The Czech spa triangle beyond its healing waters

The Czech Republic is much more than Prague. The Czech capital is one of the most visited cities in Europe for its architecture, local culture and those new neighbourhoods, such as Vinohrady, which fill its cultural panorama with modernity, but there is an unknown Czechia that is waiting to be discovered.

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And, although we don't need excuses, since there are plenty of historical and natural assets, West Bohemia is our new object of desire since its spa triangle has just been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other major European spa cities . Three picturesque and secluded cities –Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázne and Františkovy Lázne– with as many nuances as flavors and temperatures have their mineral-medicinal waters.

KARLOVY VARY

The usual thing is to go to Karlovy Vary (whose name comes from Carlos IV, its founder in the 14th century) for a thermal break (treatments, by the way, covered by the Czech public health system). But those who do not have problems with the digestive or locomotor system –or do not believe in the curative power of the 13 medicinal springs scattered throughout its urban area– will always be able to dedicate themselves to a more hedonistic and less therapeutic tourism.

In other words, instead of using a kalíšek to go in a procession from colonnade to colonnade (from the Mill, from the Market, from the Park...) sipping the water that emanates from the subsoil, we recommend replacing this porcelain jug -with a pipe-shaped mouthpiece– for a good crystal glass (we are in Bohemia for a reason) loaded with an excellent wine from South Moravia, a region where practically all of the country's wines are produced. At the Tusculum restaurant, chef Pavel Provázek's tasting menu arrives accompanied by a complete pairing.