Teplice, officially Lázně Teplice v Čechách, is the oldest spa town in the Czech Republic, at the foot of the Ore Mountains in northern Bohemia. Tradition holds that the healing springs have been used here since 762, and finds of Celtic and Roman coins point to settlement as early as prehistory. The thermal water rises from the Pravřídlo spring at a temperature of around forty degrees and is used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system and in recovery after injuries and operations. The spa tradition has been shaped by visits from Goethe and Beethoven, who met here in 1812, and from Emperor Franz Joseph. Today Teplice is a town with a chateau, parks, a theatre and renowned spa houses that can be visited for a weekend and not only for a two- to three-week cure. From Prague it is about an hour by car on the D8 motorway and a little longer by train, so it is easy to reach. Nearby are the Ore Mountains with skiing and lookout towers, the České středohoří hills with Milešovka and Dresden an hour away. Teplice is cheapest in the off-season.
The places worth your time in Teplice, and what to expect at each
centre
The oldest and best-known spring in the town, from which water flows at around forty degrees. It lies in the spa park, which is the green heart of Teplice and offers calm walks. The water is used in treatment and can be tasted from the colonnade.
Tip: A drinking cure is worth doing only after consulting a doctor. In the park you find benches and cafés; the best time to stroll is in the morning, when it is quiet.
centre
A historic spa building named after Emperor Franz Joseph I, built in the nineteenth century, which today offers wellness and medical treatments. It is a symbol of Teplice's spa tradition. The building is ornate and a visit includes time in the pools and massages.
Tip: Appointments for spa treatments are booked in advance, and in season it is often full. For a day visit a wellness package is worthwhile.
centre
A spa house named after the composer who stayed in Teplice, and which now holds the Thermalia complex of thermal pools with whirlpools and saunas. The water is natural thermal at around thirty-five degrees. It is the best place to rest after a walk.
Tip: In the afternoon and at weekends it is often full, so come early in the morning or in the evening. Bring swimwear, a towel and your own drink.
Castle Square
A chateau on Castle Square in the centre, which belonged to the Clary-Aldringen family and today houses the Regional Museum in Teplice with displays on the history of the town and spas. It was originally a Renaissance building, rebuilt in the Baroque after a fire. Beside it stands a Baroque plague column by Matthias Bernard Braun.
Tip: The museum is calm and suits a rainy day. Castle Square is good for photographs in the morning.
centre
The main square of the spa town, where a Baroque plague column by Matthias Bernard Braun from the eighteenth century stands. It is surrounded by historic buildings, cafés and restaurants. It is the best place to rest after a tour of the chateau.
Tip: In the evening the square is lit and calm. The cafés on the square are pricey, so try the side streets.
centre
A theatre from the 1920s in a style between Art Nouveau and modernism, which stages drama, opera and concerts. It is the most important cultural stage of the region and the building is itself a landmark. While in the spa it is worth looking at the programme.
Tip: Buy tickets for evening performances in advance. Tours of the building are rare, so ask at the information centre.
Teplice
A botanical garden with glasshouses of tropical and subtropical plants and an outdoor display of rock gardens. It is a pleasant place in winter and summer, as the glasshouses are heated. The garden is small, but in the glasshouse you find plants from around the world.
Tip: The entry is low and it suits an hour's rest between treatments. The best time is the afternoon, when the glasshouse is warmer.
above the town
A hill above the town with the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the ruin of a medieval castle, with a view over Teplice and the Bílina valley. The way up runs through woods and takes half an hour, and at the top there is a restaurant. It is the best place for a walk near the town.
Tip: Set off early in the morning, when the forest is calm and the view clear. Footwear should be sturdier, as the path is stony in places.
Teplice
A modern pool centre with a swimming pool, a water slide, a children's corner and saunas. It suits families with children and those who do not have enough time for the spa. It is open all year from morning to evening.
Tip: A ticket is paid per two to three hours. On Saturday afternoon it is full, so come in the morning.
Photos: The Pravřídlo Spring and the Spa Park — Sokoljan (CC BY-SA 3.0) · The Imperial Baths — VitVit (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Teplice Chateau — VitVit (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Castle Square and the Plague Column — Txllxt TxllxT (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Krušnohorské Theatre — VitVit (CC BY-SA 4.0) · The Botanical Garden — ŠJů (cs:ŠJů) (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Doubravská hora — Czech Wikipedia user Packa (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Aquacentrum Teplice — Takmocsekretovanej! (CC0)
Areas and districts, matched to the kind of trip you are taking
Best for: spas, parks and the theatre
The area around the spa park and Castle Square, where the spa houses, hotels and restaurants stand. Everything is walkable and treatments are a few steps from your room. The best choice for a cure.
Best for: calm and greenery
A quiet district at the foot of the hill with villas and smaller hotels. It has greenery, quiet streets and views. A good choice for a longer stay.
Best for: nature and hiking
The edge of town by the forest and hill, with guesthouse accommodation. It is calm with access to trails, but you take a bus to the centre. Suits hikers and walkers.
Best for: mountain accommodation
A small town at the foot of the mountains about eight kilometres from Teplice with guesthouses and hotels and closer access to skiing and trails. Prices are lower and the setting calmer. Suits a combination of spa and mountains.
Teplice lies on the D8 motorway from Prague to Dresden, about a hundred kilometres from Prague, an hour by car. A train from Prague takes an hour and a half to two hours with a change at Ústí nad Labem, and Flixbus and RegioJet buses run several times a day. The nearest airports are Prague (PRG), a hundred kilometres away, and Dresden (DRS), eighty.
Prague – Václav Havel Airport (PRG) · 100 km
Dresden Airport (DRS) · 80 km
The centre of Teplice and the spa houses can be covered on foot. Between districts city buses and trolleybuses run, and the spa loop is short. For trips use a car or the train from the main station. Parking in the centre is paid and full in season.
Useful apps: Google Maps, IDOS, Mapy.cz, Bolt
Teplice has a mild climate with a warm summer and a cool winter. In July it is around twenty-five degrees and in winter around freezing. The spas run all year; the most pleasant time is May to September, when the parks are open, and late winter for those who want spa with skiing in the mountains. Prices are lowest out of season.
Best time
May to September
What to avoid
January and February (cold)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | 2° | 4° | 9° | 14° | 19° | 22° | 25° | 25° | 20° | 14° | 7° | 3° |
| Night | -4° | -4° | -1° | 3° | 8° | 11° | 13° | 13° | 9° | 5° | 1° | -2° |
| Rainy days | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 |
Food in Teplice is Czech and spa-style: diet dishes, fish, vegetable soups and spa wafers. On a cure full board is served and restaurants also have light menus.
Spa wafers
Thin round wafers with a nut or chocolate filling, a symbol of the Czech spas. In Teplice they are sold at the colonnade and in cake shops.
Svíčková na smetaně
Beef sirloin in a vegetable cream sauce with a dumpling and cranberries. The most popular Czech Sunday dish.
Chicken broth with noodles
A light soup of chicken, carrot and vegetables with home-made noodles. The basis of diet meals.
Trout in butter
Fresh trout from spa streams, fried in butter and served with potatoes. A lighter choice for lunch.
Bramboráky
Fried potato pancakes with garlic and marjoram. A hot meal at reasonable prices.
Beer and wine from Bohemia
Ústí region breweries and wine from Litoměřice and Mělník. A half-litre costs sixty to eighty crowns.
Fruit dumplings
Plum or apricot dumplings with curd cheese and butter. A sweet main course eaten in summer.
A half-litre of beer
CZK 60–80
Lunch in a restaurant
CZK 180–280
Spa wafers
CZK 50–80
Thermalia (entry)
CZK 300
Aquacentrum
CZK 150
Massage (30 min)
CZK 500–700
Spa stay (night with treatments)
CZK 2,000–3,500
Train from Prague
CZK 150
Indicative prices that change over time — treat them as a guide, not a price list.
1 day
2 days
3 days
Duchcov
10 km · 15 min by car
A Baroque town with a chateau where Giacomo Casanova lived and died as librarian to the Count of Waldstein. The chateau has an exhibition on his life and a lapidarium. It suits a half-day trip.
Milešovka
25 km · 40 min by car
The highest mountain of the České středohoří at 837 metres, with a meteorological observatory. In good weather the view reaches the Giant Mountains and the Alps. From the car park it is a quarter-hour walk.
Dresden
70 km · 1 hr by car or 1 hr 30 min by train
The capital of Saxony with the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the Semper Opera, an hour away by the D8. It is a good full-day trip and in December the Christmas markets are held here.
Yes, the spa houses and wellness can be visited even for a single day. A weekend takes in the spa, the chateau and a walk up Doubravská hora. Book wellness in advance.
By car on the D8 motorway towards Dresden in about an hour. By train with a change at Ústí nad Labem or by RegioJet and Flixbus bus in an hour and a half to two hours. The bus is cheapest.
Mainly the musculoskeletal system: back and joint pain, recovery after injuries and operations, and neurological complaints. The water from the Pravřídlo spring is warm at around forty degrees. Treatment is recommended as part of a cure with a doctor.
For comprehensive spa care paid by insurance, yes, as a doctor recommends it. For wellness and baths no recommendation is needed. You can choose a stay as a weekend or a week's cure.
May to September, when the parks are open and there is space for walks. The spas run all year and are cheapest off-season. In winter a combination with the Ore Mountains suits.
A weekend stay with treatments costs roughly two to three and a half thousand crowns per night per person. Wellness and individual treatments are paid separately. Prices vary by hotel and season.
Duchcov with Casanova's chateau, Milešovka with its view and Dresden. The Ore Mountains are ten minutes by car. A train or a car suits for trips.
Yes, the Aquacentrum and the botanical garden are for children. Spa houses have kids' corners, but some treatments are for adults only. A trip up Doubravská hora also suits children.
Check the latest visa requirements for entering this country. Some nationalities may need to apply for a visa or e-visa before travel.
Check visa requirementsLanguage
Czech
Currency
CZK
Timezone
Europe/Prague
Dial Code
+420
Population
10.8M
Area
78,867 km²
Voltage
230V / 50Hz
Driving Side
Right
