Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary or Carlsbad (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkarlovɪ ˈvarɪ]; German: Karlsbad, Hungarian: Károlyfürdő) is a spa town situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately 130 km (81 mi) west of Prague (Praha). It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370. It is historically famous for its hot springs (13 main springs, about 300 smaller springs, and the warm-water Teplá River). It is the most visited spa town in the Czech Republic.

History

The first Celtic settlers came there before the Middle Ages.

Around 1350 Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and Czech king during his stay in Loket organized an expedition into the surrounding forests, where on the site of the alleged spring established a spa called Horké Lázně u Lokte (Spas at Loket). Place was subsequently renamed after him, according to legend after he had acclaimed the healing power of the hot springs. Charles IV. on 14 August 1370 gave the city privileges. Earlier settlements can be also found in the outskirts of today's city.

Karlovy Vary Region

The Karlovy Vary Region or Carlsbad Region (Czech: Karlovarský kraj) is an administrative unit (Czech: kraj) of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of its historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Karlovy Vary. The region is world famous for its spas, including Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně.

Cities and towns

Demography

As of 1 January 2012 the population of the Karlovy Vary Region was 303,165 with 149,432 males and 153,733 females, accounting for 49.3% and 50.7% of the population respectively.

Local government

The Karlovy Vary Region has three districts, namely: Cheb District, Karlovy Vary District and Sokolov District. At a lower level, the region has 132 municipalities, comprising 54 in the Karlovy Vary District, 40 in the Cheb District and 38 in the Sokolov District.

Economy

Spas

The region is well known for its spas and is responsible over half of the county's spa industry. Twelve spas can be found in the city of Karlovy Vary alone. Other famous spa towns in the region include Františkovy Lázně, Mariánské Lázně, Lázně Kynžvart and Jáchymov. The spas are visited not only by Czechs but by people from the rest of Europe, Russia, Israel and North America as well. Karlovy Vary spa wafers, a food item from the region, was awarded protected designation of origin (PDO) status by the European Commission in 2011.

Vary

Vary (Ukrainian: Вари, Hungarian: Vári or Mezővári) is a village in Zakarpattia Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is located around 17 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Berehove at the confluence of the rivers Tisza and Borzsova, not far from the Ukrainian-Hungarian border. Administratively, the village belongs to the Berehove Raion, Zakarpattia Oblast. Historically, the name originates from the Hungarian word vár meaning castle. The village was first mentioned as Vári in 1320 and was previously known as Borsovavára.

Population

In 1921, the village had a population of 2,625, mostly Hungarians. As of 2012, the population includes 3,302 inhabitants, of which 3008 are Hungarians.

References