Marianske Lazne (Marienbad)
Relatively young spa city Marianske Lazne was founded in the beginning of previous century in the valley where many healing springs rise from the earth. But the springs were known to the local population already in 13 century and were tested for the salt content in 1528 by the order of Ferdinand V. As long as at the end of 18th century the doctor of monastery Tepla Dr. Jan Nehr started systematic exploring of its healing effects. He built the first brick building called Zlata koule (At The Golden Ball) by Krizik spring for spa guests.
Torrent of the spa guests soon caused fast building development. In the surroundings of the Tepla monastery a settlement called Marianske Lazne was found and declared as Public spa in 1818. Name of Marianske Lazne is driven from the painting of Virgin Mary, which was hung up at Krizovy spring. The beginning of 20th century came with great development of this new place. Based on financial help of abbot Karel Kaspar Reitenberger a gardener Mr. V. Skalnik, an architect Mr. Jiri Fischer and a builder Mr. Anton Turner built up a picturesque park town with classicist, empirical houses, pavilions and colonnades from inhospitable, marshy valley in-between 1817 and 1823. Genial space layout of the town created by Mr. Skalnik is mostly preserved till today. A lot of important persons from cultural, scientific, and political quarters had visited the town – Johann Wolfgang Goethe, prince Friedrich the Sachs, count Kaspar Stenberk, Jons, Jakob Berzelius, Vaclav Jan Tomasek, Marie Szymanowsk…
Golden age of Mariaske Lazne between 1870 – 1914 is reminded by numerous historical, late 19th century decorative style rebuilding and building of new spa houses, hotels, colonnades and churches, made by architects as Friedrich Zickler, Josef Schaffer, Arnold Heyman a Josef Forberich. Parks were widened and new romantic observation points were built up. In 1872 the city gained a railway connection to Cheb, Wien, and Prague through Plzen and in 1898 with Karlovy Vary. In this very time the most reputable guests came to the city: G. Mahler, F. Nietzsche, F. Kafka, R. Kipling, M. Twain, T. A. Edison, P. de Coubertin, English king Edward the VII., Russian tsar Nicolas the 2nd, the Emperor Francis Joseph the 2nd ...
Agile spa rush was not cooling down even in the first half of last century; and reputable guests were still coming. Between others for example: T. G. Masaryk, E. Benes,… In 1972 building of the airport in close Sklare village widened the connection to the world.
During the 2nd world war Marianske Lazne was military hospital city. After the end of it the further development is connected with the foundation of housing estates and relaxation complexes. In 1952 a new ecological trolley bus transport system was introduced. Nevertheless the city preserves its specific spa and tourist character. Around 40.000 tourists come during the summer seasons.
Lately a lot of house valuable from architectural and historical view were declared as historical monumental objects: Orthodox church of St. Vladimir with a unique majolica altar, House with the golden grape (current Town museum) from 1818, Anglican church (1879), house White swan (current Chopin), roman-catholic Virgin Mary Assumption (1848), evangelic church, colonnade with Krizovy spring pavilion, colonnade of Ferdinand springs, buildings of Central spa, New spa, and public house Casino (Josef Schaffer, between 1887 – 1910) and many more. Spa centre of the city is declared as historical monumental protected zone.
