The Vřídlo Colonnade is the beating heart of spa life in Karlovy Vary — a striking glass-and-concrete structure built over the town's most famous and hottest thermal spring, the Vřídlo geyser, which shoots boiling water up to 12 meters into the air at a scorching 72°C. It's one sight you simply cannot skip.

Inside, the atmosphere is a fascinating clash of styles: raw, brutalist architecture with grey granite cladding and steel columns stands in stark contrast to the elegant historic spa buildings surrounding it. Above the geyser's outlet rises a distinctive faceted glass canopy that lets natural light pour in, while clouds of mineral steam swirl around visitors, especially atmospheric on cooler mornings. Inside you'll find three drinking fountains dispensing the hot spring water, plus small shops selling souvenirs, ceramics and spa products, and occasional exhibitions. It buzzes with visitors year-round, quieter outside peak spa season.

How to get there

• From Karlovy Vary town centre / Republic Square — 5-10 minute walk along the riverside promenade, easy, flat route
• Located on the right bank of the Teplá river, beneath the Church of St Mary Magdalene, the colonnade partly forms a footbridge over the river

Practical information

• The Vřídlo spring water reaches 72°C and can be sampled at three drinking stands inside the colonnade
• Beneath the colonnade, an underground exhibition route (reopened in 2008) reveals mineral sinter deposits and the famous 'Karlovy Vary stone roses'
• The current building was designed by architect Jaroslav Otruba and constructed 1969-1975, intended to last 80 years
• Free entry, open daily

Fun fact: a statue of Yuri Gagarin once stood in front of the colonnade, which was even renamed after him for a while — today the statue lives near the airport, and the building has reclaimed its original name.