Karlovy Vary Thermal Pool and Imperial Spa: A Visitor's Guide
Two of Karlovy Vary’s best-known buildings have come back to life. The rooftop pool of Hotel Thermal, closed for about seven years, reopened in 2021 with a new sauna world, and the Imperial Spa (Císařské lázně, also called Lázně I), the most lavish bathhouse in town, reopened in 2023 after a three-year restoration. Here is what each one is like, what it costs and how to fit both into a visit.
Weather in Karlovy Vary
Updated 3 Oct, 12:45
Exchange rate
| 1 EUR (Euro) | 24.47 CZK |
| 1 USD (US dollar) | 21.80 CZK |
| 1 GBP (British pound) | 28.77 CZK |
ČNB rate, 2 Oct 2026
Route from Prague to Karlovy Vary
The Hotel Thermal pool: hot spring water on a terrace above the town
Hotel Thermal is the large concrete building by the Teplá river, built in 1967–1976 to the design of Věra and Vladimír Machonin and best known as the home of the Karlovy Vary film festival. Its outdoor pool sits on a terrace high above the spa quarter. After years out of use it reopened to the public in August 2021, and the sauna world followed in 2022. The complex is run by Saunia.
Hotel Thermal from the river, and its outdoor pool on a winter morning: the warm water steams in the cold air and the whole spa valley is spread out below.
What is there:
- The main outdoor pool with four 25-metre swimming lanes and a relaxation zone with underwater loungers and massage jets, at about 30–32 °C.
- The thermal pool, 10 × 15.5 m, filled with natural Karlovy Vary spring water at about 38 °C, and renewed every day. The operator calls it the largest pure thermal pool in town.
- A children’s splash pool, open in season.
- The sauna world: Finnish, tropical, herbal and salt saunas, an aromatic steam bath and a ceremony sauna, from 40–50 °C up to 90–100 °C, with an ice well, cold buckets and a plunge pool.
The view is the reason to come. From the water you look straight down the valley over the colonnades and the hillside villas, and in winter, when the pool steams in the frost, it is one of the most striking sights in Karlovy Vary.
Thermal pool tickets
| Ticket | Adult | Child under 15 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 hour | 699 CZK | 499 CZK |
| 3 hours | 899 CZK | 699 CZK |
| Whole day | 1,199 CZK | 899 CZK |
| Evening, from 18:00, 3 hours | 799 CZK | 599 CZK |
Prices are from the operator’s website as of October 2026. Towel and sheet are included, and swimwear can be bought at the reception if you forget yours. The pool is entered through the hotel reception and a lift up to the pool desk; the address is I. P. Pavlova 2001/11.
The Imperial Spa (Lázně I): a palace built for bathing
The Imperial Spa was built in 1893–1895 by Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, the Viennese architects behind dozens of theatres across Central Europe. It was the largest and most richly decorated spa house in Karlovy Vary: a pseudo-Renaissance palace mixing French Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau ornament. After a restoration that took almost three years and cost about 1.4 billion CZK, it reopened to the public in June 2023.
The Imperial Spa (Lázně I). Photo: Natalia Semenova / CC BY 3.0
What you can see inside:
- The Zander Hall, fitted out in the 19th century with mechanical exercise machines for Swedish therapeutic gymnastics, the fitness centre of its day. It is part of the guided tour.
- The historic interiors, with carved woodwork, painted ceilings and the glass roofs that light the halls, plus the original technical side of how a bathhouse of the 1890s actually worked.
- A new concert hall by architect Petr Hájek, built into the old structure, seating up to 338 people. It hosts concerts, from classical music to jazz, as well as conferences and exhibitions.
Inside the Imperial Spa: carved wood under one of the glass ceilings.
Visiting the Imperial Spa
The Imperial Spa is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00, and the interiors are seen on guided tours. One of them, The Imperial Bathroom: a Story of Luxury, is built around the private bath of the imperial era. Tours start from about 200 CZK and exhibitions cost 100–250 CZK. Tickets are sold online through the Colosseum ticket portal linked from the official site, cisarskelazne.cz; check the current tour times and languages there before you go. The building is at the south end of the spa zone, about 500 m and under ten minutes’ walk from the centre, and city bus line 2 stops right outside at «Lázně I».
Seeing both in one day
The two buildings are at opposite ends of the spa quarter, about 2 km apart along the river. That walk is the classic Karlovy Vary promenade: past the Mill Colonnade, the Market Colonnade and the hot spring of the Vřídlo, with time to taste the spring water on the way. A comfortable plan is:
- Morning at the Imperial Spa, on a guided tour.
- Walk back along the Teplá through the colonnades, with lunch on the way.
- Afternoon or evening at the Thermal pool. The evening ticket from 18:00 is the best value, and the view at dusk is the finest.
Coming from Prague? Karlovy Vary is about 130 km from Prague, around 1 h 40 min by road. A private transfer costs from 110 € per car, not per person, and drops you at your hotel or straight at the Thermal. If you want to be back in Prague the same night, book a return trip with waiting.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Hotel Thermal pool open to non-guests?
Yes. The pool and sauna world are public. You do not have to stay at the hotel: buy a ticket at the pool reception, which you reach through the hotel lobby and a lift.
How hot is the water in the Thermal pool?
The thermal pool, filled with Karlovy Vary spring water, is kept at about 38 °C all year. The main swimming pool with its lanes and relaxation zone is cooler, at about 30–32 °C.
How much does the Thermal pool cost?
An adult ticket is 699 CZK for one hour, 899 CZK for three hours and 1,199 CZK for the whole day. The evening ticket from 18:00 is 799 CZK for three hours. Children under 15 pay less.
Can children go to the Thermal pool?
Yes. Children under 15 get a reduced ticket, and there is a children’s splash pool in season. Check the operator’s rules for the sauna world before you take younger children there.
When did the Imperial Spa reopen?
The Imperial Spa (Lázně I) reopened to the public in June 2023, after a restoration of almost three years that cost about 1.4 billion CZK.
Can you bathe at the Imperial Spa?
No. Today it is a historic monument, a venue for concerts and events and a place for guided tours. For hot spring water, go to the Thermal pool.
How far apart are the Thermal and the Imperial Spa?
About 2 km, a 25–30 minute walk along the Teplá river through the colonnades, or a short ride on city bus line 2.
How do I get to Karlovy Vary from Prague?
By bus, train or private transfer. The road trip takes about 1 h 40 min, and a private transfer costs from 110 € per car. Our guide to getting from Prague to Karlovy Vary compares all the options.
