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Region of Karlovy Vary – Famous Spa Region

The Region of Karlovy Vary, which is located in the west of the CR, is mainly famous for its spas. The region has a wealth of curative springs and natural spring waters, the most famous of which is Mattoni.

The very famous spa wafers, a symbol of the spa business, have become the favourite sweet delicacy not only for the locals but mainly for spa patients from around the whole world. Besides that, the town of Karlovy Vary has also gained fame for its herbal liquor, Becherovka, and for the craft of the glass-makers from the Moser company. The town of Chodov has become famous for its pink porcelain, which is exported all over the world. Culture is represented by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which offers meetings of domestic and foreign entities concerned with the film industry.

The region is formed by three districts – Cheb, Karlovy Vary and Sokolov. Land area of 3 314 sq. km makes the region one of the smallest regions in the country – it takes up only 4.2% of the CR’s territory. The Region of Karlovy Vary has 310 245 inhabitants and the second highest percentage of foreigners of all Czech regions. The overall number of foreigners was 22 164 in 2011 at the time of the Population and Housing Census. The statisticians determined that the number of foreigners has more than doubled in the last ten years.

Statistical Data

Source: Czech Statistical Office

Economic Potential

The region’s economic structure is very diverse. Many of the represented industries are traditional to the Karlovy Vary region (production of porcelain, glass and ceramics, textile and clothing industries, production of food and drinks, engineering and metalworking, chemical industry, mining of mineral materials, spas). The Region of Karlovy Vary is mainly known for its spas. When it comes to the spa industry, the region has the greatest concentration, capacities and potential in the Czech Republic. The region is home to the most famous and largest spa in the Czech Republic, Karlovy Vary, as well as Mariánské Lázně (second largest), Františkovy Lázně (fourth largest), Lázně Kynžvart and Jáchymov.

As has been said, the Region of Karlovy Vary is also famous for its long and rich industrial tradition, which is evidenced by, among other things, mining of various mineral deposits (e.g. tin, silver, kaolin, brown coal), which has been going on since the Middle Ages. Other evidence includes the oldest porcelain factory in Bohemia, which was founded in 1792, and chemical and textile productions, which were established in the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The most recognized traditional industrial area in the Karlovy Vary region is the district of Sokolov with its traditional industries: chemical, engineering, textile and clothing, production of glass and porcelain, power engineering, mining of mineral materials (mainly brown coal), and production of construction materials. However, the district of Sokolov has been going through a gradual economic restructuring towards new industries (such as electrical engineering and electronics), gentle use of energy sources, and greater emphasis on tourist trade, sports and free-time activities of both the region’s inhabitants and visitors.

This transformation of the Sokolov district is demonstrated by the many extensive and positive changes that have taken place and by landscape reclamation that aims to mitigate the consequences of brown-coal mining in locations where the deposits had been exhausted (the activities include re-cultivation and revitalization of the landscape by creating lakes with surface areas of tens or hundreds of hectares, by building golf courses, parks, residential areas, and areas for cultural or new business activities).

The manufacturing industry also has a long tradition in the Ostrov area (engineering, electrical engineering and wood-processing industries), in the Cheb district (engineering industry, manufacture of musical instruments, manufacture of construction and ceramic materials), in the Aš district (textile, clothing, engineering industries) and in the Kraslice area (manufacture of musical instruments, engineering industry, textile industry). The districts of Cheb and Aš now also host other developing industries, such as the plastic processing industry, and the Ostrov area now has the electronics industry.

The location of the region in central Europe, bordering Germany, its inner potential, natural and cultural conditions and the historical tradition of the entire area are preconditions for the successful future development of the whole region.

An important investment project, the construction of the Science and Technology Park, is now being prepared. The project will be realized by the Region of Karlovy Vary and co-financed from the Operational Programme Enterprises and Innovations, i.e. with the support of European funds. The park’s buildings will be located in Karlovy Vary on the premises of the former military barracks. The innovation infrastructure of the new park will supplement the Technopark in Velké Hleďsebi in the south of the region. The existing science and technology park also draws on funds from the Operational Programme Enterprises and Innovations. The new park will specialize in new materials that use inorganic colloid particles. The park is expected to open in 2014.

Tourist Trade

Tourist trade is one of the region’s most important industries. It was primarily the spa industry that has made the region a target destination for visitors from the Czech Republic and abroad. In relation to the spa-related tourism, the Karlovy Vary region offers a sufficient range of cultural facilities and monument reserves. These offerings are supplemented by a selection of spa symphonic orchestras and by several festivals, the most famous of which is the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The festival offers interesting meetings betweendomestic and foreign entities concerned with the film industry. It took place for the 47th time already in 2012. Other cultural and sporting events include, for example, the Loket Cultural Summer, the Chopin Festival in Mariánské Lázně and the Canoe Mattoni.

Musical instruments of popular brands, Amati and Strunal, are manufactured in the district of Cheb and in the Kraslice area. There are several smaller yet successful manufacturers as well. The spa industry accounts for a significant share of the region’s incoming tourism, which uses an extensive and quality network of various accommodation and catering facilities of all categories. The Region of Karlovy Vary is the second most visited region in the Czech Republic after Prague when comparing the number of nights spent and the fifth when comparing the number of visitors. Fans of sporting activities will also find a number of opportunities in the region (bicycle tracks, mountain-bike routes, boating, golf, bathing, mountain and walking trips, horse-riding, rock-climbing etc.).

Districts:

Cheb District

The district of Cheb is the westernmost district of the Czech Republic. The most important mineraldeposits are early-quaternary coal, kaolin, brick clays, granite, basalt and gravel sands. Mineral curative springs are very important because of their numbers and composition. There are 40 alkaline-saline springs in the Mariánské Lázně area and 24 mineral springs in Františkovy Lázně. The district of Cheb has five national natural monuments and two national natural reserves.

Karlovy Vary District

The district’s dominant feature is, without a doubt, the regional town of Karlovy Vary, a popular tourism and spa destination. Tourists who do not come for the spa services may take part in the wide range of sports and cultural activities on offer in Karlovy Vary. Sports activities include, for example, horse racing, golf tournaments, wildwater world cup, triathlon and many other events. The district has important deposits of kaolin, which is the basic raw material for the production of porcelain. Other materials mined or produced in the district include stone, sand, bentonite and wood mass. Economic characterization of the district is industrial-agricultural with an important share of the spa industry and the tourist trade. The rise and development of industry was linked to the mining of mineral materials in the Ore Mountains and to the use of other natural resources. There is a long tradition of porcelain and glass production, as well as production of yarn, mineral waters and liquors.

Sokolov District

The district has always been known for its natural wealth of raw materials. The rich deposits of precious and utility ores were used as far back as the Middle Ages. Today, the mining of brown coal in the Sokolov Basin is the most important activity, which makes the district one of the leading industrial centres. The district of Sokolov as a whole is a highly industrial  area. The fuel industry is the most represented branch of industry. The district also has the following industries: engineering, chemical, textile and glass-making, ceramics and porcelain. Conversely, agriculture does not play an important role in the Sokolov district. More than a half of the district’s surface area is forest land.

Useful contacts:

Karlovy Vary Regional Authority, www.kr-karlovarsky.cz

Regional Chamber of Commerce for the Poohří Area, www.rhkpoohri.cz

Internet portal for investors in the Region of Karlovy Vary, www.karlovyvary-region.eu

District Chamber of Commerce in Cheb – support for entrepreneurial activities, www.ohkcheb.cz

City Authority of Karlovy Vary, www.mmkv.cz