Old World Spas : Steeped in grand architecture and inexpensive health treatments at three revitalized spa towns in the Czech Republic

FRANTISKOVY LAZNE, Czech Republic —  Several months ago, I returned to the country of my birth, to an area that has attracted royalty and artists for centuries and still retains the magic of long-ago Europe.

For the most part unscarred by wars and modern buildings, and rejuvenated since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the beautiful spa towns of Marianske Lazne (also known by its German name of Marienbad), Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) and Frantiskovy Lazne (Franzensbad) reside in an architectural slice of time that has given way in much of Europe to fast-food outlets and international chain hotels.

Europeans have always come here to sip the bubbling spring mineral waters as health cures. But they also visit to bask in the beauty of the spa’s belle epoch architecture and the forestedcountryside, tucked between rolling hills near the Czech Republic’s western border with Germany.

Even the prices seem locked in another era. Hotels can cost less than $100 per night, and prices for spa treatments such as massages ($16), mineral baths ($25) and mud packs ($16) are out of the ‘50s.

I first visited what I think of as the “spa triangle” of Western Bohemia--with Frantiskovy Lazne on the west, Karlovy Vary on the east and Marianske Lazne on the south--20 years ago as a Czech citizen. I returned last October from my home in Los Angeles with a dream: to revisit the places where my wife and I had spent our honeymoon. Happily, I found that the same spas and hotels that had intrigued us years ago had been recently updated and freshly painted, with improved bathrooms and other facilities.

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It was a crisp autumn day and the sun shimmered over lushly forested scenery as I cruised along the winding two-lane highway between Prague and Frantiskovy Lazne in my rented Skoda, a tiny Czech-made car. The distance was only 75 miles, but the trip took four hours, with slow and, at times, tedious and frustrating traffic.

Still, I couldn’t fail to note the beauty of the countryside, and when I finally arrived in Frantiskovy Lazne I was surprised by the post-Communist improvements. The original styles of the spa structures--from neo-Baroque to Art Deco--had been carefully renovated, and new spas and modern hotels had been constructed. New owners with financial backing from local and international banks have rebuilt most of the spa buildings, reconstructed the unique colonnades and modernized the facilities while preserving their rich architectural past.

Streets and promenades have been decked out with plants, fountains and benches that serve as meeting places for visitors, who walk along sipping mineral-rich water from springs believed to have healing properties.

The waters are what traditionally have drawn visitors to this part of the Czech Republic known as Western Bohemia, which is awash with thermal springs. One example is the Karlovy Vary Geyser, which sits in the middle of one of the three main cities that make up the Bohemian spa triangle and spouts 530 gallons per minute of carbon dioxide- and salt-infused water. More than 60 natural springs can be found in Western Bohemia.

It was the discovery of mineral springs, mud and peat--all thought to have medicinal powers--that prompted creation of the first permanent spa settlement of Karlovy Vary in about 1350. The settlements at Marianske Lazne and Frantiskovy Lazne followed.

But on this day I was not concerned with history. I parked on the outskirts of Frantiskovy Lazne and walked into town. (The central districts of all three spa towns ban automobiles.) A 10-minute stroll took me to Narodni (National), a cobbled pedestrian boulevard lined with spa hotels. Narodni ends at a nicely manicured park that is the site of Glauber Springs, one of the best known of the city’s 23 springs.

Frantiskovy Lazne’s springs are celebrated for their laxative effect. But devotees also make pilgrimages for treatment of gynecological disorders (peat, used in heated compresses, is used to treat infertility) and for heart, vascular and circulatory problems.

The treatment for various maladies, including sterility, is made from ground peat mixed with water, heated and used for compresses and baths--its curative effects having been documented since 1800.

After a morning spent exploring the town, I was ready for breakfast. I passed up the more refined settings of the restaurants found in the small luxury hotels and returned to my own hotel, the Pyramida, a new and pleasant contemporary-style place. My $5 buffet breakfast included tasty dark bread, ham, spicy sausages and salami--a menu that would certainly shock the health-conscious. For them, there were dishes prepared according to prescribed dietary needs, under the supervision of a nutritionist.

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From Frantiskovy Lazne, the 28-mile drive to Marianske Lazne wound through countryside rich with fall colors and led to what I consider the pearl of Western Bohemia’s spa towns. The city’s spa buildings and gardens are artworks in themselves, with stunning, brightly painted facades and elegant interiors of sparkling chandeliers, curved stairways and breathtaking stained-glass windows. The warm and hospitable wedding-cake architecture creates a kind of outdoor museum for visitors.

Marienbad, as it was once best known, impressed many prominent visitors. Among them was Mark Twain, who wrote in an account published in 1892 in a London newspaper that Marienbad is “so pretty that it leaves nothing open to desire.”

To orient myself, I first took a tour of the neo-Baroque Colonnade promenade, with its stunning ceiling frescoes of allegorical tales. The 600-foot filigreed colonnade was constructed in 1884-’89, and today it still attracts as many visiting dignitaries as it did in the 19th century, when Marianske Lazne was the Austrian monarchy’s spa of choice.

A short walk led me to the Pavilion of the Cross Spring, a fountain topped by a rectangular portico surrounded by 72 columns in neo-classical Empire style. Cross Spring is the most important mineral spring in Marianske Lazne, and many generations of patients have put their faith in it to treat kidney and urinary tract diseases, as well as obesity. The secret ingredient of these cold mineral springs is thought to be large amounts of carbon dioxide. Spa treatments offered here include baths, massages, inhalations, peat baths, physical exercise and acupuncture. Walks through the town’s beautiful parks in the fresh air are thought to also be therapeutic, a treatment to which almost anyone will attest.

Nearly every building in Marianske Lazne evokes the magic of a well-preserved cultural past. Each August (this year Aug. 16 to 23), the town hosts a Chopin music festival. Or you can simply while away the days relaxing at one of dozens of luxury hotels.

Among the best is the Hotel Pacifik, which dominates the main street, Hlavni, and offers excellent views of the spa district. Dating from the middle of the 19th century, the hotel has undergone a $10-million renovation of its Art Nouveau style under strict Czech laws governing historical treasures.

Another beautiful spa and lodging is the Hotel Svoboda, where each floor is built in a different style, with different windows, balconies and decorative elements; one floor is Renaissance, another Art Deco, and so on. The rooms feel Old World but have modern luxuries, including TVs and mini-bars.

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From Marianske Lazne I drove 25 miles along the Tepla River to the largest and most famous Czech spa town, Karlovy Vary, founded during the 14th century by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.

By the time I got to town I was tired, so upon arriving at my hotel, the Dvorak, I immediately booked a massage.

The Dvorak’s 79 rooms are well equipped with phones, mini-bars, satellite TVs and modern bathrooms. It is a little less expensive than the famed Grand Hotel Pupp, which many Czech people think of as a symbol of Czech tradition and hospitality. And the Dvorak has more charm than the large Hotel Thermal, which hosts an international film festival each July but is referred to by some as the “concrete castle.”

The Dvorak’s treatment center specializes in two programs. One is a general therapy aimed at the purification and regeneration of the entire body in which the patient drinks lots of water. This is thought to clean out and purify the intestines as well as the blood. The second program is aimed at digestive and metabolic complaints and is more complex, involving all sorts of mineral water cures, from bubbling, carbon-dioxide baths to massages given underwater using jets of water to apply pressure.

But I wanted to try out the government-owned baths, a surviving and pleasant legacy of Communist times. Visitors not staying in a spa hotel can purchase hourly passes for the public facilities for about $18. For additional charges, they can also visit a physician who can recommend a course of treatments that might include hypodermic injections of gases extracted from water, resting in an oxygen-rich chamber, or peat wraps. Or one can just stick to the basics such as saunas, facials or resting in a clean, quiet room. I most enjoyed the simple pleasure of the sauna.

Later that day I walked through the Geyser Promenade, a covered arcade that passes five fountains. I admired the mosaics that front homes along Geyser Street; the promenading spa guests, who spoke in a variety of languages; and the rhythmic pulsing of the fountains. Before long, I found myself craving the pastries and strong coffee found at the many Viennese style coffee shops along the way. At one, I sampled the sweet, warm wafers that are famous here, usually accompanied by a few sips of Becherovka, a local liquor distilled from bitter herbs that is said to promote digestion and cure hangovers. It tasted like a bitter, alcoholic version of 7-Up.

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There is no shortage of charming places to eat in Karlovy Vary, and despite its health-oriented ambience, the town’s restaurants have plenty of typical Czech fare: pork, dumplings, duck, hearty sausages, soups and stews. The most popular Czech dish consists of pork, dumplings and cabbage. At the Hotel Dvorak’s restaurant, I feasted on heavenly dumplings and beef in sour cream sauce, garnished with cranberries. Not including beer, the meal cost $10.

If I had chosen to, I could have worked off at least a few calories by playing golf at the public course (one of the best in the Czech Republic), or gone swimming in pools filled with warm spring water, or rented a horse from one of the stables that lie on the outskirts of town. Instead, I chose to walk through the hills in the surrounding forest and enjoy the beautiful views of Karlovy Vary.

If that sounds too much like work, I recommend shopping for crystal or china at some of the local showrooms. The Moser glass manufacturer, founded in 1857, is perhaps the best known establishment for crystal. Thun-Karlovarsky is known for beautifully decorated china, featuring flowers and other scenes from nature, made in the local factory. The pieces aren’t cheap, but you can find interesting work in many shops.

There are many cultural attractions, from concerts performed all year long by internationally renowned musicians, the local symphony, girls’ choir and string quartet, to European-style casinos. There are also plenty of art exhibits and theaters.

As my wife and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, I was reminded of how these Czech Republic spa towns attracted other romantics. Marianske Lazne, in particular, drew a good share of couples, including Johann von Goethe, the German poet and dramatist, and his last great love, Ulrike von Lewetzow, whom he met here in the early 1820s when she was a teenager and he an old man. In the summer of 1836, the great composer Chopin undertook a nine-day coach journey from Paris to meet his mistress Maria Wodzinska. Then there was the clandestine relationship between English King Edward VII and the young hat maker Mizzi Pistlova.

Franz Kafka, the Austrian-Czech writer, wrote his romantic feelings about the place to his fiancee: “Karlovy Vary is quite nice,” he stated, “but Marianske Lazne is incredibly beautiful. . . . How you would like it here!” and found rare happiness with her here before he died of tuberculosis in 1924.

My wife and I agree with them all.

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GUIDEBOOK: Czech List of Spas

Getting there: Delta, Air France, British Air, Swissair, KLM and Lufthansa fly, with one change of planes, from LAX to Prague. Advance-purchase, round-trip fares start at $1,240.

Most international car-rental companies have offices in Prague.

Where to stay: Hotel rooms are sometimes scarce, so book well in advance.

Grandhotel Pupp, Mirove Namesti 2, Karlovy Vary; from the United States, telephone 011-420- 17-310-9111. Rates: $180 per night for a double.

Hotel Dvorak, Nova Louka 11, Karlovy Vary; tel. 011-420-17-322-4145. Rates: $170 per night for a double.

Hotel Imperial, Libusina 18, Karlovy Vary; tel. 011-420-17-310-6106. Rates: $44 to $75 per night for a double.

Hotel Pacifik, Mirove Nam 84, Marianske Lazne; tel. 011-420-165-65-1111. Rates: $72 per night for a single including access to spa.

Hotel Pyramida, Slatina, Frantiskovy Lazne; tel. 011-420-166-54-3139. It is outside the center, but has its own spa facilities. Rates: $80 per night for a double.

Hotel Thermal, I.P. Pavlova 11, Karlovy Vary; tel. 011-420-17-32-28-391. Rates: $98 per night for a double.

Hotel Svoboda, Chopinova 393, Marianske Lazne; tel. 011-420-165-662111. Rates: $50 per night for a double.

For more information: Czech Center, 1109-1111 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10028; tel. (212) 288-0830, fax (212) 288-0971.

--A.B.