Things to do
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Boheminium
Scale models of Czech castles, churches, towers and spa buildings fill this open-air park on a hillside at the edge of town, each set among small paths and plantings. Most are built at a twenty-fifth of real size, and some have moving parts. It is open daily all year with shorter winter hours, and a forest path or a town bus links it to the colonnade.
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Church of St Vladimir
Onion domes mark this small Russian Orthodox church above the main street, built in the early twentieth century for spa guests from Russia. Its interior is dominated by a glazed ceramic iconostasis made for the Paris World Exhibition of 1900. It opens Tuesday to Saturday with a midday break and is closed to sightseeing on Sunday and Monday.
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Cross Spring
A white Neoclassical pavilion with a ring of columns and a double cross on its roof covers the spring around which the spa grew. The water is strongly mineral and was long prescribed for digestion, so small sips suit a first taste. It stands at the top of the park beside the colonnade, and the taps are free to use.
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Ensana Nové Lázně
Facing the spa park below the colonnade, this Neo-Renaissance spa hotel opened in 1896 and still runs treatments in its own historic bath house. The Roman Baths, a tiled hall of warm pools under a vaulted roof, are open to guests daily. Several sister hotels connect to it through inner corridors, so guests can reach the pools without going outside.
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Singing Fountain
Jets of water rise and fall to recorded music in an oval basin in front of the colonnade, set to a changing programme of classical and popular pieces. Shows run every odd hour through the day from May to October, with two lit performances after dark each evening. The fountain shuts for winter at the end of October.
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Spa Colonnade
Cast iron and glass carry this long, curving promenade, built in 1889 along the top of the spa park. Painted ceiling frescoes run its full length, and the Singing Fountain plays in front of it. Being covered, it is the place to walk in rain, and spouted drinking cups are sold for the springs nearby.
