Karlovy Vary is the only resort in the world where 13 thermal mineral springs sit within walking distance of each other, along a single river, in the centre of a living city. Nothing like this exists in Baden-Baden, Vichy, or Mariánské Lázně. In two hours you can walk every colonnade, taste water at different temperatures and mineral concentrations — and understand why people come here to be treated, not just to look.
But most tourists drink at random. They approach the nearest spring, fill their cup, wince at the temperature or taste — and that’s where their encounter with Karlovy Vary’s drinking cure tradition ends. Yet every spring has its own temperature, its own level of carbon dioxide, its own traditional role in balneology — and its own history.
This guide is a complete map of all 13 springs: where each one is, what temperature it runs at, what sets it apart, what to drink and why. Including the route I walk with guests myself.
All 13 springs of Karlovy Vary belong to a single hydrogeological body. This means their chemical composition is essentially the same: sodium-bicarbonate-sulphate thermal waters with high carbon dioxide content. Mineralisation runs at around 6 grams per litre — moderate, neither too saline nor too weak. The ionic composition has been stable for centuries — geologists check regularly and find no changes.
The main components that define the therapeutic profile:
What distinguishes the springs from each other is temperature and carbon dioxide concentration. These two parameters determine the therapeutic effect: hot water (above 60°C) has a binding, calming effect on the intestines; warm water (40–55°C) has a universal action; cooler water (below 40°C) has a laxative and choleretic effect. This is why a physician prescribes a specific spring to a specific patient — not because the springs differ in composition, but because their temperatures work differently.
All the Karlovy Vary salt sold in pharmacies and taken home is the concentrate of exactly this water, evaporated and dried. Vřídlo alone carries 18 tonnes of dissolved salts to the surface every 24 hours.
The springs are accessible through five colonnades and several separate pavilions, distributed along the Teplá riverbank over a distance of roughly 2 kilometres. They can be walked in 1.5–2 hours, moving in one direction from the Hot Spring Colonnade to the Park Colonnade.
A modern glass and concrete building from 1975 — the youngest of the colonnade structures and the most visited. This is where the city’s main landmark is located.
Temperature: 72°C at source. Cooled in three drinking bowls: A — 30°C, B — 41°C, C — 57°C.
Depth: water rises from nearly 2 kilometres below ground.
Flow rate: approximately 2,000 litres per minute; jet height up to 12 metres.
Vřídlo is the only true geyser among all the springs. The others emerge calmly — Vřídlo erupts under pressure. This is the source from which mineral water for all the spa baths in the city is drawn — a pipeline network distributes it throughout the resort zone.
Drinking water at 72°C is impossible, so three cooling bowls are installed inside the colonnade. And here there is important medical logic: temperature determines how the water acts.
These aren’t different springs — it’s one spring delivered at different temperatures. So a prescription to “drink from bowl A” or “bowl B” is a specific medical instruction, not a preference.
Guided underground tours of the Hot Spring Colonnade run regularly and are well worth it.
→ More on underground tours: Underground Tours in Karlovy Vary
A wooden gallery in Swiss chalet style, built 1882–1883 by architects Fellner and Helmer. The oldest of the active colonnades. Located 200 metres from the Hot Spring Colonnade.
Temperature: 64–68°C.
The most historically significant spring — according to legend, this is where Charles IV discovered the healing waters in 1358, when a hunting dog burned its paw. The legend is a legend, but the fact remains: this spring is the oldest of those documented in writing. Used for digestive conditions, stimulates gastric motility.
Temperature: 62–64°C.
The lower branch of the Castle Spring, diverted to the Market Colonnade — the main outlet is in the Castle Colonnade, but access there is restricted to patients of the Castle Spa. Temperature and composition are identical to the Upper Castle Spring. Traditionally used for liver and gallbladder conditions.
Temperature: 62°C.
This spring has disappeared and reappeared several times since its discovery in 1838 — geologically unstable. Named after the marketplace that stood here in the Middle Ages. Properties similar to the other springs in the colonnade.
A two-level Art Nouveau pavilion from 1910–1912, architect Johann Friedrich Ohmann. Climbs uphill from the Market Colonnade — many tourists simply don’t make it this far.
Temperature: 65°C.
Located in the upper part of the Castle Colonnade. Used for digestive conditions, primarily gallbladder and bile duct pathologies. One of the hottest drinkable springs — at this temperature the water has a binding effect.
The main architectural landmark of the spa zone — a 132-metre neo-Renaissance gallery from 1871–1881, designed by architect Josef Zítek. The most beautiful and the most spring-dense colonnade, with five springs. More on the colonnade’s architecture in our guide to Karlovy Vary architecture.
Temperature: 56–58°C.
The spring that gave the colonnade its name. Used for stomach conditions, particularly where gastric secretion is reduced. Mid-range temperature — universal action.
Temperature: 60–62°C.
Named after a figure from Czech folklore. Used for pancreatic conditions and diabetes — one of the springs traditionally prescribed for carbohydrate metabolism disorders.
Temperature: 65.6°C.
Historically, this is the spring from which Karlovy Vary salt was produced for many years. The highly mineralised water leaves a characteristic crystalline deposit when evaporated. Used for digestive and gallbladder conditions.
Temperature: 62°C.
Named after the legendary Czech princess. Used for liver and bile duct conditions.
Temperature: 53–55°C.
Emerges directly from a rock face at the far end of the Mill Colonnade. One of the cooler springs in this colonnade. Used for digestive conditions.
A cast-iron gallery — the only surviving fragment of the demolished Blanenský Pavilion. Located in Dvořák Park, slightly off the main tourist flow.
Temperature: 60°C.
The name was assigned after World War II. Traditionally used to stimulate bile secretion and activate pancreatic enzymes. One of the springs prescribed for chronic liver conditions.
Temperature: 30°C.
The coldest spring of all. Contains a record level of carbon dioxide — over 1,200 mg/litre (in hot springs, CO₂ partly escapes; here it stays). Traditionally used for skin improvement — this is the spring from which washing the face is recommended. The highest CO₂ content at low temperature makes it the most “sparkling” in taste of all the springs.
Note: the numbering is non-sequential — historically established, not by location.
Location: separate pavilion near the Park Colonnade.
Temperature: 47.4°C.
One of the most actively prescribed springs for liver conditions, particularly post-hepatitis states and bile production disorders. Temperature below the hot zone gives a gentler choleretic effect without the binding action.
This is arguably the most mysterious of all the springs — and the one that officially bears the number 13.
Temperature: 13°C — the lowest of all.
Distinctive feature: almost no water. Instead, Dorotka emits carbon dioxide at a rate of around 45 litres per minute — one of the most powerful CO₂ sources in the region.
Dorotka has been active since 1884, but disappeared in the 19th century and only reappeared in 1993. The spring is currently closed to the public — the pavilion above it is locked, there is no visitor access. It is used exclusively for scientific monitoring: geologists conduct continuous observation of CO₂ levels in the region. Dorotka is not used for drinking cure treatment.
This is why, when tourists hear about “13 springs of Karlovy Vary,” in practice they encounter 12 accessible drinking springs plus the Vřídlo bowls. Dorotka is part of the official register, but not part of the spa route.
The joke about Becherovka being the “13th spring” emerged precisely because the real 13th spring is physically inaccessible — so Becherovka filled its place in popular memory.
Location: separate pavilion in the Dvořák Park area.
Temperature: 30°C.
Distinctive feature: elevated iron ion content compared to the other springs.
Not officially part of the register of 13, but accessible to visitors. Traditionally used for iron-deficiency anaemia. This is the spring sometimes called the “14th” — but without official status.
This matters more than it might seem — and most tourists get it wrong.
Temperature matters. Hot water (above 60°C) must be drunk in small sips, slowly — otherwise you risk burning the mucosa. This isn’t a metaphor: oesophageal burns from hot water are a real risk.
The drinking cup is not a souvenir. The distinctive cup with its narrow spout wasn’t designed for aesthetics. The spout allows hot water to be taken in small amounts and directs it toward the back of the mouth, protecting tooth enamel from the aggressive mineral composition. For regular drinking — a proper cup, not a disposable plastic glass. → History of the drinking cup and how to choose one
Volume and timing. The traditional spa routine: 100–250 ml at a time, on an empty stomach 30–60 minutes before eating, three times a day. Not a litre in one go — “more is better” doesn’t apply here. Exceeding the dose can cause digestive discomfort.
Walking enhances the effect. Strolling between springs and drinking on the move isn’t a tourist ritual — it’s a physiologically sound practice. Movement stimulates intestinal peristalsis and accelerates water absorption. This is why the colonnades are so long — the distance between them is deliberate.
No self-treatment with chronic diagnoses. If you take acid-reducing medication, blood thinners, or drugs with a narrow therapeutic window — the drinking cure may affect their absorption. Consult a physician before starting a course.
Karlovy Vary mineral water is unstable: on contact with air it loses carbon dioxide and some of its active properties. Taking water home in a bottle is not the most practical idea — by the time you use it, it won’t be the same water.
The alternative used for centuries is Karlovy Vary salt — the evaporated concentrate of the water. The mineral composition is fully preserved; CO₂ is added when dissolved. Dissolve a teaspoon in warm water and you get water identical in mineral composition to what’s drunk at the springs.
→ History of Carlsbad salt and how it’s produced → Can you take Karlovy Vary mineral water home? → Karlovy Vary drinking salt in the online shop: shop.feelkarlovyvary.cz/collections/drinking-salt
If you have one day, here is a working route that covers every colonnade without exhausting you:
Start: Hot Spring Colonnade (~15 minutes) Vřídlo — begin with bowl B (41°C), the most universal temperature. Look at the geyser. Underground tour optional but recommended.
Market Colonnade (~10 minutes) Springs No. 2 (Charles IV) and No. 5 (Market). Try one — temperature 62–68°C, small sips.
Castle Colonnade (~10 minutes, uphill) Spring No. 4, the hottest drinkable spring. The view from here over the rooftops of the historic centre is one of the best in the city.
Mill Colonnade (~20 minutes) Five springs, the finest architecture. Walk slowly, look up at the sculptural months on the roof. Try the Mill Spring (No. 6, 57°C) and the Rock Spring (No. 10, 53°C).
Park Colonnade (~10 minutes) Freedom Spring and Snake Spring. Snake Spring (No. 15) is the coldest, the most “carbonated” in taste. Wash your face in it — a tradition at least a century old.
Total walking time: 1–1.5 hours. Add 30–40 minutes if you stop at each colonnade to drink without rushing.
→ Full city route with map: What to See in Karlovy Vary: A Local’s Complete Guide → What conditions are treated at the resort: What Is Treated in Karlovy Vary
Can you drink from all the springs in one go? Technically yes. Practically — there’s no need. On a medical course, a physician prescribes specific springs based on diagnosis. For a tourist, trying 2–3 springs at different temperatures is enough to feel the difference. Drinking a glass from each of 13 springs in one day is a significant volume of water plus high mineralisation — likely to cause discomfort.
Why does the water taste like that? Slightly salty, mildly alkaline, with a faint sulphurous note — this is normal and expected. The high sodium and sulphate content produces exactly this taste. Some find it unpleasant at first — most stop noticing after the third or fourth visit.
Is the water free? The springs themselves — yes, entry is free. You need a drinking cup — available nearby in kiosks (disposable ~30–50 CZK, porcelain souvenir cup from 100 CZK).
Why 13 springs and not 12 or 15? More than 60 mineral springs have been registered in the Karlovy Vary area. Of these, 13 have historically been used for drinking cure therapy and are officially part of the resort infrastructure. The number reflects a historically established system that has been through balneological certification. → Why you shouldn’t drink from just any spring — what doctors say
Can you take Karlovy Vary water home? Water — not practically: it quickly loses CO₂ and some properties. Karlovy Vary salt is the right alternative: a water concentrate with preserved mineral composition, dissolved at home to reproduce the spring water.
What is “Becherovka — the 13th spring”? A local joke. Becherovka has been produced in Karlovy Vary since 1807; the recipe includes 20 herbs and Karlovy Vary water. The connection to the springs is only through the water as an ingredient. The real 13th spring — Dorotka — exists but is closed to the public and is not a drinking spring, as described above.
Karlovy Vary is not decoration around the springs. It’s a place where the springs are the meaning of the city — its history, its medicine, its tourism. To understand this properly, you need to walk the route without rushing, drink consciously, and know what’s actually happening in your cup.
If you want to see it from another angle — at Cinema Hub on Lázeňská 14, the documentary “Karlovy Vary: The Power of Water” screens daily at 16:00 and 20:00. 60 minutes — geology, history, balneology, and UNESCO. The springs look completely different after watching it.
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