There is one legend in the Czech Republic, which says that the Karlovy Vary springs himself the Emperor Charles IV (the very one we owe the famous Charles Bridge in Prague and Karlštejn Castle) . It turns out that this beloved King of Czechs contributed to the future popularity of Karlovy Vary . He stumbled upon hot springs during deer hunting in these then picturesque and picturesque regions . There is even a story about that the emperor received some accidental wound, to which quickly dragged out and did not cause any complications thanks to the wonderful water of local sources . Anyway, and the emperor ordered to build a hunting lodge here, which later turned into a castle . Alas, the medieval structure itself did not reach us , which, of course, is insulting to Var - after all there are a lot of castles in the Czech Republic, and almost every ancient city has at least one . But neither the townspeople nor the tourists are upset: there is a castle sight in the city - the Castle Tower, which was built at the very beginning of the 17th century on the site of that hunting lodge of Charles IV . It rises above the Market Colonnade - one of the most interesting colonnades of Karlovy Vary on a granite rock .
Actually, the reason for its construction was rather sad: in 1604 g . in the fire burned the medieval castle of Charles IV and from him there was only one tower . This was the last remnant of the medieval past of the city, but he was not destined to exist long . Time changed architectural preferences and ideas about the beautiful . In the 17th century, everywhere there was to dominate the Baroque, so that the castle tower was rebuilt just in this style . In the past, there was a tradition in the city to greet noble guests with fanfare from the Castle Tower . Sometimes it can be heard even now, on very special occasions .
The Castle Tower now houses an excellent restaurant, stylized for the Middle Ages . The prices here are quite moderate, despite the fact that the restaurant is very popular and is very frequented . Pay attention to the dishes of the Old Czech cuisine: here really try to scrupulously observe all the traditions of cooking national ancient dishes . Keep in mind that the basis of Czech cuisine is meat in all types, but mostly fried and various dishes of cheese and flour . Therefore, if you prefer fish, then in a national restaurant you can hardly try something special - it will be a traditional river trout (pustach) or some sea fish cooked, as a rule, in batter . But there are a lot of meat dishes, you will not go hungry from here .
Under the Castle Tower there are two famous colonnades of Karlovy Vary - the Market and Castle, and across the road on the other side of the Market Square - Geyser Colonnade. So you can combine business with pleasure: drink water from famous sources, see the attraction - Castle Tower and visit the restaurant. Address: Zámecký vrch 431/2, Karlova Vary.
| Old Castle in Karlovy Vary |
| Ko Old Castle in Karlovy Vary |