No car? No problem
Most spa guests arrive in Marienbad by train — and many then gaze wistfully at the map, assuming the surroundings are out of reach without a car. Quite the opposite. The station sits on the main line between Cheb and Plzeň, a second railway winds through the picturesque Teplá valley towards Karlovy Vary, and the loveliest destinations around town are walkable straight from the colonnade. Here are five proven tips.
1. Chodovar Brewery — one stop by train
Getting there: train, about 7 minutes | Time on site: 1.5–3 hours
The shortest day trip imaginable: a single stop on the local train to Chodová Planá. The family-run Chodovar brewery has been making beer here since 1573; it matures in cellars hewn into granite, and the Ve Skále restaurant serves lunch right underground. If you fancy a different kind of cure, treat yourself to a soak in a genuine beer spa.
2. Bečov nad Teplou — the Reliquary of St Maurus
Getting there: train, about 40 minutes | Time on site: 2–3 hours
The railway from Marienbad to Karlovy Vary is one of the most scenic in Bohemia, following the deep Teplá valley through forests no road reaches. Get off at Bečov: above the little town rises a medieval castle and Renaissance chateau housing the Reliquary of St Maurus — the country's most precious goldsmith work after the crown jewels. The story of its rediscovery beneath a chapel floor in 1985 is a detective tale in itself.
3. Cheb — a thousand years of history by direct train
Getting there: train, about 30 minutes | Time on site: 2–4 hours
A direct train takes you in half an hour to the town where Wallenstein was assassinated and where the unique timbered Špalíček houses still stand. The imperial castle hides a rare Romanesque double chapel, the museum on the square tells the Wallenstein story, and the old town's lanes are full of good places to eat. Museums and cafés work in winter and rain alike.
4. Plzeň — the city of beer
Getting there: train, about 1 hour | Time on site: a full day
In the other direction, a direct train runs to Plzeň, where Pilsner lager was born in 1842. The brewery tour with a tasting of unfiltered lager in the cellars delights even teetotallers, St Bartholomew's Cathedral has the tallest church spire in Bohemia, and the market square is among the largest in the country. The ideal full-day trip when the weather rules out walks.
5. Hamelika Lookout Tower — on foot from the colonnade
Getting there: on foot, about 40 minutes uphill | Time: 1.5–2.5 hours round trip
The finest car-free outing starts a few steps from the colonnade. Forest paths climb to Hamelika hill, crowned since 1876 by a stone lookout tower with views over the rooftops of Marienbad and the ridges of the Slavkov Forest. On the way back, stop at one of the forest cafés — and if you feel like more, walk on to the freely bubbling Farská kyselka spring.
Practical notes
Tickets for all these routes are sold at the station or in the Czech Railways app, and trains run at regular intervals. For the complete overview of all 48 destinations — including the "No car needed" filter — see our day-trips catalogue.
Cover photo: Lucie Krotilova, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
