I always feel like Marianske Lazne, Czech Republic is one of the best hidden gems of Central Europe. When so many people go to nearby Karlovy Vary (which is a great destination too), hardly anyone decides to visit Marianske Lazne.

This charming little town, nestled picturesquely in the valley surrounded by rolling hills, is a perfect destination for a relaxing getaway in the beautiful scenery. There might not be as many things to do in Marianske Lazne as in the most popular Czech spa town (Karlovy Vary) but the place is equally stunning and definitely deserves your time.

I’ve been twice to Marianske Lazne, recently I’ve decided to return there to see if what I remember from my previous trips there is still true (I kept recommending visiting Marianske Lazne to everyone as for me it’s been one of the greatest places to visit in Czech Republic). And it definitely is! I was there in November so the town was mostly empty but the weather was nice and I could enjoy Marianske Lazne and its beauty to the fullest.

If you are planning a trip to the Czech Republic (and especially its western part), don’t miss Marianske Lazne, even for a quick stroll. I’m sure you will be charmed by this beautiful town and its atmosphere too!

Where is Marianske Lazne

Marianske Lazne, a town of almost fifteen thousand inhabitants, is located in the western part of the Czech Republic, near the border with Germany. Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is 150 km away, Pilsen is 65 km away and the most popular Czech spa town – Karlovy Vary – is 50 km away from Marianske Lazne.

Why you should visit Marianske Lazne

Marianske Lazne, together with Karlovy Vary and Frantiskove Lazne, is part of the so-called spa triangle of the Czech Republic. If you are looking for a charming spa town that is not packed with tourists yet has a nice, relaxing vibe I think there is no better place in the Czech Republic.

There might not be too many Marianske Lazne attractions but the town’s ambiance and stunning architecture make up for that and it’s actually really easy to fall for the place. While the nearby Karlovy Vary can get overcrowded with tourists, here there are never too many of them and you can simply enjoy the stunning spa town.

Even if the area of Marianske Lazne was inhabited already in the 13th century and shortly after the first springs were found here, the town actually isn’t very old, dating only to the second half of the 19th century. But already then it was a popular spa destination, attracting not only regular visitors but also well-known people such as the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, the British king Edward VII, Sigmund Freud, and artists like Chopin, Goethe, and Kafka.

Recently Marianske Lazne, together with Karlovy Vary, Frantiskove Lazne, and eight more spa towns in Europe, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as “The Great Spa Towns of Europe”.

How to get to Marianske Lazne

Getting to Marianske Lazne is actually very easy as there are frequent train connections from Prague (via Pilsen). Direct trains depart from Prague every 2 hours, in between them you can go with the convenient transfer to Pilsen. The journey time is around 2,5 hours. You can check the schedule and buy tickets at the website of Czech Railways here.

If you would like to visit Marianske Lazne as a side trip from Karlovy Vary you can also take the train. More or less every two hours there is a direct train, the journey takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes.

How to get around Marianske Lazne

Most of the attractions of Marianske Lazne are located around the Colonnade, not far from each other, so you can easily walk between them. And that’s the best way to get to know the town, simply wander around and admire all the beauty Marianske Lazne has to offer.

However, the train station is located around 3 km away from the Colonnade. Fortunately, there is a frequent trolleybus no 7 connecting these two places. You can get the ticket from the driver, when I visited Marianske Lazne in November 2022 one trip was 20 CZK.

How much time for visiting Marianske Lazne

You can see all the best places to visit in Marianske Lazne in 2-3 hours (making the town a good destination for a day trip from Karlovy Vary or even Prague) but I think it’s worth staying here a bit longer to take things easy, relax a bit and enjoy the town to the fullest. It’s such a nice, laid-back place, perfect for slowing down and taking it easy.

Where to stay in Marianske Lazne

Since the town has been a popular spa destination for years, there are plenty of accommodation options to choose from, especially in nice, historical hotels. The best area to stay in Marianske Lazne is around the park with the Colonnade – that’s the old center of the town and you will be close to most of the attractions. If you visit Marianske Lazne off-season the prices, also for the luxury accommodation, will be much more affordable.

Here are the recommended places to stay in Marianske Lazne:

• Nové Lázně
• Hotel Paris
• Hvězda – Imperiál – Neapol
• Hotel Pacifik
• Hotel Bohemia

What to see and do in Marianske Lazne

Marianske Lazne is just perfect in its size: not too big and not too small, with all the best attractions centrally located.

The highlight of the town is the stunning colonnade, the symbol of Marianske Lazne. You won’t find a more stunning structure of that kind in Central Europe.

The Collonade was built between 1888 and 1889 in the neo-Baroque style in the place where the first spa building was located. With a length of 180 meters, it is the longest colonnade in the Czech Republic, perfect for a lazy stroll along. Not only the cast iron structure is impressive, but be sure to check out the beautiful ceiling frescoes too.

I bet one visit here will not be enough during your stay in Marianske Lazne, this landmark is like a magnet that you keep returning to. Even if there are a few other lovely colonnades in the town (like the nearby Karolina Colonnade) the main one is the real treat. It was actually the main reason why I’ve decided to visit Marianske Lazne again, that’s how much it stayed in my memory after all these years.

Right in front of the Colonnade, you will find a Singing Fountain, one of the most popular attractions of Marianske Lazne. It’s a fairly new addition to the central part of Marianske Lazne, dating back to 1986, but it quickly became an integral part of the town’s scenery.

It operates each year between 30th April and 31st October, giving shows at every odd hour between 7 in the morning and 9 in the evening, with one more extra show at 10 pm. There are eight different shows that the fountain plays, both the classics like Beethoven and modern songs like Andrea Bocelli: so it’s best to attend almost every show during the day to hear them all.

The central park (where the Colonnade and the Singing Fountain are located) is surrounded by the most beautiful buildings you will find in the town, the majority of them being hotels where you can stay during your trip to Marianske Lazne.

They mostly date back to the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and are a perfect example of the art nouveau architecture from that time. Since I’m a huge fan of this style, I kind of walked around with my jaw dropped, admiring all the details of the buildings. It looks like all of them were recently renovated and are simply stunning.

In one of these hotels, Nové Lázně, you can find probably the most unusual attraction of Marianske Lazne – the bath that used to belong to the English king Edward VII who visited the town eight times. Today everyone who books a room in the hotel can feel like royalty and use this very bath too!

If you decide to stay here you can also use the Roman baths from the end of the 19th century, with the beautiful interior including marble columns.

A bit away from the center you might want to visit Park Boheminium with the models (in 1:25 scale) of the most important landmarks in the Czech Republic, both historical and technical. It’s a great place to get an overview of the best places to visit in the Czech Republic and see what the country has to offer, besides the most popular attractions.

Marianske Lazne has a beautiful location, surrounded by rolling hills perfect for hiking around. If you feel like getting closer to nature it’s so easy to escape the town for a walk in the forest, there are plenty of them around. You might even stumble across a lookout tower to get a better view of the surrounding area.

Once you are done with Marianske Lazne sightseeing you can relax and enjoy what the town has to offer not only for a soul but also for a body. There are over 130 mineral springs in the town, and around 40 of them have healing purposes.

You can get the mineral water directly from the spring in the colonnades, it’s best to drink it from the special cup with the crooked spout to protect your teeth from some of the minerals.

Marianske Lazne is also known for its wafers (Oplatky Kolonáda), the most popular ones in the Czech Republic, round in shape, delicate in taste, and filled with various sweet creams. They’ve been produced here since 1856, probably to soften the sour or salty taste of the healing mineral waters.

Today you can buy wafers in all the shops around the town but the best ones are served warmly. You can get them in the specialty shop dedicated to wafers which is located next to the main colonnade. I can’t even share a picture of how they look like as I ate them right away!

Where to go next

The most popular places to visit near Marianske Lazne are of course other two towns from the famous spa triangle: Karlovy Vary and Frantiskove Lazne. But there are other interesting destinations that you should consider: Cheb with its charming old town, Loket known for the picturesque location and the castle, or Stribro – another beautiful town. On the way to this corner of the country be sure to stop also in Pilsen and enjoy not only its famous beer but also the beautiful Old Town and numerous cultural sights.

Further reading

I published many articles about the Czech Republic that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• 2 Days in Prague Itinerary
• Holesovice – a mini guide to Prague’s coolest district
• 17 Great Things to Do in Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic
• 13 Amazing Things to Do in Pilsen, Czech Republic
• Karlovy Vary Itinerary. What to Do in Karlovy Vary in 3 Days
• 20 Great Things to Do in Brno, Czech Republic
• What to See in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
• Visit Kromeriz, Czech Republic – the UNESCO Castle and More
• and more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.

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