Mariánské Lázně

If Prague´s smoky pubs and polluted highways have lost their appeal then there are few better places to recoup than Mariánské Lázně. Founded as a spa town in the 19th century, Mariánské is a two-hour drive (or three-hour bus ride) from Prague, and makes an ideal weekend getaway. The town is the second largest and probably the most attractive of the ‘triangle´ spas – Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně. Surrounded by mountains, Mariánské Lázně is characterised by its extravagant neoclassical hotels and churches, painted the colour of honey, and a string of parks and gardens running between them. As well as offering spa and beauty treatments, Mariánské is an ideal base for hiking, cycling and winter sports, and also plays host to a number of music festivals during the summer.

Throughout the 19th century the town became increasingly popular and was soon attracting the great names of the day. Visitors included writers such as Ibsen, Kafka, Kipling, Tolstoy, Twain and Goethe, musicians such as Chopin, Wagner, Dvořák, and scientists such as Edison and Nobel. However, Mariánské´s biggest fan was the British king Edward VII, who visited the spas nine times and wrote, “I have seen the whole of India, Ceylon and all the spas of Europe, but nowhere else have I been so touched by the beautiful poetry of Nature.”

For those of a more active bent, sportsmen and women are well provided for. Near to the town centre are two ski lifts and a cableway, as well as miles of countryside ideal for cross-country skiing and a local cross-country skiing centre called Golf. A number of trekking and cycling routes run through the nearby countryside, and route maps are available from the tourist office and most hotels. There is also a golf course (as well as mini-golf), numerous swimming pools, and several stables, information about which can be found at the Horse Riding Society (U Krakonoše 53).

Those who have a car and would rather stay outside the city could do a lot worse than Hotel Garni in Kladská (880-1060 CZK per night for a double room). Originally a 19th century hunting lodge, the hotel is surrounded by miles of pine forests, lakes and open parkland. For those on a budget, private rooms in town can be booked by travelling to Úšovice or Palackého Street, where most are located, or through the Tourist office. There are also two reasonably priced campsites, Autocamping Luxor in Velká Hled’sebe and Stanowitz in the village of Stanovište.

Restaurants in Mariánské Lázně are both plentiful and varied, with Italian, French and Chinese cuisine all on offer. As usual in the Czech Republic, however, it is the restaurants serving local food that are most appealing to the stomach and the wallet. Moravská Restaurace, off Hlavní třída in the town centre, serves excellent food at a reasonable price, and the service is good. You would be hard pressed to find better garlic soup, and their Palačinky (sweet pancakes) are delicious. The hamlet of Kladská has its own small restaurant, U Tetřívka, located in a traditional log cabin. Although on the expensive side, their game is wonderful, as is the atmosphere. Combine lunch with a stroll around the nearby lake and you will consider the journey up (15 minutes in the car or 30 by bus) well worth it. Game is also a speciality of Kobila, located on Dusíková, and modelled on a ski-lodge. Their roast boar with summer berries and roast duck are especially good. For those with less carnivorous tastes, choices are limited, and vegetarians may have to try one of the town´s many Chinese restaurants (such as China Town, Hlavní 7/279) or settle for the perpetual fall back option, fried cheese.