Rusalka Cabin

Location: In the spa woods south-west of the centre of Karlovy Vary
Period of construction: 1906
Architect: Unknown
Official opening: 1906
Accessibility: Freely accessible

How to get there

Route 1: A countless number of tourist paths within the spa woods will help you find the way to the Rusalka Cabin. One of them is the green-marked tourist path leading from Petra Velikého Street to the fork known as "Nad lesní pobožností" (Above the Forest Devotion). From there, follow the wood path to the gazebo. The whole route is about 2.5 kilometres long and it will take you less than an hour.

Route 2: The second alternative is to take the Diana funicular that will take you to Výšina přátelství (Friendship Height) and from there, take a pleasant walk for about 750 metres, following the blue tourist path to the "Nad lesní pobožností" fork. Turn onto the path leading to the gazebo.

History of the structure

Already in 1810, Count Chotek had the Belvedere lookout built near a new forest promenade in a lovely secluded location cleared of trees above the Teplá River in the spa forests on the site of the present-day gazebo. In 1906, the current wooden lookout gazebo was erected on the stony terrace of the former lookout, known as the Maurig Cabin until the end of World War II.

The gazebo used to be Vladimír Páral's favourite spot. Being a writer, he drew inspiration from the atmosphere surrounding the cabin "under the beeches" for his “Book of lust, laugh and joy”. As a very popular and frequently visited site, the Rusalka Cabin underwent a complete reconstruction in 2008: the slope below the gazebo was cleared of trees, which resulted in restoring the spectacular view of the Teplá River valley.