• The Capital City of Prague
• Central Bohemia Region
• South Bohemia Region
• Plzeň Region
• Karlovy Vary Region
  • The Western Bohemian Spas
    • The Tachov-Stříbro area
    • The West Bohemian spa triangle
    • Krušné Hory-West
• Ústí nad Labem Region
• Liberec Region
• Hradec Králové Region
• Pardubice Region
• Vysočina Region
• South Moravia Region
• Olomouc Region
• Zlín Region
• Moravia-Silesia Region

The Western Bohemian Spas

A region of healing waters, rich history, captivating scenery and hospitable people...

This tourist region spreads over the territory of the Carlsbad Region and part of the Pilsen Region.
The Western Bohemian Spa tourist region covers three tourist areas: the Tachov-Stříbro area, the Western Bohemian Spa Triangle (Západočeský lázeňský trojúhelník) and the Ore Mountains- West (Krušné hory-západ).

The natural conditions are the main prerequisites for the development of tourism. The region is unique within Europe due to the number of its mineral water and gas sources and the diversity of their chemical composition. The number of springs is in the hundreds. The main locations with declared protected zones are Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary) with its thermal carbonic waters, Jáchymov with its thermal radioactive waters and Marienbad (Mariánské Lázně), Franzbad (Františkovy Lázně), Lázně Kynžvart, Kyselka, Korunní and Nová Ves with their cold carbon waters. A large part of the area includes a cultural landscape which has been influenced in a positive sense by the historical intervention of man.

The region's cultural and monumental heritage together with its natural wealth is another prerequisite for the development of tourism. All types of monuments can be found there - castles and châteaux, historic heritage architecture with town houses, colonnades and spa buildings, folk architecture, technical monuments and small town and rural architecture.
Some of the most frequently visited buildings are the Loket castle, the Kynžvart château and the Teplá monastery.

The most characteristic feature of the region is probably the spas in the celebrated spa triangle of Carlsbad - Marienbad - Franzbad. The Jáchymov spa is also celebrated due to its radioactive springs. Among the lesser-known spa towns are Kynžvart and Konstantinovy Lázně. Spa services are provided at 75 balneological facilities. The stays at the balneological facilities can be enlivened with visits to the local monuments or walks in the parks or along the innumerable teaching trails.

The area offers lovers of winter sports unique skiing conditions in the mountain centres of the Ore Mountains - Boží Dar, Klínovec, Potůčky and Pernink. The region also has a number of golf courses. The entire territory is crisscrossed with a network of marked hiking tracks and cycling trails. There are also many opportunities for water sports and swimming. The Jesenice and Skalka reservoirs near the town of Cheb provide perfect conditions for those who enjoy swimming, camping and fishing.

Tourism and balneology account for a 10-15% share of the gross domestic product of the Carlsbad Region. The high number of entrepreneurial subjects involved in the hospitality and accommodation sectors of tourism also bears witness to the development of the local tourist services.

This region has a high share of the overall number of tourists accommodated within the Czech Republic. It has become distinguished for the long lengths of time that visitors typically stay there and this amounts to nearly double the length of the average stay in the Czech Republic. The region is in first place in the country with regard to the number of tourist beds it provides. It also has a well above-average share of the country's hotel accommodation. More than half of the guests in the accommodation facilities are foreigners, predominantly from Germany, Russia, Poland, the Netherlands and the USA. These also comprise approximately 30% of all visitors.

The following new forms of tourism have been determined upon the basis of the evaluation of the prerequisites for the development of tourism and balneology in the region:

• wellness stays, rehabilitation, reconditioning and conditioning tourism: "health to make everyone happy"
• cycle tourism, including for the "new middle class"
• rural tourism - agro- tourism, equestrian tourism, camping tourism, acquaintance with an alternative lifestyle in close contact with nature, direct participation in agricultural activities
• tourism involving visits to mining areas and excavations and activities in underground areas
• ecotourism for visitors with a deep interest in nature and its protection, including visits to attractive natural territories and an offer of ecological information

Both the traditional sectors and the following development segments will maintain their significance: long-term therapeutic spa stays, winter recreational stays in the Ore Mountains, urban tourism consisting of day trips and short-term stays aimed at sightseeing, entertainment, cuisine, various events and shopping, short-term culturally oriented tourism, longer summer stays mainly for families with children associated with stays aimed at swimming, cycling, sightseeing etc., congress tourism, incentive tourism, pilgrimages, hunting tourism and fishing.

The general strategic aims and the principals for the development of tourism and balneology in the region are:

• the natural therapeutic springs, the landscape and the cultural and historical monuments as the main source of tourism development
• the preference of quality over quantity in tourism development
• permanent care of the region's good name
• keeping the region's regular visitors and attracting new visitor target groups
• support for the competitiveness and innovative skills of the entrepreneurs involved in tourism
• the development of the area involving an increase in employment and the standard of living of the local population
• the creation of professional regional tourism management

In order to fulfil the initiated general aims for the development of tourism and balneology, a series of partial goals and executive measures have been determined with connected specific projects or project goals.