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| Karlovy Vary
The largest and best known spa town in the Czech Republic, famous for the curative eff ects of the hot springs in the Teplá River valley.
There are only a few places on earth that are as picturesque and beautiful as Karlovy Vary. The town is located in the northern part of the Slavkov Forest at an altitude of 375 - 644 metres above sea level. The local nature has helped people to renew their strength and to rejuvenate their tired bodies with the help of thermal mineral springs and their ion solution for a very long time.
Rain water from the surrounding woods seeps through the fi ssures in the soil to a depth of 2000-5000 metres where it stays for many years. It is heatedby magma and enriched by carbon dioxide
and mineral substances, and eventually it springs up to the surface full of therapeutic properties. In total, there are about 80 thermal springs here.
Nowadays, 15 springs are directed into spring tanks. 2000 litres of water at 73°C come up from the earth interior each minute. The water contains 6.4 g of minerals in each litre. The Karlovy Vary springs, with a prevalence of hydrogen carbonic sulphur chloride ions, are classifi ed as warm alkali Glauber salt water.
The most signifi cant cultural event in Karlovy Vary is the International Film Festival; however, theatre and music (the Karlovy Vary Symphonic Orchestra was founded in 1835 as one of the oldest in Europe) have their tradition too. The Dvořák Karlovy Vary Autumn music festival takes place in Karlovy Vary annually, too.
Golf, horse-racing, tennis etc. rank among the leading sports activities. Karlovy Vary is proud about many products connected with this town: the Becherovka liqueur, Moser glass, and the hundred-year production of porcelain.
Such personalities as the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa, French Empress Maria Louisa, Emperor Franz Joseph I, Johann S. Bach, Johann W. Goethe, Giacomo Casanova, Friedrich Schiller, Ludwig van Beethoven, Karl Marx, Richard Strauss and many others are among the notable visitors to Karlovy Vary. The thermal springs, unique in their composition, belong among the most eff ective mineral waters in the world. The Karlovy Vary Hot Spring (Vřídlo), the mightiest of the springs, jets from the depth of 2,000 m, with the spring discharge of 1,500 l per minute.
Basic Therapeutic Procedures and Health Services in Karlovy Vary
1.Drinking cure using curative thermal mineral water
2.Water and gas baths; Mucous membrane irrigation (oral, intestinal, gynaecological)
3.Heat and cold procedures
4.Peloid wraps
5.Massages
6.Hydrotherapy
7.Physical therapy (electro therapy, magnetic therapy, phototherapy
8.Medical physical exercise and terrain walks
9.Diet therapy
10.Healthy lifestyle education
11Other additional procedures (e.g. application of external dermatological products, acupuncture, oxygen therapy…)
How to take the Karlovy Vary water properly
Several centuries have passed since the discovery of the curative properties of the Karlovy Vary thermal mineral waters. Even though the town of Karlovy Vary has changed signifi cantly since then, its miraculous cure from the waters has been springing with an unchanged strength. The medium-mineralized water is famous for its high temperature (up to 73°C) and its unique chemical composition which is more or less identical in all springs. The individual springs diff er by their temperature and the content of the dissolved carbon dioxide.
The water makes its way to the surface as a highly concentrated mixture of natural elements so it is not suitable for long-term use. Nevertheless, it is very rich in vitally essential trace elements, for example calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iron or chlorine, to name but a few. People from the whole world use the Karlovy Vary water to treat the diseases of the alimentary tract and metabolism. The water adjusts the function of stomach, intestines, liver and gall-bladder. It is extremely benefi cial in lowering the cholesterol levels and it stimulates the insulin secretion.
The doctors during the long years of research and observation developed several rules the spa guests should observe to let the curative properties of the cups taken appear in their full strength.
Here they are:
1.The Karlovy Vary thermal mineral water taking is recommended only after a spa doctor consultation.
2.For the best curative eff ect, the water should be taken close to the spring fountains.
3.The traditionally shaped china or glass cups have proven to be the most suitable containers for drinking.
4.It is recommended not to combine the drinking cure with alcohol consumption and smoking. A passive inhalation of tobacco smoke is harmful as well.
5.Physical movement is part of the drinking cure too. It is recommended to take the waters during a slow walk.
6.All drinking treatment should be done in a good and relaxed mood, without hurry.
7.As to the time frame, please make sure you keep to the medically prescribed periods as much as possible.
8.Look at the everyday taking of water as a small celebration and allow the other clients to enjoy the same feeling of peace and focus.
9.Do not pour the water out to the plants surrounding the colonnades or on the colonnades fl oors.
10.When drawing the water from the spring, do not touch the stand or pipes for hygienic reasons.
COLONNADES AND SPRINGS
Thermal springs made Karlovy Vary famous around the whole world. Of 79 mineral springs with varying yields, 13 are controlled and used for drinking cure.
The basic composition of various kinds of mineral water is quite similar; however, the diff erent temperatures and contents of carbon dioxide provide diff erent eff ects. The colder springs have slightly laxative eff ects, whereas the warmer ones have suppressing eff ects and inhibit the secretion of bile and gastric juices.
Ref. to Spa magazine "Otdikh" Foto: www.kvpoint.cz
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