Karlovy Vary spa wafers are a traditional and very popular snack. Their first incarnation, which differed greatly from today’s wafers, was around before 1800; cooks would prepare wafers sprinkled with sugar for spa guests of the day. Later the wafers were layered on top of one other and spices were added; these, in combination with the Karlovy Vary spring water and salt, give the wafers a distinctive flavour. The first bakery to specialise in spa wafers opened in 1867, and since that time they have enjoyed huge popularity, becoming a favourite snack for those strolling the spa promenades, as a souvenir from a break in Karlovy Vary and as a gift for friends and family back home. Karlovy Vary wafers are often flavoured with chocolate and a vanilla and hazel nut mix. They are just as good hot as cold and they’ve even become popular as small triangular biscuits.