Charles IV Spring

Spring site: Market Colonnade
Location: On the left bank of the Teplá River in the historical centre of Karlovy Vary
Date of first interception: 1769
Temperature: 65,8°C
Yield: 4.8 litres per minute
CO2 content: 250-450 mg per litre
Accessibility: Freely accessible

How to get there

Route 1: You may reach the Market Colonnade if you walk from the Hot Spring in the spa centre across Jánský most (Jánský Bridge) to Tržiště (Market) Street. The spring seep is located inside the promenade premises of the Market Colonnade. This short walk is approximately 200 metres long and takes about 5 minutes.

Route 2: If you decide for the second route, travel by Bus No. 2 from the "Tržnice" (Market) city bus terminal to the "Divadelní náměstí" (Theatre Square) terminal stop. From there, follow Route 1 across Jánský most (Jánský Bridge) to Tržiště Street.

The spring, which had been also known as Žrout (Gorger), has been rising on the site of the historical Tržiště (Market) below Zámecká věž (Castle Tower) since the Middle Ages. According to legend, Emperor Charles IV healed his ailing limbs particularly at this spring. The famed legend of the foundation of Karlovy Vary is depicted on the bronze relief hanging directly over the spring bowel. The relief is entitled "The Discovery of the Hot Springs by Charles IV" and it was created by artistic blacksmith Adolf Zörkler.

The spring had served curative purposes until 1875 when the old Town Hall was demolished. Between 1882 and 1883, the spring seep was covered by the wooden Market Colonnade built in Swiss style according to the design of Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer.