Bus Trip from Prague to Nurenberg

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Karlovy Vary – a feast for the eyes

We met the AMA Waterways group that had been in Prague to transfer
on the bus with them to Nuremberg. We were stopping about halfway (2.5 hours)
at the spa town of Karlovy Vary. A very special town for the rich.
Karlovy Vary is an old town. It's original Germanic name is Carlsbad ("Charles' Baths").
The reference to "baths" was quite accurate, as the city's thermal springs
made it into a very popular spa town that was being rediscovered by westerners
since the end of the Cold War. As Czech moved closer and closer to full integration
with the West, Karlovy Vary (just a stone's throw across the German border) became
one of the Republic's darlings.



Karlovy Vary was a feast for the eyes. I was greatly impressed with its beauty,
the way it is built into a gorge like setting with its wonderful natural surroundings.


Shop after shop of high end boutiques, jewellery stores and small cafes line the
walk way along the Tepla river.



The city has experienced an almost complete makeover since 1989.
The paint almost smelled as fresh as the colours were bright on nearly
every building downtown.



I highly recommend Karlovy Vary as a destination if you are
going to the Czech Republic.


Once leaving Karlovy Vary on the narrow switch backs for miles
and miles we finally reached the freeway to Nuremberg.
The record breaking temperature reached 18C. Gorgeous sunshine
streamed through the bus windows as most had a nice little nap
before we reached the ship at 4PM.

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