New Year’s Eve in Karlovy Vary 2026: Where to Celebrate and What to Know
Karlovy Vary in December is a completely different city. Without the summer crowds, without queues…
Karlovy Vary souvenirs are different from most tourist towns. The best ones here aren’t decorative — they’re functional, edible, or historic. A bottle of herbal liqueur made in the same city since 1807. Salt evaporated from thermal springs that have been used for treatment since the 14th century. Crystal handcrafted without lead in a factory that supplied the Austro-Hungarian imperial court.
Here are six things worth bringing back — with prices, formats, and where to find the genuine article.
1. Karlovy Vary Drinking Salt
The most meaningful souvenir from Karlovy Vary is also the most practical one. The salt is produced by evaporating water from the thermal springs — the same water visitors drink at the colonnades. The springs have a mineralisation of approximately 6.5 g/l, roughly 20 times higher than most bottled mineral waters. The salt preserves the full mineral profile: sodium bicarbonate, sodium sulphate, potassium sulphate, and over 40 trace elements.
Two types:
- Drinking salt — dissolved in warm water and taken on an empty stomach. The home continuation of the Karlovy Vary drinking cure between visits. Standard protocol: 2–3 g per 200–250 ml of warm water, three times daily, for 14–21 days. A measuring spoon is included with the 100 g jar. Break between courses: 6 months. During the break, effervescent tablets maintain the mineral balance in a lighter dose.
- Bath salt — for home balneotherapy. Coarser texture, often with added herbs or essential oils. The spa experience at home.
Formats of drinking salt:
| Format | Volume | Lasts | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jar with measuring spoon | 100 g | 12–14 days | Home therapeutic course |
| Sachets | 20 × 3 g | 7 days | Travel — one sachet = one dose |
| Effervescent tablets | 20 tablets | — | Daily maintenance between courses |
Where to buy: City Hub “Feel Karlovy Vary”, Lázeňská 14 — the official authorised dealer with direct supplies from the manufacturer. Salt tasting and expert consultation in English are available in the shop. Online orders with delivery to Germany and other EU countries: shop.feelkarlovyvary.cz
2. Becherovka
The herbal liqueur has been produced in Karlovy Vary since 1807 — it started as a pharmacy remedy for digestion. The recipe contains approximately 20 herbs and spices, known only to two employees of the factory and stored in a safe under the code name “Dirketus.”
One important detail: Becherovka’s recipe includes Karlovy Vary mineral water as one of its ingredients. This is where the famous joke originated — Becherovka as the “thirteenth spring of Karlovy Vary,” unofficial but the most popular.
Since 1 May 2024, the brand belongs to the Polish Maspex Group (previously owned by Pernod Ricard since 1997). Production remains in Karlovy Vary; the recipe is unchanged.
What to take: classic Becherovka (38%), Becherovka Lemond (lemon), Becherovka Orange. Standard souvenir formats: 0.5 l or miniatures of 0.05 l. Available in all supermarkets and souvenir shops. To taste and buy with context — the Jan Becher Museum, Lázeňská 3.
3. Spa Drinking Cup (Lázeňský hrníček)
A practical souvenir that connects directly to the spa experience. The traditional porcelain cup with a long spout is the vessel used for drinking spring water at the colonnades — the spout directs water to the back of the mouth, reducing direct contact between the minerals and tooth enamel.
Taking a spa cup home is not just decorative: it’s the right vessel for continuing the drinking cure with Karlovy Vary salt dissolved in water. One cup that carries both the memory of the colonnades and a practical use.
Available in basic versions from a few euros to handpainted artisan pieces from local Thun porcelain up to 30–50 €. Sold at every colonnade kiosk and in souvenir shops throughout the city.
4. Moser Crystal
The Karlovy Vary glassmaker Moser has been producing crystal since 1857. What distinguishes it: Moser does not use lead in production — this is lead-free crystal, a decision that was revolutionary in the 19th century and remains the house standard today. The company received the status of supplier to the Austro-Hungarian imperial court and was recognised as “King of Crystal” at the Paris World Exhibition.
Every piece is hand-processed — cutting, engraving, painting. Which explains the prices.
Price guide: a small bar glass from €300, a decorative vase from €500. For tighter budgets — the Moser shop carries a more accessible product line and an outlet section with reduced display pieces.
Where to buy: the Moser flagship store at Tržiště 7, Karlovy Vary. Factory tours with crystal-cutting demonstrations are also available.
5. Karlovy Vary Wafers (Lázeňské Oplatky)
Thin round wafers are a culinary symbol of the resort with a history going back to the late 19th century. Traditionally eaten during walks between springs — a light snack that doesn’t disrupt the drinking cure regime.
Varieties: plain (the original format — neutral flavour, crisp texture), with chocolate, nuts, vanilla, caramel.
The plain original is worth trying first — that’s the historically correct version. Filled varieties are a more recent adaptation for tourists.
Price: €2–4 per pack depending on size and variety. Sold everywhere — at the colonnades, near the springs, in souvenir shops throughout the city.
Practical note: oplatky are fragile. Pack them in a rigid box if travelling with luggage.
6. Carlsbad Stone and Local Handcraft
Carlsbad stone (aragonite) is the mineral that forms when thermal water contacts air and CO₂ escapes. The same pale brown deposit you can see on the pipes and walls inside the Hot Spring Colonnade — that’s aragonite. From it, artisans make jewellery, decorative objects, and the famous “stone rose.”
The stone rose starts as a paper form that is repeatedly immersed in a mineral solution until a crystalline aragonite coating forms. It is not a natural mineral — but it is Karlovy Vary chemistry made visible, and a considerably more meaningful souvenir than a fridge magnet made in China.
For genuinely local handcraft — Bohemian glass, ceramics, woodwork — look in specialist shops rather than tourist stalls near the springs. The difference in quality and origin is significant.
At City Hub “Feel Karlovy Vary” on Lázeňská 14: original Karlovy Vary salt, wellness products, and souvenirs with a real connection to the spa tradition. And daily at 16:00 and 20:00 — the documentary “Karlovy Vary: The Power of Water” which brings the city’s history and geology to life in 60 minutes.
The Best Souvenir Is One That Gets Used
The salt continues the wellness course at home. Becherovka will be remembered at the dinner table. Moser crystal stays in the family for generations. The wafers will be eaten the first evening — which is exactly right for a proper souvenir.
→ The Karlovy Vary Wellness Tradition — what people take home and why: Read → Why Karlovy Vary has no 13th spring — and what Becherovka has to do with it: Read → Home balneology — how to use Karlovy Vary salt: Read → Karlovy Vary salt — buy online with delivery: shop.feelkarlovyvary.cz
