Kaiserbad Spa

Object history The representative spa building in a contemporary fashionable architectural style was built between 1893 and 1895 according to the project of the famous Viennese architects Ferdinand Fellner and Herman Helmer on the grounds of a former burgher brewery in the southern part of Karlovy Vary. The ceremonial opening of the building took place on May 5, 1895, with the laying of the final stone. Císařské lázně used to be a representative spa facility with the most modern operation in the then Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The pseudo-Renaissance two-storey building resembles a theater building with its horseshoe-shaped floor plan. The ornate architecture of the building mimics the French Renaissance, combining Renaissance and Baroque building elements with Art Nouveau decorative motifs. The interiors of the spa building concealed all the most modern conveniences of that time and unusual comfort. Part of the building was the so-called Zander Hall with mechanical exercise equipment for Swedish gymnastics according to the method of Dr. Zandera. The building of the Peat Pavilion for the preparation of peat for baths is connected to the spa building by an underground corridor. The Císařské lázně building, called Lázně I since 1918, was used for balneological purposes until the end of the 1980s. Subsequently, a casino was operated in Zander Hall. From 1994, the building was eventually closed and dilapidated. In 2008, the building of the former Imperial Spa was transferred to the Karlovy Vary Region free of charge. In recent years, the spa building, which has been declared a National Cultural Monument, has undergone a gradual renovation.