Above the spa town of Karlovy Vary lies one of Central Europe's most intriguing unfinished technical monuments - the remains of a rack railway to the Tři kříže (Three Crosses) hill, whose construction was halted by the outbreak of World War I and never resumed. It's a fascinating stop for fans of abandoned infrastructure and alternative travel history.

Walking along Vřídelní street, visitors can find a well-preserved railway cutting along with the ruins of the lower station and the intermediate Panorama station, which burned down in 1998 and lost its roof. Further up, the foundations of the planned upper station and an accompanying hotel are still visible. The area around Tři kříže offers lovely views over Karlovy Vary and the wooded hills of the surrounding basin, and walking among the railway's remnants feels like exploring industrial archaeology reclaimed by nature.

How to get there

• Karlovy Vary, Vřídelní street - walking route, approx. 30-40 minutes, difficulty: easy to moderate (steady climb)
• Alternatively via Panoramastrasse to the former Panorama station, then onward to the Tři kříže summit

Practical information

• Preserved railway cutting along Vřídelní street
• Ruins of the lower station and the Panorama station (burned down in 1998)
• Surviving foundations of the upper station and the planned hotel at the summit

Interesting fact: construction began in 1913, and despite several attempts to resume the project - including in the 1960s, 1970s, and after 2006 - the railway was never completed and remains an unfulfilled dream of Karlovy Vary to this day.