Prince Wenceslas Spring

Spring site: Mill Colonnade
Location: On the left bank of the Teplá River in the spa centre of Karlovy Vary
Date of first interception: 1784
Temperature: 65,4 °C and 58,6 °C
Yield: 4 and 2 litres per minute
CO2 content: 500 mg per litre
Accessibility: Freely accessible

How to get there

Route 1: You may reach the Mill Colonnade if you start from the Hot Spring in the city centre and walk down Tržiště (Market) Street and Lázeňská (Spa) Street along the Market Colonnade on the left bank of the Teplá River. The spring seep is located inside the promenade hall of the Mill Colonnade. The short walk through the spa centre is approximately 500 metres long and takes about 10 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, walk about 200 metres across Lázeňský most (Spa Bridge) over the Teplá River and continue along Mlýnské nábřeží (Mill Embankment) directly to the Mill Colonnade.

The spring first appeared in 1784 and it emerged right from below Bernardova skála (Bernard’s Rock), which had reached as far as the bed of the Teplá River back then. It was originally named Bernardův pramen (Bernard Spring) after the rocky bill. Since its yield had been much greater in those times, it had been often compared to the Hot Spring because of its mighty geyser gushing to more than 4 metres. The water from the spring had also been used for the production of the traditional medicinal salt.

Between 1870 and 1871, the stone Mill Colonnade designed by Josef Zítek was built over the spring seep and its waters were newly supplied into two spring bowls, into which water had been previously captured separately. The first spring bowl with a temperature of 65.6°C, which yields 4 litres per minute, may be found in the promenade hall of the Mill Colonnade. The second spring bowl, with a temperature of 64.3°C and yield of 2 litres per minute, is situated on the bridge over the Teplá River in the open space in front of the colonnade.