About Karlovy Vary
According to the legend the city of Karlovy Vary was discovered and founded by the Czech king Charles IV and the written history begins on 14.8.1370, when the residential place received the status and rights of one kings town. All following sovereigns confirmed these privileges. The 18 century was the time of full boom and glory for the spring town for many many years. The biggest publicity boost for Karlovy Vary were the two visits by Russian czar Peter the Great in 1711 and 1712. The period around 1900 is a period of the greatest blossom of the thermal town, a period of a construction of new traffic routes, of grandiose and sometimes even pompous buildings, period of luxury and gentility, of helpfulness and hospitality. In addition to that, there is a five - hundred - years lasting spa water cure and an excellent reputation of the romantic place, enhanced by frequent visits of important and famous persons. Karlovy Vary became not only the worldly spa but also European centre of a high life in central Europe. Visiting the famous spa was literally a matter of prestige for all rich people as well as for the ruling aristocracy. Under a strong Viennese influence a metropolitan spirit comes to the spa. Buildings of unprecedented dimensions with better facilities are built in the town. The construction of the Military Spa Sanatorium in 1855 is among the first extensive ones, following by Baths no. III and IV. In the years 1878 - 80, the pompous stone colonnade that was designed by architect Josef Zitek is finished. The Viennese architects Hermann Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner designed between 1875 - 1914 the most distinct outlines in the lovely face of the thermal town. In the year 1886 the new Municipal Theatre is finished and opened after the project from Helmer and Fellner, the Pupp Hotel complex starts to rebuilt. This boisterous building progress is interrupted in 1890 by a terrible natural disaster. After a long lasting raise in the whole territory of Western Bohemia, and especially in Tepla river basin, a catastrophic situation set on November 23th and 24th in the spa valley. The flood wave strake the town in an unprecedented measure. The waves of the wild water reached nearly five meters high and destroyed everything that they met on their way. After the autumn rains a cruel winter came. A stately building of the Imperial Bath was erected in the years 1893 - 95, on the place of the old brewery. The spa treatment concentrated into five main baths buildings. The social high life took place around the "Poštovní dvůr"( Post Yard), on the Richmond Hotel´s terraces, in "Švýcarský dvůr" (Swiss Court) Hotel´s garden restaurant, in the old Sanssouci Hotel, in Pupp Grandhotel, in the Theatre, at the music salon in the Municipal park and in Orfeum Variety with revue programmes. In the years 1875 - 1897 the Anglican church, a Jewish synagogue and the Russian Orthodox church were gradually bulit for worshippers. The west villadom Carlsbad "Westend" was built in between these three churches. The architecture of this housing estate thus expresses the craving for originality and worldliness. Especially the large buildings of Savoy Spa Sanatorium complex - Kleopatra and Carlton villas designed by Viennese architect A. Bayer in 1897 - stand out among dozens of unique villas. A rebuilt Richmond Hotel with its terraces and vast garden is opened at the opposite end of the spa. The tumultuous construction activity reached its height by finishing the dominant "modern castle" above the town - Imperial Hotel. The hotel was connected with the spa district by one tunnel funicular and one surface funicular. With the shots of Sarajevo - it was the end of the wonderful period Geyser town's prosperity, the end of the real "Golden age" of Carlsbad. The town suffered a lot of damages during the two world wars.
Petra Velikého 16
360 01 Karlovy Vary
Czech Republic
FRONT OFFICE:
Tel: +420 359 018 811
E-mail: frontoffice@savoywestend.cz
RESERVATION:
tel: +420 359 018 888
e-mail: reservation@savoywestend.cz