Františkovy Lázně

Late spring to early autumn is the best time. Summers are mild and pleasant for walks in the parks. Winters are cold and grey, with some snow, but the spa hotels stay open all year.

The biggest event of the year is the opening of the spa season in May. The town celebrates with a procession, brass music and the traditional blessing of the springs.

Start in the spa park at the pavilion of the František Spring, the town's oldest and most famous spring. Bring a cup and try the mineral water.

Statue of František stands near the spring. This small bronze boy holding a fish is the town's mascot. Local legend says that a woman who touches him will soon become pregnant.

Glauber I is one of the Glauber springs in the western part of the spa park. Their water is rich in Glauber's salt, so drink only small amounts.

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the main Catholic church, built in the early 19th century in the Empire style. It also hosts organ concerts.

Church of St. Olga is a small Orthodox church from the late 19th century, built for Russian spa guests. It is a protected cultural monument.

Božena Němcová Theatre is a Neoclassical theatre from 1928 with Art Deco interiors. It hosts concerts, opera and operetta.

Town Museum tells the story of the spa, its springs and its famous guests.

Salingburg is a small lookout tower from 1906, built to look like a castle ruin. It sits in the woods at the edge of the spa forest, about 3 km on foot from the centre.

Komorní hůrka is a small extinct volcano just outside town. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe came here several times to study it.

A spa stay here is about slow daily rituals.

• Drinking cure: Walk from spring to spring with a spa cup and taste the different waters. Each spring has its own mineral content and taste.
• Peat mud bath: The town was one of the first in Europe to use local peat for spa baths. Many spa hotels offer single treatments, not only full stays.
• Afternoon concert: In the season, spa orchestras and brass bands play in the park. Evenings bring concerts and operetta at Božena Němcová Theatre.
• Bike loop: Ride through the forests to Salingburg and Komorní hůrka, and continue to SOOS National Nature Reserve.
• Aquaforum is a water park with pools and slides, good for families on a rainy day.

The town sits in a region full of spas, castles and unusual nature. Most places below are within an hour.

• SOOS National Nature Reserve (6 km, 10 min by car or bike): a national nature reserve with peat bogs, mineral springs and mofettes, where carbon dioxide bubbles up through the mud. A boardwalk trail leads through it, and there is a small museum.
• Cheb (5 km, about 10 min by train): a historic town with a medieval castle and a main square of colourful merchant houses.
• Waldsassen (Germany, about 15 km, 20 min by car): a Baroque basilica and a famous monastery library hall just across the border.
• Mariánské Lázně (about 45 min by car or train): a larger spa town with a grand cast-iron colonnade and a singing fountain.
• Loket (about 45 min by car): a small town with a castle on a rock above a bend of the Ohře river.
• Karlovy Vary (about 1 hour by car): the largest Czech spa town, with hot springs and long colonnades.

Františkovy Lázně belongs to the Karlovy Vary Region, the heart of the West Bohemian spa triangle.

• Nearby towns: Cheb is the regional centre next door. Aš lies further north, near the German border.
• Other spa towns: Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary complete the UNESCO spa triangle.
• Castles: Loket is a popular stop between the spa towns.

• By air: Prague Václav Havel Airport is the main international gateway, about 180 km away. From Prague, take a train to Cheb and change there. Nuremberg Airport in Germany is a similar distance by car. Karlovy Vary Airport is closer but has very few scheduled flights.
• By train: Trains from Prague to Cheb take about 3 hours. From Cheb, local trains reach Františkovy Lázně in about 5–10 minutes. Check times on České dráhy.
• By bus: Long-distance buses from Prague stop in Cheb. From there, take a local bus or train.
• By car: The D6 road links Prague and Karlovy Vary with Cheb. From Cheb it is a short drive north.

• On foot: The spa centre, parks and main springs are all within a 15-minute walk. The terrain is flat.
• Train and bus: Local trains and buses link the town with Cheb. Buy train tickets at the station, in the ČD app or from the conductor on board.
• Cycling: Flat forest roads and marked cycle routes lead to the lookout tower, the volcano and the nature reserve. Some hotels rent bikes.
• Taxi: There are local taxi firms; ask your hotel to call one.

• Is a car worth it?: Not for the town itself, which is small and walkable. A car helps for day trips in the region, but trains cover Cheb and the other spa towns.
• Parking: Use the paid car parks at the edge of the spa centre. Many spa hotels have their own parking; check when you book.
• Restrictions: Parts of the spa zone are closed to traffic. Follow the signs and do not drive into the park areas.

Most eating happens in the spa hotels and in the cafés along Národní street, the main pedestrian street. Classic spa cafés serve cakes, strudel and coffee in the afternoon.

Try lázeňské oplatky, the large thin spa wafers with a sweet filling. Czech and Bohemian-German dishes dominate the menus, such as roast pork with dumplings, duck and goulash. Many restaurants cater to spa guests on diets, so lighter dishes are easy to find.

Františkovy Lázně is a very safe, quiet town. Petty crime is rare, but keep an eye on bags in busy cafés.

• Mineral water: The spring water is safe to drink, but it is strongly mineralised. Some springs have a laxative effect. Start with small amounts, and ask a spa doctor if you have health problems.
• Tap water: Tap water is safe to drink.
• Ticks: Use repellent when walking in the forests and meadows from spring to autumn.

People from Cheb used the local springs for centuries before the town existed. The spa was founded in 1793 and named Kaiser Franzensdorf after the Austrian emperor Francis II. The physician Bernhard Adler promoted the healing waters, and the spa grew quickly around the František Spring.

In the 19th century, famous guests came, including Goethe, Ludwig van Beethoven and Johann Strauss II. Goethe used his visits to study Komorní hůrka. Emperor Franz Joseph I gave the spa town status in 1865. Many buildings, like Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and Church of St. Olga, date from this period.

After 1945, the mostly German-speaking population was expelled and the spa was nationalised. The historic centre survived, and in 2021 it became part of a UNESCO World Heritage site with other great European spa towns.

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