Peter House

Location: In Vřídelní Street opposite the Mill Colonnade in the centre of Karlovy Vary
Period of construction: From 1706 to 1709
Period of reconstruction: 1896, and between 1922 and 1923
Architect: Unknown
Official opening: 1709
Accessibility: Not accessible

How to get there

Route 1: To reach Peter House, start at the Hot Spring (Vřídlo) in the spa centre and walk up the right bank of the Teplá River along Vřídelní (Hot Spring) Street. The building is located directly opposite the Mill Colonnade. The short walk through the spa centre is about 500 meters long and will take you about ten minutes.

Route 2: The second alternative is to travel by Bus No. 1 or Bus No. 4 from the "Tržnice" (Market) city bus terminal to the "Lázně III" (Spa III) terminal stop. From there, continue for about 200 metres along Vřídelní Street all the way to Peter House.

History of the structure

The Baroque terraced, half-timbered house is home to the "U zlatého vola" (At the Golden Ox) Inn and it was built between 1706 and 1709 just behind the town gate in present-day Vřídelní Street. In 1896, the house was rebuilt and expanded according to plans by architect Johann Matusch. Between 1922 and 1923, another reconstruction of the Baroque house took place. This time, it was carried out by Johann Heinrich Vieth, who was commissioned by the Neubauer family. In the 1920s, the house was named "Petter" after its former tenant, Johann Petter.

In the second half of the 20^th century, there was a restaurant called "Petr" run in the house along with a plentifully visited cinema café. From 1999 to 2000, the run-down building underwent a total reconstruction. The façade of the house is fitted with a bronze plaque of the Russian Tsar, Peter the Great, who helped masons build the house "U páva" (At the Peacock) across the road in 1711. The plaque has been created by sculptor Miroslav Zahrádka.