Karlovy Vary was built on hot water and the belief that drinking it from porcelain cups while strolling beneath colonnades could cure whatever ailed you. The town stretches along the narrow Teplá River valley, its grand hotels and spa buildings rising in tiers of wedding-cake architecture — Baroque, Art Nouveau, Soviet-era concrete, all coexisting with the casual indifference of a town that has been welcoming visitors since the 14th century.
The ritual is simple: buy a traditional spa cup with its sipping spout, fill it from any of the dozen-plus hot springs scattered through the colonnades, and walk. The water tastes of minerals and mild regret, but the experience is oddly meditative. Between tastings, there are wafer shops on every corner, the Moser glassworks for Czech crystal, and wooded hillside trails offering views down over the whole pastel-colored valley.
When to go: May through October for the best weather. The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in early July brings glamour and energy to the town.