There will be no white Christmas in Holland this year. So I will share some winter travel photography with snowy moments for more holiday mood.
Precisely one year ago my husband and I made a short trip to Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) in Czech Republic. It is a charming spa town, and we spent wonderful time there. The weather was also perfect for a winter holiday. There came a snowfall and the next day the trees and colorful houses where decorated with a layer of snow snow.
The photos I share are not so much to cover the main attractions as to share the magical atmosphere of the place.
Carlsbad was founded in 1350 by the Emperor Charles IV. According to the legend he was hunting here. His dog was chasing a stag and fell into the spring water. The dog howled from pain because the water was hot, and the hunters helped him out and tasted the water. The emperor let explore the healing hot springs of the region and used them for baths. Later the town became famous for its bath spa treatments, and since the 17thcentury also for drinking cures.
There are dozens of thermal springs here, and 12 of them are used in the spa treatments. They have different temperature and composition and have different curative effects. The springs used for the drinking cure can be found in one of the five beautiful colonnades.
This lovely town had lots of famous visitors in the past centuries. When I climbed the hills for a beautiful panorama I found a bust of Peter the Great here and learnt he made a bet and rode up this steep rocky path daily on horseback without a saddle. Impressive for someone who came here to recover from illness!
There are many tourist attractions here. One of the more recent ones is that an old luxury Grandhotel Pupp was used as location for Casino Royal movie. You can dine at the same place where Bond had a date with Vesper. Or just visit the café of the hotel for some delicious cakes. In the summer the hotel hosts an annual international film festival and you can meet many celebrities here.
If you like romantic places, I would definitely recommend you to visit the town, stroll along its colonnades sipping thermal water, enjoy the view from the hills, visit the Loket castle nearby and just relax and have fun.
Wishing you and your family holiday mood!