Czech Republic

*Karlovy Vary (KarlsbadTown)

KARLOVY VARYis the undisputed king of the famous triangle of Bohemian spas, with by far the most illustrious guest list of European notables. What makes it special is its wonderful hilly setting, its Belle Epoque mansions piled on top of one another along the steeply wooded banks of the endlessly twisting River Teplá. It is best known throughout the world by its German name, Karlsbad (Carlsbad in its anglicized form), and it was German-speakers who made up the vast majority of ... More.

Introducing Karlovy Vary

The town of Karlovy Vary is located in the western part of the Czech Republic at the confluence of the rivers Teplá and Ohře (Eger), about 120 km from Prague. It is the largest and most famous spa town in the Czech Republic

Historic Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary)

The town was founded in the 14^thcentury by Charles IV. According to a legend, the emperor had it built soon after the accidental discovery of thermal springs by his hunting companions. The spa enjoyed the favour of many noble families and wealthy townsmen already in the 16^thcentury. Due to the series of natural disasters only a few buildings from that time have survived. Most of the landmarks originate from the 18^thand 19^thcentury, when the town experienced its golden days.

The Karlovy Vary Spa

Since the town’s founding the Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) spa treatments have been gradually developing and improving to this day. The treatments help to cure the patients who are mainly suffering from:

diseases of the digestive tract
metabolic disorders
diabetes
gout
obesity
periodontitis
locomotor system diseases
diseases of liver, pancreas, gallbladder and biliary tract
conditions after oncological diseases
neurological diseases
and so on

The Karlovy Vary spa therapies include many curative treatments. The treatments use both the centuries-proven thermal baths and drinking cures, as well as modern methods, such as cryotherapy, floating, laser therapy, etc. The classic spa treatments and wellness as well can be enjoyed in the Karlovy Vary sanatoriums and spa hotels

Culture in Karlovy Vary

The town hosts innumerable cultural and sports events throughout the entire year. Many became popular among the Karlovy Vary public and tourists. One of the most popular social events is the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which every year attracts the film fans from around the world. But the films are not only screened here. Thanking to its unique environment and architecture, Karlovy Vary has been used as a shooting location for well-known films. For example, lately it was James Bond: Casino Royale.

Sport in Karlovy Vary

Due to the development of balneology and tourism, the sport in Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) has always managed to thrive. Steeplechase racetrack was established here at the end of 19^thcentury. In 1904 the first golf course in the Czech Republic was opened on the outskirts of the town and a year later it was a tennis complex with 6 courts. In addition to the above, Karlovy Vary also offers many other sports activities.

The world-famous Karlovy Vary

In addition to its spa facilities and the IFF, some Karlovy Vary products have contributed to the town’s international reputation also. When we mention the words Becherovka, Moser or Thun, many people first think of Karlovy Vary. Equally well-known and popular are the traditional spa wafers.

Spa treatments and wellness

1)Spa care:

Comprehensive Karlovy Vary spa care
with contributions or the care paid by the patient...

Karlovy Varyis the largest spa in the Czech Republic. It is mainly used for the treatment of digestive and locomotor system diseases and metabolic disorders. The town offers many spa hotels and other spa facilities, which will provide you with traditional spa treatments, a wide variety of wellness programs and individual procedures.

Indications for the spa therapy

gastrointestinal diseases
metabolic disorders
diabetes
gout
obesity
periodontitis
locomotor system diseases
liver, pancreas, gallbladder and biliary tract diseases
conditions after oncological diseases
neurological disorders

About the Karlovy Vary spa treatments

The Karlovy Vary spa treatments consist of procedures which are mainly using mineral water for the treatments. In order to make any sense, the therapy must last at least three weeks. Upon arrival at the spa the doctor performs the initial examination and prescribes appropriate treatments. The daily schedule of various massages, baths and drinking cures must be strictly observed. The effects will come soon.

Patients come to Karlovy Vary for:

the spa care funded from the patient’s own resources
outpatient spa treatments
a comprehensive spa care
the spa care funded with contributions

The spa care funded from the patient's own resources

The Karlovy Vary spa hotels and other spa facilities can provide you with treatments that are funded from your own resources. This form of spa treatment is available not only to the Czech patients, but also to foreigners from around the world. The patient himself makes a reservation in advance at the selected spa facilities and pays for the spa treatments, as well as for accommodation and meals from the patient's own resources.

Outpatient care

In this form of therapy, the patient, insured by the Czech contractual health insurance company comes to the procedures prescribed by the patient's doctor. The doctor may recommend outpatient treatments after accidents, surgeries and chronic diseases. The prescribed outpatient treatments are usually fully covered by the health insurance. The number of prescribed procedures usually moves around 10 and the patient goes for the treatments from his residence. .

Comprehensive spa treatments

The patients who are insured by the Czech contractual health insurance company get a recommendation for the treatments by their doctor, usually a specialist. He sends a medical report along with suggestions for a comprehensive treatment to the relevant insurance company. The insurance company (or the examining doctor) sends the approved recommendation to one of the spa hotels in Karlovy Vary. If the specific facility has a bed available, it notifies the patient no later than 5 days before the intended date of arrival to the spa facility. The patient receives additional information regarding the treatment at the same time. If the bed for the patient is not available, then the recommendation is forwarded to two alternative hotels. Arrival to the spa facility must occur within one to three months after the recommendation was submitted - it depends on the degree of urgency. The insurance company pays for the cost of treatments, accommodation and meals at the standard level.

Contributory spa treatments

Contributory treatments are recommended by the attending doctor who sends a medical report with a recommendation for the spa treatments to the insurance company. If the recommendation is approved by the examining doctor, then the insurance company sends it back directly to the patient who is insured by the Czech contractual health insurance company. The patient chooses the spa facility himself and at the same time arranges the time and date when the treatment starts and other details.
Arrival at the spa facility must occur within six months after the recommendation was issued. The insurance company pays the patient only for the standard spa treatment, which lasts for 21 or 28 days. Accommodation and meals are selected and paid for by the patient.

2) Wellness:

Wellness stays, wellness weekends and wellness procedures...

Wellness therapy is actually very similar to spa treatments. The main difference lies in the fact that it is not prescribed by a doctor and it is not covered by any health insurance. Wellness therapy should be used only and only according to your wishes. Choose one of the many wellness programs from the Karlovy Vary spa hotels, or compose it yourself from the procedures you like the best. If you are not sure, an experienced and qualified staff at the spa will surely advise you.

Relax and be beautiful!

Treat yourself to a sauna, whirlpool, steam bath or water massage... The hands of professionals will bring you relaxing massages, relaxing baths and warm wraps. Ladies will enjoy special beauty programs, which include facial masks, peeling, cellulite treatments, etc.

But wellness is not only for women. Even men can enjoy it. Choose from the many wellness programs:

wellness programs for beautiful skin
wellness for a slender body
eliminate cellulite with the help of wellness
relaxing wellness stays
wellness recovery
wellness weekends for 2
wellness stays for women
wellness stays for men
and other wellness stays

3) Spa procedures:

Spa curative and wellness procedures

David Becher, Jean de Carro and other prominent physicians can be credited for balancing the spa therapy. Today's Karlovy Vary treatments involve pleasant walks through the spa colonnades and forest roads, the use of water directly at the sources, special diet and of course the various procedures that are often used in various wellness programs too.

Below you will find a brief description of selected curative and wellness procedures. You will also learn something about the development of Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) treatments and about the early, sometimes drastic curative procedures.

Baths
Karlovy Vary drinking cures
Hydrotherapy
Massages
Electrotherapy
Phototherapy
Heat therapy
Other procedures

“Let your worries drift away”

Actually it was Charles IV who was the first to take the baths shortly after the discovery of the first hot spring. Since then and over the next 200 years, the Karlovy Vary thermal water was used exclusively for this purpose. Such a medieval bath involved up to ten hours of soaking the body or its parts. The intent was to crack the skin in order to “wash out the pollutants” from the body. These drastic methods lasted until the 16^thcentury.

The 21st century baths usually last for about half an hour. The baths use only thermal spring water (72 °C), which for the purposes of baths is cooled to about 40 °C. Other sources are used for the drinking cures.

Baths	Description
Bubble bath	Immerse your whole body or its parts in thermal water (38 °C), bubbles will gently massage the skin and its blood supply, your muscles will be completely relaxed.
Carbonic bath	Your skin absorbs CO₂ from the thermal spring water enriched with this gas (35 °C), it strengthens your nervous and immune system and promotes blood circulation and relaxes the muscle tissue.
Dry carbonic bath	The body below the neck is sealed in a plastic bag which is gradually filled with the CO₂. This increases the oxygen content in the blood, expands the blood vessels and improves blood circulation throughout the body.
Peat bath	Immerse your whole body or its parts in water containing beneficial substances and minerals from peat; these will help you to relax your muscles and to heal the wounds.
Mineral bath	Mineral salts contained in the water at 40 °C have a beneficial effect on the regeneration of the body, have an effect on your heart and kidneys and improve your blood circulation.
Whirlpool baths	Sanfte Massage des ganzen Körpers oder der Extremitäten durch wirbelndes Wasser; das in Sprudelwasser mit einer Temperatur von ca 38 °C durchgeführte Bad wirkt Schmerz mildernd.
Zusatzbäder	Thermal water contains various additives, such as iodine, herbs, etc., which have a relaxing effect, helping the patient with the skin and physical problems (depending on the type of additives).

“The Becher drinking cure”

Water began to be taken internally only in the 16^thcentury. Credit for that goes to Dr. V. Payer, who described this method in his book on the Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) treatments. The drinking cure used to be carried to the extremes. The recommended daily dose was often more than five litres. Dr. David Becher, who can be credited with balancing the spa treatments, has put an end to that.

Since that time the spa guests drink no more than 1 litre a day. The drinking cure is based on 12 springs. The so-called 13th spring - Becherovka should be consumed at your discretion, but always in moderation.

Drinking cures	Description
Drinking cure	On the recommendation of a doctor you will be drinking from specific spring within the specified amount and frequency for a specified period of time. Each spring has a different composition of mineral salts, ions and gases and thus it has different effects. It is also necessary to observe the “Ten Rules of the Karlovy Vary drinking cure”.

Ten rules of the Karlovy Vary drinking cure

The Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water is a complex, highly concentrated mixture of natural substances. It is not suitable for continuous or uncontrolled use.

It is recommended that the Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water is consumed only after consultation with a spa physician with the necessary qualification.
To achieve the highest therapeutic effect, it is recommended that you consume the Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water in the vicinity of springs.
It is also recommended to drink the Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water from the traditionally-shaped porcelain or glass cups.
The therapeutic cure should not be combined with alcohol drinking or with smoking of tobacco products. The passive inhalation of tobacco smoke is harmful also.
The drinking cure should also include exercise. Therefore it is recommended that you drink the water while walking at the slow pace.
The drinking cure should proceed with the peace of mind, without a hurry and in a complete relaxation.
It is recommended to repeat the drinking cure according to the schedule prescribed by your physician.
The drinking is a small celebration during which you must not disturb other clients.
Mineral water can’t be used to water plants around you and it should not be poured on the floor in the colonnade area.
Due to the health reasons you should not touch the spring stand and outflow pipes when you are taking the water from the spring vase.

“H₂O – what a powerful molecule!”

The other procedures you will come across in Karlovy Vary make use of the pressure and temperature of water in the liquid and gaseous state.

Hydrotherapy	Description
Scottish showers	Repeated changing of warm and cold water currents from a distance of 3 m at the constant pressure will improve your blood supply and relax your tense muscles.
Foot bath - pedalling	Moving your feet between containers with cold and warm water will help your varicose veins, poor blood circulation in your legs or headaches.
Sauna	Dry hot air and subsequent cold shower can help to improve your immunity, blood supply and prevent respiratory diseases.
Steam bath	The air full of hot steam and subsequent warm shower will warm up your entire body, relax your muscles and mind.

“Relax please!”

Massagesare a commonly used method in the balneology. It is a suitable supplement for the treatments of locomotor and lymphatic system. It also has beneficial effects on the nervous system. Massages promote overall body relaxation.

Massages	Description
Traditional massage	It has a positive effect on your lymphatic system, blood circulation and muscles, positive impact on the nervous system, helps to eliminate pain and has a relaxing effect.
Lymphatic drainage (manual or by machine)	This special massage helps to flush out toxins from the body, to improve immunity and it also has cosmetic effects (reduces cellulite and regenerates your complexion...).
Reflexive massage	Its pressure affects the individual acupressure points; helping to eliminate pain and its causes, pressing the points has a positive effect on the body functions.
Water massage (hydro-puncture)	You sit in a bathtub full of warm spring water and the pressure from the water jets massages you, helps you to relax, it improves the blood flow and a proper function of the lymphatic system.
Honey massage	Natural honey helps to detoxify the body; special touches and pressures provide relaxation, improve blood circulation and activate the lymphatic system.
Hot Lava Stone Massage	The warmed lava stones and gentle massage techniques help to eliminate back and muscle pains, and stress.

“Recharge your body again!”

This spa therapy uses the beneficial effects of electricity on the human body. Using special electrodes, the electric current is supplied to the body in short impulses. There is nothing unpleasant about this method, it has a relaxing effect and what is the most important, it cures.

Therapy	Description
Electrotherapy	The term electrotherapy represents many methods which use electricity for the treatment. It uses the low, middle and high current, applied in varying lengths of pulses. Electrotherapy can help with the diseases of joints, locomotor apparatus and metabolic disorders. It eliminates pain, improves blood circulation and relaxes muscles.
Magnetotherapy	Magnetotherapy is one of the methods of electrotherapy. It uses electricity to create a magnetic field. Itt has anti-inflammatory and relaxing effects and improves blood circulation.

And God said “Let there be light!”

When the doctor will prescribe you therapy with light, perhaps you may feel sceptical a bit. But these feelings are definitely not correct. This therapy uses the light of different wavelengths or the parts of its spectrum.

Phototherapy	Description
Bioptron lamp	Polarized light heals wounds and skin diseases, it is also suitable for diseases of the locomotor system, encourages healing and has anti-inflammatory effect to a depth of 3 cm.
Artificial sunlight lamp	The lamp uses ultraviolet rays, heals skin diseases, inflammation and it also helps with the problems of osteoporosis.
Solux lamp	It uses the infrared part of the spectrum, improves blood circulation, prevents musculoskeletal pain and relaxes muscles.
Laser therapy	In medical science it is used to control pain, it has the healing and anti-inflammatory effects and can be used as a substitute for the acupuncture needle. It is also used in cosmetic surgery.

“Warm up your joints!”

A pleasant warming of your body parts has a positive effect on the locomotor system.

Heat therapy	Description
Paraffin	Warm wraps and compresses are helpful in the treatment of the locomotor system; wax transfers heat (over 50 °C) through the skin into the deeper tissues and bones.
Artificial sunlight lamp	The lamp uses ultraviolet rays, heals skin diseases, inflammation and it also helps with the problems of osteoporosis.

“Weightlessness will improve your health”

The spa hotels provide modern and time-tested treatment methods. Some of them are based on the new medical knowledge. Therapeutic factor is in the specific movements, oxygen, special additives or the temperatures well below freezing. Others are based on administering the mineral water “through other body openings”.

Therapy	Description
Therapeutic exercise (individual or group)	It is always conducted by a trained physiotherapist, the exercise will improve your mobility and fitness, when you are familiar with the exercise, you can practice it at home.
Water gymnastics	It uses the natural pressure and resistance of water, which makes it gentle on the joints and it also allows people with limited mobility to exercise.
Cryotherapy	It involves the presence of 2 to 3 minutes in the chamber where the temperature is around -160 °C. It is effective against inflammations and pain. It improves sleep, immunity and sexual drive.
Gas injection (pneumopuncture)	This version of acupuncture applies the CO₂ under the skin, which relieves pain, supplying blood to the site of the application and supports the healing processes.
Oxygenotherapy	It involves inhalation of nearly pure oxygen, it includes drinking of a special antioxidant drink. It regenerates the body, positively affects the brain, heart and memory, improves your sleep, has a positive effect on the psyche and prevents many diseases.
Inhalation	The inhalation of fine spray of mineral water helps to eliminate allergies and respiratory diseases. Various additives such as medicaments, oils and salts can be added to the water.
Ultrasound	It induces a feeling of weightlessness; it is performed in a special container with water from the Dead Sea to ease the tension and stress, helps with the muscular pain, eczema and psoriasis.
Floating	Man schwebt scheinbar schwerelos in einem speziellen, mit Wasser aus dem Roten Meer gefüllten Tank – das Floating befreit von Anspannung und Stress, gleichzeitig hilft es auch bei Muskelschmerzen, Ekzemen und Schuppenflechte.
Intestinal wash-out	Mineral water flushes out the sediments from the colon to prevent colon cancer, helps with digestive problems.

* for further information or in order to receive additional detail about our offers and any other dream locations you want to take part of , please call the American Rose Travel company at 718-265-9797 / 718-265-9795 or email us at travel@amrosetravel.com. We are also available on FB and TWITTER as well YOUTUBE