Karlovy Vary and Loket with the Welcome Centre

On Saturday 4th, March, the Welcome Centre organised the first one-day trip in 2023. It was to the castle Loket and the spa town of Karlovy Vary in Western Bohemia, about 110 km from Prague. The bus was full, and everybody was looking forward to the excursion.

The Loket Castle existed already in the 13th century. It is a medieval castle built by a king to protect the borders of Bohemia in the west and commercial roads to Germany. Nowadays, there are several exhibitions: armoury, tin tableware, porcelain tableware and statues, wooden furniture and sculptures and a torture chamber, reminding us that there used to be a prison till 1948. The most enjoyable was the possibility of climbing the central tower and seeing the dragon which guards it on the ground floor. One curiosity was a meteorite that fell down on the castle courtyard in the 15th century.

The following stop was the glass factory Moser in Karlovy Vary. There we could visit a glass museum, watch an introductory video about the establishment and history of the factory (from 1857 till nowadays) and also see the master glassmakers at work, how they blow and shape glass – creating different vases, glass vessels and carafes. The work at the factory is very hard, and that is why the handmade products are expensive but beautiful.

After a good lunch, there was a guided tour of the centre of Karlovy Vary along the valley of the river Teplá. Those who did not bring any cups, could buy a special porcelain cup for drinking mineral hot spring water (12 different springs), taste locally made warm waffles and stroll around and through the four collonades (Park, Mill, Market and Sprudel Collonades). In the end, some also visited the Baroque church of Mary Magdalene, built by the famous Baroque architect K.I.Dientzenhofer.

 

 

 

The trip had a rich programme, it was maybe a bit tiring, but hopefully, all participants returned to Prague full of unforgettable memories.

The next time there is still to be seen the Museum of Becherovka, the swimming pool with thermal spring water, the view tower Diana, the old funicular, the butterly house Papilonia and lots of pathways in the hills surrounding Karlovy Vary. And a stay at one of the spa houses is highly recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author: Alena Malá Drebitková

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