AT the Malvern Spa Association event on November 15 in the Guesten Room, MSA Chairman Dr John Harcup delighted a capacity audience with his recollections (and photos) of a visit last April by a group of Malvernians, to Marianske Lazne which, with the towns of Frantiskove Lazne and Karlovy Vary, form the Bohemian Spa Triangle in the Czech Republic. Mineral-rich springs which abound within the towns and surrounding areas have long been, and still are, used for healing.

The visit, which took place in bright Spring sunshine, was arranged by Malvern Civic Society members to explore the possibility of a Community Partnership initiative (once called twinning) between Malvern and Marianske Lazne, two Spa Towns sharing similarities of history, environment, development and aspiration.

Marianske Lazne is now a Garden City and World Heritage Site, with elegant buildings, colonnades and promenades which mark the Spa Town visited by Goethe, Mark Twain, Freud, Kafka, Chopin and Mahler among others. King Edward VII of England was a regular visitor, and opened the Royal Golf Club in 1905. The Spa Town, on the site of a 12th Century abbey, boasts 43 springs, seven being prescribed still for medicinal use while others are used for bathing. Some 100 springs are also found in the near vicinity.

The group was based at the Reitenberger Hotel, in the old Spa Town, which is linked to the Spa House (1808) by a spectacular colonnade (one of several) of glass and cast iron, where members of the party sampled some of the many spa treatments available. The medicinal waters (prescribed by a resident doctor) were drunk from a special flask to avoid the dissolved minerals water contacting the teeth – not advisable, it seems.

A visit to the Museum was essential fare, as were visits to the grand period interiors of the Casino and the Concert Hall, with chandeliers and cool white vaulted ceilings. At the Concert Hall the (very tall) Conductor mentioned that, although the orchestra loved to play the music of Elgar, scores and parts were very difficult to obtain; this information was noted and it may be possible to help with the problem.

The nearby Tepla Monastery was visited and the expectation of impressiveness was fully met. Founded in 1193, the monastery has a fascinating history, with art, education and science surfacing in later centuries. The first use of the springs at Marianske was initiated by Abbot Pfrogner, their fame growing through the reign of Abbot Reitenberger. The Monastery library contains 100,000 books and some 1,000 manuscripts.

Frantiskovy Lazne is the smallest of the spa towns, founded in 1793, it maintains it’s early 20th Century atmosphere. The Frantisk spring was in use by the sick in the 15th Century, and 12 of the 24 mineral springs are still used for various therapeutic purposes, among them gynaecological problems and infertility; the nearby bronze statue of a small child gleams gold where the patina is worn away by many fingers stroking, in hope of a boy- or girl-child.

Another popular visit was to Pilsen, founded by Good King Wenceslas II in 1295. He granted Brewing Rights to 257 houses to make beer for the town, which lasted until 1845 when the town built it’s own brewery to provide drinkable lager beer. Now, Pilsen is the home of Pilsner Lager, made from local hops and spring water. The Pilsner brewery is truly huge, with the production line being a spacious forest of vast copper vats and pipework; the white-painted cellars run for miles, but despite some concern, no-one managed to get lost – however, John made no mention of just how long the visit lasted.

Becov, the town - and castle - also merited a visit. Becov Castle is a well preserved medieval manor. Originally built as a castle almost 800 years ago to protect trade routes, it’s now protected by Heritage status. The last family to own the castle actively supported the Nazis and after WWII they fled the castle forever. More recently, a valuable Reliquary (12th Century) was found where the family had buried it beneath the chapel floor; worked with silver and gold on wood, it was broken into several hundred pieces, but after restoration can now be seen by visitors, but only behind locked doors, with no photography permitted.

Royal’Loket is a very old town, with a castle founded by Czech kings 800 years ago. Visitor attractions include a Ceramics Museum in which John Harcup particularly noticed one small piece of white ceramic which beautifully represented (in three dimensions) the well-known caricature ridiculing Charles Darwin’s theories, and showing him as part monkey.

Karlovy Vary is the largest of the three spa towns, dating from 1350, and boasting Art Deco and Baroque architecture, plus five impressive colonnades covering numerous hot springs, on of which is a 14 metre fountain producing 2000 litres of water (at 73.4C) per minute. The 12 hot mineral springs used for therapy require a doctor’s prescription for treatment of (mainly) intestinal disorders.

Whilst touring the Moser Glass Factory, one group discovered that prices for the (much admired) pieces on display began at £1000, so no souvenir glassware arrived back to Malvern!

The end of the visit was marked by a farewell meeting with the Mayor of Marianske Lazne and the manager of the local Spa Association. By coincidence, a reciprocal visit by a small party from Marianske Lazne took place on November 18. Sadly, the weather was grey and foggy and the Hills remained hidden, but – as with earlier meetings in April, the handshake of Friendship was firmly given, and received.

JAN BOWDEN.