A spa town with kids? Absolutely
Marienbad is not just for grown-ups on a cure. The surroundings offer outings where children aren't bored for a minute — while parents enjoy the Slavkov Forest scenery and a slice of history. Five destinations that work reliably; four of them even with a stroller.
1. Boheminium Park — Bohemia in your pocket
Getting there: on foot through the forest or by tourist train | Time on site: 1.5–2.5 hours
Karlštejn, Ještěd and the Pravčická Arch in a single afternoon? In the miniature park above Marienbad, dozens of the most famous Czech landmarks stand at 1:25 scale, detailed down to tiny window shutters. Kids dash from model to model, parents take photos — and when energy runs low, there's a bistro on hand. Open year-round.
2. Bärnau History Park — the Middle Ages, hands on
By car: 35 minutes | Time on site: 2–4 hours
Just across the Bavarian border lies Germany's largest archaeological open-air museum: an entire medieval village with Slavic pit-houses, a motte-and-bailey tower and craftspeople in period dress. Here you may enter the houses and touch things, and on weekends there's often bread baking or iron forging. History lessons children remember far better than school.
3. Svatoš Rocks — the petrified wedding
By car: 45 minutes | Time on site: 2–3 hours
Legend says a water spirit turned an entire wedding procession to stone — and the granite towers above the Ohře still bear names like the Groom, the Bride and the Witnesses. The level riverside path is perfect for strollers and balance bikes, a swaying footbridge crosses the river, and a restaurant right beneath the rocks pours lemonade. In summer you can even raft here from Karlovy Vary.
4. Soos — walking the floor of a prehistoric lake
By car: 45 minutes | Time on site: 1–2 hours
The Soos reserve has rightly earned the nickname "Bohemian Yellowstone": boardwalks lead through a landscape of mud volcanoes, hissing mofettes and mineral crusts shimmering in every colour. Children are thrilled that the ground beneath them literally bubbles. There's a small exhibition with dinosaur models too — and seven minutes away, Vildštejn Castle serves lunch in its castle tavern.
5. Kladská — a peat bog without the mud
By car: 20 minutes | Time on site: 1–2 hours
The most relaxed trip to finish: wooden boardwalks circle a lake amid the upland bogs of the Slavkov Forest, squirrels dart about, and the picturesque hunting lodge serves pancakes. The circuit is level, stroller-friendly and lovely in every season — in autumn the bog turns deep red.
Tips for parents
Boheminium and Kladská are open year-round; Bärnau's season runs from spring to autumn. Pack spare shoes for Soos and the Svatoš Rocks — the temptation to step into the water is strong. Find more family destinations under the "Stroller-friendly" filter in our day-trips catalogue.
Cover photo: Klaus Schicker, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
