hidden europe 56

Russians in Bohemia

by hidden europe

Picture above: The main stret in Karolovy Vary, formerly known as Karlsbad (photo © hidden europe).

Summary

Where would the spa towns of Bohemia be without the patronage from the great and good? The Romanov family's enthusiasm for taking the water has encouraged generations of Russians to visit the region.

Before the discovery of mineral springs around the margins of the Russian empire, notably in the Caucasus, Russians were exploring spas in central Europe, some of which are enduringly popular with Russian visitors today. Alexei Petrovich, the son of Peter the Great, set the trend with his 1710 visit to Karlsbad, the spa town in the Bohemian hills now known as Karlovy Vary. It was during that stay in Karlsbad that the tsarevich met his future wife — a nice reminder that a spa cure might yield matrimonial as well as medicinal benefits.

Peter the Great himself came to Karlsbad the following year. He did exactly what many subsequent generations of Russian visitors to Karlsbad have done: he drank copious quantities of water.

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