bg Karlovy Vary

Imperial Baths

- Mariánskolázeňská 2 -
The construction of the majestic two-story building took place over a period of two years between 1893 and 1895. The plans for the construction were drawn up by the Vienesse architectural company of the Austrian architect and the German architect . The paintings on the staircase were created by the Czech painter from , and the paintings in the hall were created by the Austrian painter from . The local painter created the paintings that hang in the men's lounge, which used to be used for the relaxation of male guests after their baths. The sculptures on the facade were the work of the sculptor Weitzek, and the ones on the staircase were the work of the Czech-German sculptor from . Many local and foreign companies participated in the construction and decoration of the building. For the purpose of building a spa, a defunct brewery with land on the bank of the Teplé River was purchased and at the beginning of 1893 it was demolished to build the most modern spa house in the world at the time.
The brewery in 1880
The idea of ​​building a worthy spa facility in the heart of the city came somewhere at the end of 1891 by the Karlovy Vary city councilor and prominent balneologist, Doctor Karel Becher. The building was handed over for use on May 5, 1895, although some smaller interior modifications, especially decorations, were not completely completed. The inauguration took place on May 6, 1895, with great interest from the world press and the general public. The spa building offered more than a hundred baths, but most importantly, a unique system of elevators and internal lofts for processing and transporting peat for the preparation of baths. The entire operation took place in such a way that the visitors were not disturbed by the service staff with the smell of peat. The building is thus full of hidden floors, service areas, and technical facilities that were hidden from the ordinary visitor, which were nearly two thousand people a day.
A cross section of the building
Three years after the opening, on April 19, 1898, around three in the morning, just a day before the start of the new spa season, the people of Karlovy Vary woke up to a scream that the Imperial Baths was burning. People began to converge on the building, from which high flames were already shooting. The building caught fire so quickly that when the first fire units arrived, the entire back tract was already in flames. Soon the rear dome of the building collapsed and the fire also engulfed the side of the building facing the river. Fortunately, around six o'clock in the morning, firefighters managed to get the fire under control. Despite the enormous damage, the building was reopened to the public on May 1, 1898, and the year 1898 became one of the most economically successful years of the building's operation.
The newspaper Der Kurgast reporting about the fire
The Imperial Spa was named after the Austrian Emperor and Czech King, . The monarch visited the spa only once, during his visit to Karlovy Vary in August 1904. He toured the building, but never bathed in the baths and the bathhouse that bear his name. After the establishment of the First Czechoslovak Republic, it was forbidden by law to commemorate the Habsburg monarchs and the monarchy. Therefore, at this time the Imperial Spa became Spa I. Until the end of the , the spa building operated only during the spa season, from May to September. Therefore, between 1948 and 1953, a major reconstruction of the building was carried out, which enabled year-round operation. With the increasing maintenance costs came the decision to close the spa and from the late 1980s the building was used as a casino. Subsequently, it was only occasionally used for various social and cultural events and gradually fell into disrepair. The owner of the building, the Karlovy Vary Region, has started a complete reconstruction of the Imperial Spas. During the almost four-year restoration, the building was returned to its historical appearance and it became in use as a spa once more.
A part of the interior
The roof of the building, which is built in the Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque is dominated by dormers, domes, as well as . The domes are embellished with , , decorative shells, , to which a torch and a serpent are attached, and statues depicting riding a water creature, while the dormers are adorned with a and some of which with a segmental . Around the same height as the roof, you can see more pediments, in different shapes and sizes, some of which are adorned with a mascaron, the coat of arms of Karlovy Vary, and . Underneath the roof , you can see a strip of , and sometimes you can see two strips of dentils that alternate with , some of which are embellished with foliage.
The back of the building is shown in an old postcard
The building features many , which show, in addition to the name of the building, the names of the most important Karlovy Vary doctors. Above a large part of the windows, including the , a keystone was placed, while above the others a richly decorated pediment is placed. A large part of the are adorned with a circle, and a smaller part is adorned with floral decorations. The columns and , with which the building is abundantly decorated, are either crowned with a Doric or an Ionic . The part on the western, northern, and southern sides feature two lavishly decorated , , and four fragments adorned with putti, a , and the Greek god , while on the eastern side, you can see two putti and large cartouches. The main entrance is flanked by two sculptural compositions, which depict Healing Powers and the Wild Powers.
The building is shown at night in an old postcard