Czech Republic Guide
West Bohemia
Mariánské Lázně
The most recently built of Bohemia's famous triangle of spas, Mariánské Lázně is the most consistently flamboyant. As far as the eye can see, sumptuously regal buildings rise up from the pine-clad surrounds, most dating from the second half of the nineteenth century. For all the sculptural theatricality and invention, there's an intriguing homogeneity in the fin-de-siècle opulence, with each building dressed up, almost without exception, in buttery Kaisergelb (imperial yellow) and white plasterwork. The air is cool and refreshing and the centre of the spa is more or less free of cars, all of which comes as something of a relief after the usual traffic-choked streets – it's even forbidden to smoke in the centre.
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