KARLOVY VARY REGION. Historical Karlovy Vary

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1 KARLOVY VARY REGION Karlovy Vary - town of 60,000 inhabitants - lies in West Bohemia in a valley at the confluence of the Teplá River and the Ohře River, about 120 km west of Prague. The characteristic symbol of the town is it s multitude of colonnades and warm therapeutic springs. It s the largest and best known spa city in the Czech Republic and it s surrounded by woodland. It also boasts a number of spa walking tours. Historical Karlovy Vary The city was founded in the 14th century by Charles IV. According to a legend, the Emperor had the city built soon after the accidental discovery of thermal springs by his hunting entourage. The spa facilities enjoyed the favor of many aristocratic houses and rich burghers as early as the 16th century. Owing to a series of natural disasters from that period only a few buildings have been preserved. Most architectonic monuments originated in the 18th and the 19th century when the city lived the period of plenitude. Cultural Karlovy Vary All year round Karlovy Vary hosts innumerable cultural and sports events. Many of them are very popular with the Karlovy Vary public and with tourists. One of the most popular social events is the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival that attracts cinematography fans from all over the world every year. But Karlovy Vary is not only a place of film projection. Its unique scenery and architecture makes the city a film shooting location. Recently, film makers shot the new James Bond: Casino Royal here movie here.

2 The Karlovy Vary Museum - Museum in Karlovy Vary was founded after Carlsbad collectors have accumulated a rich collection of documents for typical Carlsbad crafts. Currently focusing primarily on the city's history, the applied arts, and crafts. It contains a collection of regional graphics, sculptures and a library with 14,000 volumes. Karlovy Vary Museum serves as an information center for the documentation of architectural monuments and spas. Sports Karlovy Vary The development of balneotherapy and of tourism in Karlovy Vary progressed hand in hand with the bloom of sports. At the end of the 19th century a horse race track was built. In 1904, the first golf course in the Czech Republic was opened on the outskirts of the city to be followed, one year later, with a tennis complex. In addition, Karlovy Vary offers many more sports activities mountain biking, fitness, swimming pool, indoor cycling, yoga... The mountain area Krusne hory is only about 25km far from Karlovy Vary and is very popular among bikers and skiers as well as nature explorers. World-acclaimed Karlovy Vary The international fame of the spa city was contributed to by its balneological heritage, the international film festival and some of Karlovy Vary s typical products. Many people automatically associate the words Becherovka (herbal liqueur), Moser (hand made glass) or Thun (porcelain products) with Karlovy Vary. Of no less popularity and renown are traditional spa wafers. WATTSENGLISH IN KARLOVY VARY Wattsenglish Karlovy Vary was founded in 2008 and has been running for 2 years and offering English lessons to children. It is situated at the city center. There is good public transport connection and a car

3 available for the teachers to reach the schools they will teach at. The successful applicant will teach children in kindergartens, primary schools and in the Karlovy Vary office. This position will allow you to put your teaching knowledge into practice and continue in the development of your teaching skills with the Wattsenglish teacher training programme and support. Even that we are getting started with Wattsenglish programmes in September 2010, Wattsenglish in Karlovy Vary offers a comfortable base for teacher's work and we are ready to provide all necessary facilities for teaching (free access to the Internet and , copying and printing facilities, library and a study place). We are also able to provide help with accommodation, other administration work and anything else with which you may be concerned with. The prices of accomodation in Karlovy Vary are approximately between CZK a month for a one room flat with a separate kitchen and bathroom, referred to as a one-plus-one. Internet access is available upon request. The director of Wattsenglish Karlovy Vary has already booked accomodation in a 2 room flat with a separate kitchen and bathroom. The flat is situated 2 mins walking distance from the school. LIVING AND TEACHING IN KARLOVY VAR By Alexandra Aznar and Abigail Stahl: Karlovy Vary is a spa town two hours from Prague. There are frequent and inexpensive buses between the two cities. Karlovy Vary is a really beautiful place to live. Just walking around the city center is always an aesthetically pleasing experience. Lots of traditional Czech things are made here, like Becherovka and Moser glass. Karlovy Vary is a great place to live to enjoy the outdoors. The city is surrounded by forests full of trails where you can hike or bike. The ski resort, Bozi Dar, is only a twenty minute drive away. There are plenty of cultural gems as well. Karlovy Vary has its own hockey team, a world-famous festival every July, and plenty of live music at various venues. Basically, Karlovy Vary is a charming place to live if you want an alternative to hectic Prague. Tips from teachers who worked at KV office (Alexandra Aznar and Abigail Stahl) Transport: Bus tickets are cheaper when you buy them in advance at the kiosk.

4 Housing: Live in the city center if at all possible. It was so convenient for work and general living. Sharing an apartment is also cheaper. Eating out: Good restaurants/cafes 1. Tandoori Indian - It s situated on I.P. Pavlova street in the alley; look for the signs. Really good Indian food and the owner speaks perfect English. 2. Mamma Mia pizza - city center Bulharska street, prices vary from 81,-CZK to 175,- CZK, depends on a size, takeaway available 3. Dobra Cajovna - tea house - opposite the parking lot next to Trznice. 4. Cinema and bar Panasonic- good bar, good movies. Foreigner movies are in original language with Czech subtitules. Prices per ticket from 70czk up to 100 CZK 5. Nice restaurants are the Charleston and La Strada. 6. The Vegetarian Restaurant next to the hospital. 7. The PUB serving non-pasteurized fresh super cold Pilsen beer from beer tanks, 8. Music Bar Slash - S. K. Neumanna Street: live music, small band concerts available, more alternative atmosphere rock, folk, underground, techno, break, house - Activities Kino Cas is another movie theater in town. It is fun to rent canoes and take trips down the river. The town is surrounded by countless observation towers and viewing points, for example Diana, Charles Viewpoint (Karlova Vyhlídka), and the observation point at Zámecký Vrch. A number of forest pavilions can be found when enjoying a pleasant walk through the surrounding spa forests. These pavilions have been here since the 19th century and are ideal for a spot of relaxation. The Elizabeth Baths are nice, newly reconstructed and not so expensive. They have a 25 meters long swimming pool, relaxation pool with 4 massage elements, steam room, and sauna. The Hotel Thermal pool has a great view of the city and is heated. So you can have a bath all year round. General tips: You need cash at the post office. Try to burn or buy Czech language cd s before you come. It helps to learn some basic phrases. To make friends more easily, join the Couchsurfing Karlovy Vary group. Plan lessons from Incredible books after week one so that complete all the units by the end of the year.

5 Get to know parents if they speak English they can be a great social connection. Tips for trips Castle of Loket Loket is an ancient tlen. There s a beautiful Roman castle which is the town s most dominant feature. Loket is one of the prominent tourist destinations in the famous West Bohemian spa triangle. The castle is more than 800 years old; it was built in the second half of the 12th century and is definately worth a visit. Wattsenglish organizes a weekend trip to Loket every year. Castle Kynžvart During the years 1585 and 1597, in the valley under the castle Kynžvart, a Renaissance castle was built. There are many very interesting historical things in the collections of the castle. One of the most precious items are four late- Gothic tabular altar-pieces from German painter Bernard Strigel from They depict the legend of finding the st. Kříž. Then there s a very interesting library of the chancellor one of the most important aristocratic libraries in the Czech Republic. There s also a stunning park in the castle grounds, boasting eleven ponds. Krusne Mountains (Ore Mountains) Mountain massif of the Krušné hory (Ore Mountains) is located on the border of the Czech Republic and Germany. The mountain range on the northwestern border of the country is approximately 81 miles (130 km) long. The volcanic activity that accompanied the Ore Mountains creation in the Paleozoic Era manifested itself by a vast presence of mineral resources and healing springs. Klínovec Mountain is the highest peak (4,081 ft / 1,244 m). Important cities are located at the mountain base along the entire mountain chain. The

6 Regional Capital Cities of Ústí nad Labem and Karlovy Vary are the most important ones. The border ridge of Ore Mountains steeply falls onto the Czech side. You can find a number of historical sights and historical town reserves here, together with beautiful nature. The mountains are an ideal place to go hiking in summer or skiing in winter. The ski resort Klínovec is the biggest ski resort of Krušné hory. There are 5,5 km of ski slopes of many levels of difficultness. Prague Karlovy Vary is located 120 km of Prague (the country's capital) and can be easily accessed by frequent buses (every 30 or 60 min). The journey takes 2 hours. The price of one way ticket to Prague is 140 CZK, the bus goes to Dejvická street and also stops at Prague airport and at Florenc (main Prague coach station in town centre). Both stations (Dejvicka and Florenc) are easily reached by underground lines which lead to the town centre. Distance in km to other towns/places in the Czech Republic or close Germany: Klínovec ski slopes 32 km, Loket castle 15 km, town Sokolov 22 km, town Cheb 46 km, Františkovy Lázně Spa town worth seeing 48 km, town Plzeň Pilsen Wattsenglish school 74 km, German town Nürnberg 189 km, German town Regensburg 180 km, German town München 300 km