After the Drei-Talsperren-Marathon: Karlovy Vary
The Route: Eibenstock → (Czech border crossing) → Karlovy Vary Logistics: Road or rail connection crossing into the Czech Republic; check current cross-border timetables and any documentation requirements before travelling, since schedules and services can change. Marathon Month: September Duration: 4 nights
Eibenstock ──(road/rail, ~1.5-2.5 hrs, crossing into Czech Republic)──> Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary, known to generations of English-speaking visitors as Carlsbad, sits close enough to the Erzgebirge's southern edge that a longer post-marathon extension across the Czech border is genuinely practical rather than a stretch. Its identity as a nineteenth-century grand spa town, one of several "Great Spa Towns of Europe" recognised together by UNESCO, means its entire old town is built around gentle, flat colonnade walks between mineral springs, about as recovery-friendly a city as exists in this part of Europe.
September in Karlovy Vary sits toward the end of the town's peak season, with mild, often warm days and the spa town's famous thermal springs steaming gently in the cooler mornings, a genuinely pleasant contrast to the Erzgebirge's mountain conditions.
Days One and Two: The colonnades and the springs
The Mlýnská Kolonáda (Mill Colonnade), a long, covered neoclassical arcade along the Teplá river, is entirely flat and covers several of the town's mineral springs under one roof, an easy first walk regardless of how the legs feel after four days of travel and racing. Drinking the spa water directly from the springs, using the distinctive spouted cups sold throughout the old town, is the town's signature low-effort activity, requiring nothing more than a short, level walk between colonnades.
For a slightly more active day, the Diana Lookout Tower, reached by a funicular railway rather than a climb, offers views over the town and the surrounding forested hills; the funicular does the climbing, leaving only a short, flat walk to the viewing platform itself.
Where to stay: the Grandhotel Pupp, the town's most storied hotel and a genuine grand-spa-era landmark, anchors one end of the colonnade walk. The more moderately priced Hotel Dvořák, a short walk away, offers similar central access without the flagship price tag.
Days Three and Four: Moser glassworks and Loket
The Moser Glassworks, on the edge of town, offers a guided tour of the traditional Bohemian crystal-making process, mostly standing and viewing rather than walking, a good option for a day when the legs still prefer less activity. A half-day trip to Loket, a small town built around a dramatic river bend and a hilltop castle a short bus ride away, rewards a slightly more active day once the legs have properly recovered, with the castle itself reached by a modest, manageable climb.
Where to eat: Grandrestaurant Pupp, within the Grandhotel Pupp, serves refined Czech and international cuisine in a genuinely grand historic dining room, a fitting way to mark the end of a longer trip. For something simpler, a Czech-style goulash with bread dumplings at one of the old town's traditional restaurants suits an easier evening.
Getting Home
Karlovy Vary Airport (KLV) offers limited seasonal routes and should not be assumed to have a suitable flight home; Prague Airport (PRG), roughly 2 hours away by direct bus or shuttle, offers considerably more international connections and is the more realistic departure point for most UK travellers ending their trip here.