5 Years World-Class
The Great Spa Towns of Europe celebrate five years on the UNESCO list.
On 24 July 2021, Mariánské Lázně — together with Karlovy Vary and Františkovy Lázně — became part of UNESCO World Heritage. In September 2026 the whole region celebrates with a three-day programme, and it opens right here.
What we are actually celebrating
At the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee in Fuzhou on 24 July 2021, The Great Spa Towns of Europe were inscribed on the UNESCO list — 11 towns in 7 countries that together tell the story of European spa culture.
Three of those towns lie in the Karlovy Vary Region: Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně. No other region in the world has such a dense spa triangle on the list.
For Mariánské Lázně the inscription confirmed what guests have felt here for two hundred years: the colonnade, the springs, the parks and the therapeutic landscape around the town form an ensemble of world importance — and the town cares for it as one.
Three days, three towns
The Karlovy Vary Region celebrates from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September 2026 — each day in a different town. Mariánské Lázně opens the festivities.
Friday 11 Sept
Mariánské Lázně
- Heritage Forum conference (9:00–15:00)
- Launch of the Great Spa Times newspaper (18:00)
- Opening celebration (19:00–21:00)
Saturday 12 Sept
Karlovy Vary
- All-day forum in the UNESCO park
- Concert at the Imperial Spa (18:00)
- VARY°ZÁŘÍ evening programme
Sunday 13 Sept
Františkovy Lázně
- Landmark tours
- Youth forum presentations
- Lecture on railway history
The detailed, continuously updated programme is on the regional website.
Full programme at kr-karlovarsky.czAnd September has more in store
The anniversary meets the richest cultural week of the autumn:
- European Heritage Days (7–20 Sept) — a rare chance to see the town from the inside
- Chopin House and the Anglican Chapel open to visitors (12 Sept)
- Closing colonnade concert of the 2026 season (12 Sept)
- Autumn programme of the Municipal Theatre — operetta, drama and concerts
Why Mariánské Lázně is on the list
We have covered the landscape, the architecture and the story behind the inscription in depth — from the value of the "therapeutic landscape" to the individual buildings.
Celebrate with us where it happens
The opening of the celebrations takes place a few steps from our hotels. Combine a September stay with a programme that comes around once every five years.
