region.

Tomaš was expecting a baby. His wife sadly had to spend the last months of pregnancy in the hospital and he used this opportunity to renovate the house they just acquired.

We arrived in the afternoon. He showed us around and we loved every bit of the work he’d done there. We then sat down in the living room and enjoyed exchanging our stories from the times when we have not seen each other.

The sofa was L shaped. The guys were sitting to my left. A large window behind them. In front of me, a beutiful kitchen annex, to the right a fireplace, entrance door and a big old fashioned clock cabinet. Behind us, staircase leading to an upstairs attic style bedrooms.

Suddenly, somewhere in the left hand side corner where the kitchen annex started, an extremely strange noise occured.

It was constant and nearing. Going straight onto us. The sound resembled an aircraft perhaps or an extremely large vehicle with its engines roaring but on top of that with an added sound of something that felt like it was being dragged along the ground. Or imagine a huge roaring giant being dragged with speed of light accross the Smurfs’ village. You’re a Smurf.

We looked at Tom in crazy fear and he was sitting there and sipping his coffee with a little smirk on his face. Clearly nervous but nothing like us.

I knew it was the earthquake coming. My brain started to think where to go, how to hide. Not in a panicky way though. I am not sure my brain fully accepted what was going on. If you were ever pregnant and then giving birth, it’s a similar feeling to that. You kinda don’t really believe it is happening but you just go with it. There was no time to do anything.

A huge invisible something passed under our feet with an excruciating noise and I felt for a while that I was afloat. Perhaps we were indeed lifted into the air with the power of this thing. The clock banged to my right. I was only staring at the freshly painted walls expecting to see them cracking.

But no such thing happened. We started breathing again, sitting in silence and still waiting as if for another one perhaps. Unsure whether to move off, not to cause something to fall on us.

Tomaš smiled gently: the epicentre is only 700 metres or so away. – he said. Gases explode inside the mountains. It’s been like this for a while now. When my wife went to the hospital and I was left alone, it happened at about 1am. I woke up and ran out into the garden screaming in the middle of complete darkness, having no idea what was going on. I thought the war had started and that it was a bomb. In the morning I spoke to the neighbors. We had no idea this was happening here when buying a house. But maybe it is just a one off occurance and will never repeat, who knows.

We didn’t know what to say. Well, it’s Nature that rules after all, not humans as we like to think. We simply kept on chatting until the evening fell and it was time to go back.

The quake’s epicenter was in a nearby Novy Kostel, a village in the north-western Czech Republic, 10 minutes drive from the German border, 144 km from Prague and 33km away from Karlovy Vary.

Later on, we read that it was 4.2 on the Richter’s scale. Sadly, looks like only 2 days later it repeated for Tom, with the magnitude of 4.1. Both were marked as Very Strong in the area he lives in. Around the epicentre itself they were marked as destructive:

People were calling police for help claiming the floors were shaking. In the Střibna region, there were cracked walls and a few chimneys fell, causing structural damages to the properties.

Apparently the quake was very shallow, only about 10 km underground.

I highlighted the places on the below map: Krasna, where we were is to the far left, in between a piece of Germany and to the right, the epicentre at Novy Kostel. We stayed in the Loket area, on the right edge of this map snip.

Source: google maps

Sadly, 6 years later, the strongest earthquake in the region in, back then, 100 years according to the Czech Seismology Centre occured in the very same spot. This one was 4.5 ML, it lasted for 8 minutes and caused damages to the value of over 10 mln Czech Crowns.

Source: internet
Here measured at place called Křižovatka, Source: internet

It was the strongest earthquake in Germany in many years too. Of course Bad Brambach, being only around the corner was affected most but the quakes could be felt at the regions of Bavaria, Saxony, Anhalt and Thuringia.

The previous quake, during that month, which had its epicenter in Germany was justified by alleged pressure between the european and african litospheric plates.

I, of course spent some time, after my quake, looking into the matter and it seems that it all is linked with so called Trans-European Suture Zone. It is a zone of contact of the Eastern European craton with the Paleozoic platform, with a length of over 2000 km, crossing the European continent from the northwest to south-east – from the British Isles to the Black Sea. On the below map you see it in the shades of blue. STZ, TEF and TTZ are parts of the Trans-European Suture Zone:

Source: internet


In the Paleozoic era, especially in the Polish part of the Trans-European Suture Zone (TTZ, approx. 100-150 km long part), unusual and very complex structures had emerged within the Earth’s lithosphere. This part of the Suture Zone is therefore a natural and very unique source for the world geological researches.

A series of international seismic experiments ran on a huge scale had been carried out since 1997 under the following names: POLONAISE’97, CELEBRATION 2000, ALP 2002 and SUDETES 2003 in the Central Europe on the initiative and under direction of Polish scientific institutions. The latter one concentrated on the parts belonging to the Bohemian Massif, which is situated on the Czech side.

Source: internet

Such researches are of course extremely costly, mainly due to the complexity of the tasks to be undertaken. They often require extensive international cooperation and complex technology which may have to be transported between the countries. These were attended by more than 30 institutions from 15 European countries (Austria, Belarus, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey) which are situated within the area with the largest contrasts in the construction of the lithosphere of the European continent, and North America (Canada and USA) that have great interest in geological studies of such unusual areas of the world in preparation for their own project “The Array”.

If you hover over each experiment’s name listed above you will find articles related to them. There are specific information regarding the numbers of scientists, technicians, seismic stations and areas which took part in each of them. And for example in the CELEBRATION 2000 (that stands for: Central European Lithospheric Experiment Based on Refraction), which was the largest of them all, with over 1000 geophysicists, engineers and technicians, using 1240 seismic stations (about 70% world resources) and about 150 shot points generating seismic waves. It lasted one month and covered around 700’000 km2 accross 8 countries.

Seismic experimental studies use elastic waves as a research tool. They are artificially excited by explosives in boreholes. These longitudinal waves propagate at speeds from 2-3 km/s in near-surface layers, to about 8.5 km/s in the lower lithosphere at a depth of about 100 km. These waves are recorded by seismic stations spaced along the profile lines even in distances up to 1000-1500 km from excitation points.

Research results achieved with these methods form the basis for many specializations in the field of sciences of Earth and are of outstanding strategic importance, both for basic research and application. Analysis of recorded seismic waves in such a measuring system allows to determine the structure and tectonophysical properties of the lithosphere up to a depth of 100 km. Thanks to extreme amounts of work, hi-tech aparatus and modern methodology, it was possible to visualize the lithosphere of Central Europe in a totally new manner. Tons of new evidence has been produced to show the world previously unknown.

(based on: Prof. A. Guterch Instytut Geofizyki PAN, prof. M. Grad – Instytut Geofizyki na Wydziale Fizyki UW)

But what causes these quakes in the West Czech Republic? Are they really gas explosions within the mountains?

According to the general data, majority of the Czech quakes, including the one I experienced, have the tectonic background. Bohemian Massif is a so called tectonic dislocation or tectonic deformation meaning that it was created in the process of moving rock masses within the earth’s crust, occurring under the influence of tectonic movements along a certain surface or narrow zone. It constitutes, along with the Eastern European platform, the very foundation of European continent.

Due to large amounts of mines in the area, some quakes, of not major strength, are caused by the mine shock. These however may and do result in the human fatalities and injuries. Between 2004 and today there were 10 deaths and 5 injuries recorded.

And finally, and also happening more frequently recently, earthquake swarms. These are a sequence of seismic shocks occurring in the area within a relatively short period of time, may be days, months, or years. In earthquake swarms, no single earthquake in the sequence is obviously the main shock. In particular, a cluster of aftershocks occurring after a mainshock is not a swarm.

Source: internet

Today, when I write it, on the 02.03.2022, Novy Kostel seems super quiet:

But when you look at the archived data for the 10.10.2008, you will also notice plenty of peace and quiet until it suddenly goes higher and higher and then boom! The below snip shows only a short period from that day’s data. The very last column stands for the ML – the magnitude.

Anyone who is an ignorant of the powers that Mother Nature posesses over humans, should stop and re-think. We are not the belly bottons of our Planet Earth. She was very kind to produce us, humans and provide for us for so many centuries. Perhaps quakes, volcano eruptions, tsunamis, etc. are only caused by her breathing, sneezing, coughing and farting. We may really only be those Smurfs that perched on its surface.

But we do tease her more and more often, tickling her under the nose with the heavy feathers of exhaust fumes of all sorts, poking holes in hery body with enormous drills and explosives, pluck huge patches of green lush rainforests that are there to protect her most delicate parts. She may not be acustomed to waxing and other cosmetic treatments we created for ourselves. And without such green hairy patches she may start catching viruses and it looks like she in fact does.

Speaking of no limits is an idiot talking. Our bodies do have limits. You may cross them, but you may as well end up there and then finding out this was the one. Same with our Planet.

I do not wish us earthquakes, tsunamis, avalanches, storms, tornadoes or fires because I would not like to experience it again. Ever. But I speak for myself.

Mother Nature may have something more to say to us. Will we listen to hear though?

Anna

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Springs of life – Karlovy Vary, where you can drink yourself to…. health

Listen to the podcast here: Springs of life – Karlovy Vary, where you can drink yourself to…. health.

Remember how I told you about James Bond’s Elbow – link to this post:

and I mentioned Karlovy Vary, King Charles IV and the Grand PUPP Hotel? I said that we will come back to this topic again, because it is worth it. And you will see for yourself whether it was worth it or not 🙂

It is said that Charles IV once undertook a hunting expedition to the forests, which abounded in game. During the hunt, one of the dogs began to chase the deer, in pursuit of which, it fell into a spring from which water was gushing. The dog began to howl in pain.

The hunters who heard the dog’s cries rushed towards it, thinking that it had been injured by a hunted animal. They were amazed at the spectacle that had played out before them. They came closer, pulled the dog out, and then tasted the water, which turned out to be hot.

Emperor Charles IV was informed about the incident and hurriedly went to that place with a large retinue to admire the extraordinary work of nature. In the presence of his doctors, the wise ruler noted that such hot water can repel many serious diseases and is very useful and invigorating. He himself poured it on his sick leg, which brought him relief and improvement.

According to the legend, the place where the emperor used spring water was turned into a health resort. A chair was carved in the rock there, on which the ruler used to sit. Finally he ordered to inhabit the area around the spring. Under the Deer Rock – Jeleni Skok, the one chased by Charles’ dog, you can see numerous remains of fortification walls that were supposed to surround the city, but were never completed. The settlement was called the Hot Springs of Emperor Charles – Karlovy Vary.

Source: net

When I first set foot in the Karlovy Vary region, I saw many beautiful villages shimmering with golds of autumn at that time. However, I did not expect to see a place as unusual as Vary. Karlovy Vary literally translate as the “Hot Springs of Charles”, the one from the hundred-crown banknote, from the Charles’ Bridge in Prague and from the castle in Loket, which I have already mentioned in my other post. Actually, the first name of the city was the Royal Baths at the Loket Castle if I remember well.

Zobacz obraz źródłowy

This pearl of a city stretches along the Tepla (Warm) River, but the beautiful edifices are also located in the higher parts on both banks of the river.

At first glance, a post-communist building catches an eye, quite unusual at that, and if you gave it a bit of color and added some life, it would not be so terrible at all. It was created as a hotel and serves as one of many in this city. It’s called Hotel Thermal and I’ll mention it yet below.

It is here on the bridge that we stock up on Karlovarske oplatky or wafers with crumpled pictures and the name of the city and delicious cream fillings to choose from. Produced here since 1788. Deliciousness – fingers llickers! 🙂 And they taste best warm, freshly baked.

Zobacz obraz źródłowy

Let’s go then:

Source: google maps

We temporarily stick to the right bank of Tepla, which is really warm 🙂 But we don’t touch the water because we don’t want to turn into a fossil. Vapors and heat emanate from the water and float above its surface. In Vary you can buy the famous rose, which is a real flower, covered with sediment of iron and other minerals which after having been dipped in the spring waters from the area, turn into a fossil. We didn’t want to become that, so we were careful not to stumble and end up in the river 🙂

Russian can be heard everywhere and if you don’t know it yet, you will now find out that Karlovy Vary is practically a Russian city in the Czech Republic. Even local airport operates here mainly for Russian aircraft and private jets. To find a job in Vary, Russian is a requirement, and the beautiful panorama of the city is dominated by an even more beautiful Orthodox Church dedicated to St. Peter and Paul built in the nineteenth century for the needs of frequently visiting Russians. It looks a bit like a castle in Disneyland.

Source: tipotravel
Zobacz obraz źródłowy
Source: wir-sind-offroader

Various stories can be heard about the history of Russians in Vary. Sometimes you can see men in tracksuits getting into very expensive luxury cars. It is commonly known that Russians occupied Czechoslovakia for decades, and it is not surprising that they liked Karlovy Vary because it is a trully unique city. Tsar Peter I himself was a regular visitor here as well as Tolstoy, Gagarin and many more. Whatever the history behind their ubiquity in this city, it seems that thanks to them local hotels, shops and tenement houses are well-kept and the city is flourishing.

And it blooms beautifully. Especially in spring. And in autumn it surrounds itself with pyrethrums and reds of the Karlovy Vary forest.

And in the summer, in the first half of July, the city fills with the stars of the world cinema. Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a festival of feature films, documentaries and short movies. It is the most prestigious film review in Central Europe. The first edition took place in 1946, in Mariánské Lázně, but a year later the festival moved to Karlovy Vary. Since then, it has been held here regularly and continuously to this day.

Every year, the festival premieres films from all over the world. Only those that have not yet been shown at other international events can take part in it. But this is the norm in film competitions. The main prize is the Crystal Globe but there are also: special jury awards, best director, best actress and best actor awards handed in. The center of the festival is the Thermal Hotel, whose extraordinary structure I have already mentioned above. Film screenings however take place practically throughout the entire city. The coolest screenings are those under an open sky.

Karlovy Vary often turn into movie backgrounds, including those of great Hollywood productions, such as the already mentioned Bond. Grand PUPP Hotel is where several scenes from Casino Royale were created. In front of the hotel there are paving stones with the names of some of the most famous actors in the history of the world cinema. A mini version of Hollywood-Vary Avenue of Fame.

Zobacz obraz źródłowy
Source: sffczech

The interior of the Spa House below played a role of the casino interior in a movie.

Spa house in Casino Royale screenshot from the movie

But let’s keep going, because we have a real treat ahead of us. Those who travel to the spring waters know small cups with noses, which often take the form of animals or plants. So here too, be sure to buy yourself a cup (šálek). Remember also that due to the rich deposits of kaolin in the area, these cups are not made in You know Where, but locally.

And why do you need such a sippy cup? Well, the greatest wealth of Karlovy Vary is 12 hot mineral water springs, used in the treatment of diseases of the digestive system, metabolism disorders, but also oncological diseases and locomotor issues (these are the most popular springs located in the city center in beautiful colonnades, apparently there are 79 of them in total, but the other ones are located on the surrounding hills and I will mention them one day because they deserve it).

And so you wander around, top up your sippy cup with water after water and slowly sip as you keep stralling.

Springs with healing water are hidden under five colonnades built at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and restored after World War II:

  • Sadová Kolonáda (Park Colonnade),
  • Tržni Kolonáda (Market Colonnade),
  • Mlýnská Kolonáda (Mill Colonnade),
  • Zámecká Kolonáda (Castle Colonnade) and
  • Vřídelní Kolonáda (Spring Colonnade).

Going from the Thermal Hotel towards the Grand PUPP Hotel, we pass the colonnades and springs in the reverse order. The first and one of the most beautiful of them is: Sadová Kolonáda (Park Colonnade) made of intricately wrought iron designed by Viennese architects:

12. Sadový pramen – Park Spring (earlier name: Císařský pramen – Imperial Spring) is located in the Military Sanatorium, used since 1852, water temperature 41.6 °C, source efficiency 1.5 l/min, CO2 content: 750 mg/l. The spring was discovered during construction of the Military Spa. It is one of two springs to which access is restricted, all others but one which is closed for public, are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and without restrictions.

11. Pramen Svoboda – Spring Freedom (earlier names were: Lázeňsky pramen and Franciska Jozefa I, the current name was given in 1946), is located in the Pramen Svoboda Arbor, which was erected above it in 1865 and has been used since the early 60s of the nineteenth century, water temperature 62.4 °C, source capacity 5 l/min, CO2 content: 550 mg/l. The spring was discovered during the digging of the foundations for the new building of Lázne III.

Next, Mlýnská Kolonáda with high marble arcades:

In the movie Casino Royale, this colonnade plays the role of a train station in Montenegro.

Casino Royale and the colonnade as a railway station in Montenegro – screenshot from the film

Mlýnská Kolonáda (Mill Collonnade) is the largest colonnade in Karlovy Vary – a neo-Renaissance building with 124 Corinthian columns.

Construction took place in the years 1871-1881 according to the 2nd design of Josef Zítek. The project was originally conceived as a two-story building. Instead of the second floor, there is only a balustrade with twelve statues, which are supposed to represent the allegory of twelve months. Criticism of the building during its construction was devastating. It was being compared to a bowling alley or to a bed of carrots and asparagus. Today it is the biggest symbol of the city.

In the semicircular hall you can read the solemn Latin poem “Ode to the Hot Spring” by Bohuslav Hasištejnský of Lobkovice from 1500. For the sake of curiosity, he was an official and courtier of the Polish King Władysław Jagiełło.

The colonnade includes a total of five springs – Skalní, Mlýnský, Libušin, Knížete Václava and Rusalčin. And here they are:

10. Skalní pramen – Rock Spring, already known in 1845, water temperature 48 °C, source capacity 2.2 l/min, CO2 content: 650 mg/l. Originally, the spring beat directly from the Tepla riverbed.

9. Pramen Libuše – Source of Libuša (the previous name was: Pramen Alžbětiných růží – Spring of Elizabethan Roses, the current name was given in 1947). The spring has been known since the 70s of the nineteenth century, water temperature 62 °C, source efficiency 3-5 l/min, CO2 content: 550 mg/l. Water for the bowl is supplied by four small springs.

8. Pramen knížete Václava I and II – Spring of Prince Wenceslas I and II, used since 1784 (previously known as Bernardův pramen from the name of the rock from which it beat directly into the River Tepla). In the past, the spring was much more efficient, and its frequent ejections of water to a height of 4 m made it similar to Vřídlo, spring number 1, about which I will talk a little later. The strength of the spring was significantly reduced when the stone colonnade was erected and its waters were directed to two bowls. The first bowl is fed with water of 65.6 °C and a capacity of 4 l/min, CO2 content: 500 mg/l.

The second bowl is placed on a bridge over the Tepla River, in front of the Mill Colonnade and is fed with waters of 58 °C and a capacity of 2 l/min, CO2 content: 500 mg/l. The 2nd spring of Prince Wenceslas is the youngest spring in Karlovy Vary. It came to life only in 1964. Probably the reason for its creation was superstitious. According to the legends there should be twelve springs in Karlovy Vary. The waters of this spring were formerly used to produce Karlovy Vary medicinal salts.

7. Pramen Rusalka – Nixie Spring (previously called Nový pramen – New Spring), known already in the sixteenth century, water temperature 60.2 °C, source capacity 4-7 l/min, CO2 content: 600 mg/l. The spring originally flowed directly from the Tepla River. Right next to this spring, in the eighteenth century, spa doctors ordained.

6. Mlýnský pramen – Mill Spring, also known since the sixteenth century, water temperature 56.6 °C, source capacity 4.5 l/min, CO2 content: 600 mg/l. Its name comes from the mill on the Tepla River, which stood there until the end of the eighteenth century. It was recommended to patients as early as 1705. At that time, used mainly for medicinal baths. Water from this spring is bottled and sold all over the world.

We reached the area of the medieval market, the old center, so the springs in here are among the oldest and longest used in town.

In the years 1882-1883, a wooden Tržní Kolonáda (Market Colonnade) or Swiss-style Market Colonnade was built above the springs, according to the design of Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer.

Its main function was to cover the springs rising here on the site of the then market. The springs here are Tržní, Charles IV and Dolní Zámecký. Here they are:

5. Tržní pramen – Market Spring. Water temperature 62 °C, source capacity 4,9 l/min, CO2 content: 500 mg/l. Discovered during construction works in the historic market below the Castle Tower (Zámecka věž) in 1838. It caused a lot of worries for people in the pharmacy “At White Eagle” and in the house “At Giraffe’s” in the center of the then famous market, but it was thanks to this unruly spring, which repeatedly disappeared and reappeared, that a beautiful carved colonnade was created. Today, the spring is available in a semicircular apse, which, due to its excellent acoustic properties, is a popular concert venue.

I’m going to jump here from the fifth spring to the second one now, but don’t worry, I’ll explain everything in a minute.

2. Pramen Karla IV – The Spring of Charles IV (previously called Žrout – Glutton). Water temperature 64 °C, source capacity 4.8 l/min, CO2 content: 250-450 mg/l. This spring is used since 1769. Just above the bowl there is a metal relief by Adolf Zoerkler from 1930 representing the discovery of the of Karlovy Vary springs by Charles IV during the famous deer hunt. It is therefore apparently also the one in which Charles IV himself treated his sick leg, and it was this legendary spring that led to the creation of Karlovy Vary. This bowl stands in the place where the first spa in the city was once located.

And what made us skip the 3rd and 4th springs was Zámecká Kolonáda (Castle Colonnade). This building was originally built in the years 1911-1913. Its creator was the Viennese architect Friedrich Ohmann. In 2001 it received its current form when it was rebuilt into the Castle Spa (Zámecké lázně). This is when Spring 3, Lower Castle Spring was brought to Tržní kolonáda and made available to the public while Spring 4, Upper Castle Spring remained within the spa, closed to the public.

From the outside, it is decorated with elements of classicism and artesuvia. Inside this colonnade there is a sculpture of the Spirit of Springs by V. Hejda. 🙂 And it looks like this:

Zobacz obraz źródłowy
Source: globalblue

3. Dolní zámecký pramen – Lower Castle Spring. Water temperature 55.6 °C, source capacity 2.5 l/min, CO2 content: 600 mg/l. Known since 1769. Cows were the first to pay attention to this spring and liked to gather near its waters. Later, children made a small pool in it. During the very cold winter of 1784, when the water in the city froze, this spring supplied water to the public fountains. In 1809, it completely disappeared for 14 years.

4. Horní zámecký pramen – Upper Castle Spring, also used since 1769, water temperature 49.8 °C, source capacity 1.5 l/min, CO2 content: 600 mg/l, not accessible to the public. The low water temperature is reportedly caused by the higher location of this spring.

And finally, on the left we also see the queen of Karlovy Vary springs, namely:

Zobacz obraz źródłowy
Source: oddviser

1. Vřídlo – Hot Spring is located in Vřídelní Kolonáda (Spring Colonnade), originally built in 1826 under the supervision of Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer. Already in 1939, this building corroded and was demolished. The current form dates back to 1971-75 and was created in the style of functionalism under the supervision of architect Jaroslav Obraba.

The waters of this spring have served people since the sixteenth century. The Vřídelní sál visible in the above photograph was built next to the original spring once discovered and in accordance with the healing principles of David Becher, which required drinking water right next to the springs. I will talk about Becher a little later.

Vřídlo is the hottest of all springs, it is something really unusual; nearly 2,000 liters of water with a temperature of 72-75 °C shooting from a depth of almost 3,000 meters every minute, to a height of 12-15 meters. CO2 content: 400 mg/l, available during the opening hours of the pavilion.

Today, water from it is used mainly for bathing, less often for drinking. In the past, its waters were used in all Karlovy Vary facilities, because their healing properties were praised already in the sixteenth century.

In the old days, irregular shots of water, due to their strength, could scare local residents quite well. Today, this phenomenon is regulated, but it still makes an amazing impression on observers. The geyser explosions are so high that you really can’t absorb the entire glory of this spectacle, let alone take a nice photo.

The warmth of the water makes the droplets falling on you have a magically calming power and looking at this unique phenomenon you stand there speachless. Those interested can go on the excursion called “Underground Hot Spring”.

And while the official number 13 belongs to pramen Dorotka (Dorothy’s Spring on the mountainside), many call so the famous Becherovka – an alcoholic drink created by Dr. Becher, who for years engaged in the study of the content and properties of mineral waters in Karlovy Vary springs. As you can see, the temperature and carbon dioxide levels, in his opinion, were not sufficient for healing all pains 🙂 and that is why today you can visit the Becherovka Museum.

tuzexová

Read here about the Number Thirteen and I meawile can personally assure you that if you do not know this spring yet, you should not hesitate to get to know it 🙂 It has many flavors, it is also widely available around the globe and treats many ailments. I checked so I know!

If you play Geocaching, you already have one place to visit: pramen 13

And those who know where to go and how to get there, like us 🙂 climb the roof of the Mill Colonnade and absorbe the tremendous views on the city.

Zobacz obraz źródłowy
Source: net
Zobacz obraz źródłowy
Source: net

I wonder if our Polish national poet, Adam Mickiewicz, who used to reside here in 1829 also ran on the roofs of Karlovy Vary….

Přeji vám všem hodně zdraví!

Anka

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Polską wersję zajdziecie tutaj:

Českou verzi naleznete zde:

https://dreamsdocometrue.blog/2021/12/09/zdroje-zivota-karlovy-vary-kde-stoji-za-to-si-je-uzit/

The city of cable-netted sky

This article can be listened to in a form of a podcast. Click here: The city of cable-netted sky

When in Czech Republic, you can expect at least two things to happen to you. The first one, that you will be ripped off, mainly by taxi drivers. The prices in hundreds of Czech Crowns may confuse the best mathematicians… Let’s say however you managed to escape this one and found yourself in a bar.

Unlike in Paris, where it is worth paying for everything straightaway as prices go up as the night goes down, here, in Czech Republic there’s no need to worry about the price (unless the waiter decides to rip you off of course). The waiter brings you a little piece of paper that stays with you for the night somewhere in the middle of the table. You will not run away ‘cos the drinks are big and strong, they know it 🙂

Every time you order a pint, which in fact is almost a litre, you get a line drawn on that piece of paper. At the end of the night, your lines are simply added up and you get what you asked for. Only here, if you cannot afford it, you will clean the toilets instead. Funny or not, worth the beer!

Czechs are addicted to beer. Here note that there are Czechs and Moravians there. Those latter drink wine and are much friendlier in fact 🙂 I dare to believe it is due to the closenes to the Polish borders 🙂

While driving around you will notice plenty of fields of hops spread on the wooden constructions. Apparently Europeans drink 342 mln hectolitres of beer annually and so there is a good reason behind the new trend that has recently emerged, namely – beer tourism. And if that, where, other than Octoberfest, would you go? Of course to Plzeň (Pilsner), where one of the tastiest world beers has been produced since 1842. As the one of the first golden lagers, it conquered the world and gained the golden beer 70% of all beer lovers.

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The construction of Pilsner Brewery began in mid-September 1838, when a talented Bavarian brewer Josef Groll was hired to brew a new liquor. On November 11, 1842, the first barrels left the new brewery. And very quickly beer from Plzeň became a hit – not only among the inhabitants of Plzeň. The first batches of beer from the municipal brewery in Plzeň were soon sent to Prague. The pub where they were served quickly had to be resized. From 1856 it was exported to Vienna where it spread its wings even more among both, the many Vieniese Czechs as well as the aborigins.

The peoples of Plzeň were so intoxicated (wonder why!) by the success of their golden pilsner that they completely forgot to name it.

In 1859 the trademark “Pilsner Bier” was registered. In 1898, the brewery went a step further by registering its beer as Pilsner Urquell – meaning in translation “the original source/ spring of pilsner”.

Right now even beers brewed in Berlin and Amsterdam are called pilsners.

The popularity of the new beer continued to grow in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Soon, the brewery from Plzeň established the first subsidiary company, in which 20 well-known entrepreneurs invested. One of them was Emil Škoda, a prominent Czech investor and entrepreneur. That’s the one from Škoda Auto now produced by Volkswagen Group along with Audi.

Taking the opportunity I cannot stop myself from sharing this very common in the Czech Republic joke: Je to Škoda pane Škoda, že ta Škoda nepojede – lit. ‘It’s a pity Mr. Pity that this Škoda will not move off’.

To this day Pilsner Urquell, popular all over the world, is brewed only in Czech Plzeň in the same way and with the same 100% Czech ingredients since 1842. Its unique taste is determined by the Plzeň water, Moravian barley, SAAZ type hops and the unique Pilsner H yeast, which are “descendants” of the original yeast culture from which Josef Groll, brewed the first Pilsner Urquell in 1842. They are so valuable that their samples are stored in refrigerated safes around the world: in Prague, Paris, London and Johannesburg.

Every Easter the brewery in Plzeň brews a special party Pilsner Urquell, which is blessed by local priests, and then sent to the Vatican, where it goes to official events related to the celebrated holiday.

Vaclav Havel used to sip Pislner Urquell with The Rolling Stones, American State Secretary Madeleine Albright and with Bill Clinton, althouth l think Havel does not smoke cigars…

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is pils.jpg

It was a very sunny autumn day when we hit the road for Plzeň and the moment we neared the city I noticed something most fascinating. Being from Poland, I am very well used to trams and electric buses in the cities. Plzeň however welcomes you with a net of cables above your head. Anywhere you look, cables. Pretty fascinating and at the same time giving you a totally weird feeling. After all, we usually look at the sky without anything in between, of course unless it is a window or glasses….

And I have instantly fallen in love with this town. The traffic was unreal and very chaotic, caused by the presence of these cable trams and buses. It felt a bit fairytale-ish in fact. A bit like in an old fashioned amusement parks where something is turning around, something else goes up and down, other things swing, so here, you look left and there comes a car followed by a bus but they must suddenly stop because another one is coming, then the tram, etc etc. And majority of them attached to the cable! I only wonder how oh how can they not get tangled!

This was a few years back and now the city has a new fleet of modern vehicles but it all looks equally fascinating. It is best experienced while driving though, you simply have to get onto that carousel and allow yourself to… feel dizzy…

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After visiting the museum we strolled through the city admiring some truly fascinating architechture from across the centuries. There are a good few buildings to stop by and marinade over for a while, even just to absorb the beauty of the finishes, the old building techniques or the materials used to construct these edifices. Mesmerizing and decorative.

There is one more building there that is pretty special. Built between 1890-1893 Velká Synagoga, the Great Synagogue, the largest in Czech Republic, is the 2nd largest in Europe and the 3rd largest in the world.

Only this fot. Marcin Szala

The building was used for religious purposes until the IIWW when of course it was destroyed entirely. Later returned to the Jewish community, however during the Russian occupation it was given to the public. Only in 1995-98, it underwent an overall renovation and restoration and is now used for concerts and events. There is still a small room there left for the prayers of the local Jews.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is pils.jpg

My favourite places in Plzeň were two, one was the total kingdom of embroidery floss 😀 and I stocked up for years to come. The other one was a little clothes shop run by the Korean ladies. I still have a dress I bought in there. I have never worn it yet in all 13 years or so but it is absolutely beautiful and I do not regret buying it 🙂 (if you are a woman, you know what I mean).

Being international, you got friends or acquaintances everywhere. So we do in Plzeň. As such, the rest of that day was spent in a very good company of a lovely man who made a fortune selling army clothes and collectors stuff. I was not in the subject but after a huge pint or two of Pilsner you just don’t mind the random men talk.

And the cable-net sky seemed even cooler after that pint. Of course I was not driving.

Na zdravi!

A mějte se krasně!

Zas brzo naschledanou.

Anka

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