Mariánské Lázně guide
The town of Mariánské Lázně is located in the Karlovy Vary region, 27 km from Cheb and has a population of approximately 13,000. Mariánské Lázně is the youngest of the famous triangle of West Bohemian spa towns (Mariánské Lázně - Františkovy Lázně - Karlovy Vary)
Accommodation
Whether you are planning a spa or wellness stay or looking for accommodation for just 1 night, Marianske Lazne has a wide range of accommodation of all categories, from luxury hotels (Sant Georg garni, Swisshouse Boutique Hotel, Gourmet Hotel Villa Patriot) to guest houses (Penzion Libertas, Pension Villa Marion) to the apartments (Marienbad Apartment, Villa Shafaly).
History
The town was founded in the early 19th century, so it is a relatively young spa town. It got its name in 1808 according to one of the healing springs, in 1812 it became an independent municipality and in 1818 it was recognized as a public spa town. The town originated in a valley where many healing springs spring up, which have been known since the 13th century, but their healing effects began to be studied only at the end of the 18th century. At the beginning of the 19th century, the first brick house for spa guests was built near Křížový pramen. Thanks to the influx of spa guests, the town experienced a rapid construction development, and a settlement named after the image of the Virgin Mary, suspended from the Křížový spring, was soon established here. The beginning of the 1920s meant a huge expansion of the new place - from an inhospitable, swampy valley grew a park town with gazebos, pavilions, colonnades and classicist and empire houses. Important personalities from all over the world began to come to the city - such as J. W. Goethe, Prince Friedrich of Saxony, Count Kaspar Sternberk, F. Chopin or R. Wagner. In the second half of the 19th century, the city gained a railway connection with Cheb, Vienna and Prague via Pilsen and later with Karlovy Vary. At this time, perhaps also the most important guests visited Mariánské Lázně, such as G. Mahler, F. Kafka, M. Twain, T. A. Edison, P. De Coubertin, King Edward VII of England, or Emperor Francis Joseph I.
During the Second World War, Mariánské Lázně was a hospital town. To this day, the city still retains its spa character and is visited by up to 40,000 guests during the season.
Monuments and interesting places
There are several interesting churches in Mariánské Lázně, such as the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which is one of the rare cultural monuments. 33 steps lead to the entrance to the church, which symbolizes 33 years of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, we find the Orthodox Church of St. Vladimír Františkolázeňský, which was built primarily for guests from Russia, or the Anglican Church, the construction of which was initiated by visitors from England, but this church has not served its original purpose for a long time.
Of course, every visitor must visit the colonnade and also the singing fountain, which plays every day and evening with a color projection.
Not only for younger visitors, we can definitely recommend visiting the Bohemium Park, which is the fourth largest park of miniatures in Europe and you will find perfect models of important architectural and technical monuments of the Czech Republic.
If you are already in Mariánské Lázně, do not forget to visit the nearby Premonstratensian monastery Teplá, which was founded at the end of the 12th century and Kladská, which is one of the most beautiful places in Cheb, in the center of the most valuable area of the Protected Landscape Area Slavkov Forest.