Spas – a place to meet
Spa towns are well-known for their special atmosphere, created in no small part by their unique architecture. Apart from taking the waters, the spas also used to be places where business was done, weddings were held, contacts were forged and medical conferences, balls, music and theatre performances took place. The spas were often called ‘the salons of Europe’.
On arrival at a spa town, the spirit of the place will return you back to a time of horses and carriages, women in long dresses and hats and gentleman in hats and tailcoats.
The architecture of the spa towns
Promenades, colonnades, spa houses and many other buildings in spa towns display an array of architectural styles.
Many a prominent Czech and foreign architect worked on these structures – for instance Josef Zítek, Dušan Jurkovič and Jan Letzel to name but a few.
Františkovy Lázně has a famous town centre thanks to its well-preserved typical spa architecture dating mostly from the late 18th and early 19th century. It was at this time that most of the spas in the Czech Republic enjoyed their heyday.
Colonnades
Colonnades are typical buildings at the spas. These are open but roofed structures (which protect strollers from bad weather) built around the mineral springs to facilitate strolling while sipping the warm spring water.
