Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
a good place to start: pick up a free map and get your bearings. If you do decide
to spend the night, the centre can advise on accommodations (and spa treat-
ments).
Like its two big-brother spas, Františkovy Lázně is rather short on must-sees.
The biggest attraction is simply to stroll the main drag, Národní, admiring the im-
possibly cute spa architecture and stopping for coffee or cake every couple of
hours or so. The key sights are the
Church of the Ascension of the Cross
(kostel Povýšení sv Kříže) on Ruská, and the town's central spring, the
Františkův pramen
, at the southern end of Národní. To get a better under-
standing of the spa's history, drop by the
City Museum
(Městské muzeum; 354
Tue-Sun)
. You can also hire a boat at the small pond, the
Rybník Amerika
,
about 2km from the city centre.
For a good meal, try
Restaurant Goethe
( 354 500 146;
www.franzensbad-casino.com
;
Národní 1; mains 150-300Kc; 11.30am-2.30pm &
6pm-11pm, cafe 9am-7pm)
for well-prepared international dishes served by waiters
decked-out in period-piece garb.
There are plenty of hotels in town. One we like is
Hotel Kammený Dům
(
town where the cavalcade of yellow-painted heritage facades almost hurts your
eyes, this place stands out with a more modern ambience, and spacious, con-
temporary rooms in a central location. Golf and spa packages can both be ar-
ranged.
You can get to Františkovy Lázně by bus or train from Plzeň or Mariánské
Lázně. From the latter, the trip takes around an hour. Alternatively, the largish
city of Cheb is just 30 minutes away by bus: from here you can catch regular
trains back to Prague.
