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According to legend, Emperor Charles IV's hunting dog discovered the first of Karlovy Vary's twelve spas  when it fell into the water while chasing a deer.  Located in West Bohemia near the German border, Karlovy  Vary (Karlsbad), Marianske Lazne (Marienbad), and Frantiskovy Lazne (Franzenbad), make up the big three spas of West Bohemia.
Click to see a larger image of one of the spas. Click to see a larger image of the Grandhotel Pupp. Click to see a larger image of one of the colonnades in Karlovy Vary.
The water was found to aid in the treatment of digestive and metabolic problems, leading to the establishment of the first spa facility in 1522.  It's reputation spread across Europe, enticing heads of state (Peter the Great of Russia, and Frederick I of Prussia), writers and philosophers (Karl Marx, and Goethe), and composers (Beethoven, Listz, and Wagner) to seek treatments at health resorts.
Click to see a larger image of the Orthodox Church of SS Peter & Paul. Click to see a larger image of the architechture of Karlovy Vary. Click to see a larger image of more buildings in Karlovy Vary.
Most of the present buildings are late 19th and early 20th century.  Notable exceptions are the beautiful Grandhotel Pupp, which dates back to 1701, and it's antithesis, the Hotel Thermal, a 1976 Communist era eyesore.  Following Prague, Karlovy Vary is the second most visited Czech city, and hosts the annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. 

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