The region  of West Bohemia  boasts of  abundance of mineral springs. The mineral springs date back to the period  of Tertiary volcanic activity. 60 mineral springs rise in the area of Karlovy Vary, namely lukewarm and hot springs. From time immemorial people have used especially hot springs.

All Karlovy Vary mineral springs rise in a fault line of aragonite slab in the valley of  the Teplá river, which  intersects as axis in this line. The fault line includes the area from Parkhotel Richmond as far as the Park colonnade.

Karlovy Vary was founded by  the emperor of the Holy Roman empire and the Czech king Charles IV. A romantic legend informs us  about this event. “Spa tourism” started only after the foundation of the town.

The healing powers of the 12 traditional mineral hot springs are used for  treatment and their temperature ranges from 42 – 73 °C. Several other mineral springs have been used recently, as for example the cold spring “Štěpánka” or the “Iron Spring” and the tepid   “Snake Spring”.

The thermal  spring “Vřídlo” is the  main Karlovy Vary  spring. Its temperature is 73 oC and it gushes to a hight of 12 m. Every minute 2 000 l of water gushes out to the earth’s surface. If we imagine Thermal Spring like a trunk of a tree, then other springs are the branches of this trunk.  The truth of it was affirmed several times in the past, when  some mineral springs faded away and appeared again.

 

Karlovy Vary springs are of natural ionic solution containing dissolved carbone dioxide. The main dissolved subsances are sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium, further sulphate, chloride and many other mineral substances in a small quantity up to trace quantity. The whole volume of mineral substances is approximately 6.4 g/l and the contents of carbone dioxide is between 560-980 mg/l. Karlovy Vary mineral springs differ only a little, especially in the contents of trace elements. Mineral springs differ mainly in temperature and in the quantity of gaseous carbon dioxide. Especially temperature influences the quantity of dissolved minerals. Cold mineral springs (under 50 °C) have more diarrhoeic effect, hot springs have the opposite effect.

Spring

Temperature

Water yield

The Hot Spring                                           73,4 °C                                           2000 l / min.

The Charles IV Spring                                  61,7 °C                                             2,4 l / min.

The Lower Castle Spring                             52,9 °C                                                2 l / min.

The Upper Castle Spring                           53,6 °C                                               1,1 l / min.

The Market Spring                                      64,7 °C                                              5,1 l / min.

The Mill Spring                                            58,6 °C                                              3,7 l / min.

The Nymph Spring                                       60,4 °C                                            3,7 l / min.

The Prince Vaclav Nr. 1 Spring                 66,1 °C                                              4,8 l/ min.

The Prince Vaclav Nr. 2 Spring                    64,5 °C                              3,8 l / min.

The Libuse Spring                                         63,4 °C                               3,1 l / min.

The Rock Spring                                           47,1 °C                               1,2 l / min.

The Freedom Spring                                       63,2 °C                                             4,8 l / min.

The Park Spring                                             42,8 °C                               2,2 l / min.

The Stephanie Spring                                 14,4 °C                               0,4 l / min.

The Snake Spring                                           28,9°C                                              1 l / min.

Drinking Cure

Karlovy Vary treatment is based mainly on drinking the mineral water. The quality of  the treatment depends on the quality of natural curative resources. Karlovy Vary  springs belong to the most effective natural resources in Europe.
The drinking cure is always prescribed by the doctor. The doctor prescribes the quantity of  a concrete spring according to the health state of  the patient. A daily amount of mineral water ranges from  0,6 l and It is recommended to drink mineral water 3 times a day, always 0,5 – 1 hour before the meal.  Doctors recommend to drink the waters while walking slowly, not by sitting,  at the springs. Specially formed spa cups are used for taking slow, little sips of water.
As a treatment of diseases of the digestive tract, drinking waters is one of the main procedures.

Effect of mineral waters

The healing effect of the springs is used for treatment of diseases of the digestive tract, disorders of metabolism (diabetes mellitus, higher level of fat in blood, gout). Hot springs are used for drinking cure, baths and irrigations.