Karlovy Vary HOTELS

 KARLOVY VARY (Karlsbad), king of the Bohemian spas, is one of the most cosmopolitan Czech towns. Its international clientele annually doubles the local population, which is further supplemented by thousands of able-bodied tourists in summer, when the narrow valley resounds with German and the multifarious languages of central Europe.

There are two train stations , one by the bus station and one by the River Ohre (Eger). Don't get off from the Prague bus at the bus station ; along with almost everyone else, hop off at Trznice, one stop before, which is far more central. Half a kilometre south, the pedestrianized spa quarter stretches along the winding TeplE Valley. Unfortunately, many visitors' first impressions are marred by the inexcusable concrete scab of Hotel Thermal , for whose sake a large slice of the old town bit the dust. However, its open-air spring-water swimming pool is superb and offers unbeatable views. As the valley narrows, the river disappears under a wide terrace in front of the graceful MlynskE kolonEda , each of whose four springs is more scalding than the last.

Most powerful of the town's twelve springs is the Sprudel ( VrA­dlo to the Czechs), which belches out over 2500 gallons every hour. The smooth marble floor of the modern VrA­delnA­ kolonEda (the old fountain was melted down for armaments by the Nazis) allows patients to shuffle up and down contentedly, while inside the glass rotunda the geyser shoots hot water forty feet upwards. Clouds of steam obscure a view of Dientzenhofer's Baroque masterpiece, the church of sv Maria MagdalEna , pitched nearby on a precipitous site. South of the Sprudel is Karlovy Vary's most famous shopping street, the StarE louka (Alte Wiese). Its shops exude little of the snobbery of former days, and the tea and cakes served on marble tables at the Cafe Elefant are among the few reminders of the halcyon era. At StarE louka 30 is the Grand Hotel Pupp . Founded in 1701 as the greatest hotel in the world it still has a certain snooty grandeur, and now hosts the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July.

It's best to start looking for accommodation early in the day - Karlovy Vary is a very fashionable spa town so nothing comes dirt cheap. The VrA­delnA­ KolonEda (tel 017/32 24 09 7 or 32 29 31 2, www.karlovyvary.cz ), can organize private and long-term spa accommodation, as will CEDOK (tel 017/322 29 94), on the corner of MoskevskE and dr. Bechera. Moderately priced hotels include the Adria , ZEpadnA­ 1 (tel 017/322 37 65; E10-15/$16-24/e¬18-27); the Kavalerie , T.G. Masaryka 43 (tel 017/322 96 13; E10-15/$16-24/e¬18-27), the best value in this range; and the modern Pension Holiday , Ondrickova 26 (tel 017/322 06 49; E10-15/$16-24/e¬18-27). Karlovy Vary's most central campsite is Gezi (tel 017/322 5101; May-Sept; bus #7), at SlovenskE 9; take the Brezova shuttle bus from the main station. The best place to eat has to be the splendid Hotel Imperial at Libusina 16 (if you're interested in splashing out and staying the night). Otherwise, try the various hotel restaurants or go for Pizzeria Palermo at Moskevska 44.