Drinking Cure in Marienbad — A Guide to the Mineral Springs

What the drinking cure is and why Marienbad

The drinking cure is one of the oldest forms of spa treatment. The principle is simple: the patient drinks mineral water from the springs prescribed by the spa physician, in a set quantity, at set times and at a set temperature, usually while walking slowly. A seemingly simple activity — but one with its own rules, and one in which little has changed in two centuries.

Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad) is exceptional for the drinking cure for one fundamental reason: more than 40 mineral springs rise within the town, each with a different chemical composition. On such a small area that is a rare diversity. While many spa towns have one or two types of mineral water at their disposal, here the spa physician can compose a drinking regimen according to the diagnosis — by combining different springs over the course of the day.

The tradition of the drinking cure in Marienbad reaches back to the late 18th century, when the Teplá monastery physician Josef Johann Nehr began using the Cross Spring systematically for treatment. Since then, treatment with mineral water has developed without interruption, and in 2021 the local spa culture became part of the town's inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The main springs and their traditional use

Each spring has a different composition and therefore a different role in the drinking cure. The overview below says what each spring contains and what it is traditionally used for in Marienbad. It is not a guide to choosing: which spring you drink, and how much, is decided by the spa physician after the initial examination. The conditions for which the drinking cure is used in Marienbad, and what has been documented, are summarised on the Mineral springs and the drinking cure page; practical cards with locations and opening hours are in the springs overview.

Cross Spring (Křížový pramen)

An acidulous water with Glauber's salt and one of the most strongly mineralised springs in the town — it contains mainly sulphates, bicarbonates and sodium. It is found in the neoclassical pavilion at the very heart of the spa park, next to the colonnade.

Traditional use: digestive and metabolic complaints; the sulphates and sodium give it its characteristic laxative effect. More in the article on spa treatment for digestive disorders.

Taste: distinctly mineral, salty to slightly bitter. Beginners tend to find it intense.

Ferdinand Spring (Ferdinandův pramen)

A strong Glauber-salt acidulous water with the highest mineral content of all the Marienbad springs; in composition it resembles the Cross Spring. Its pavilion stands in the lower part of the town, in Úšovice.

Traditional use: the same as the Cross Spring — digestion and metabolism.

Taste: even more pronounced than the Cross Spring.

Rudolph Spring (Rudolfův pramen)

A bicarbonate acidulous water rich in calcium and magnesium, with a lower total mineral content than the Cross Spring. It rises in Úšovice; you can also taste its water in the Cross Spring pavilion by the colonnade.

Traditional use: the classic "kidney" spring — diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract, part of drinking cures for osteoporosis; it is prescribed to children too. More in the article Treatment of the kidneys and urinary tract.

Taste: fresh, less salty, with a slightly chalky texture from the calcium.

Caroline Spring (Karolinin pramen)

An acidulous water with an exceptionally high magnesium content. Its pavilion belongs to the ensemble of buildings around the colonnade, a few steps from the Singing Fountain.

Traditional use: kidney stones; physicians often prescribe it in combination with the Rudolph Spring at a different time of day.

Taste: slightly bitter, as magnesium-rich waters tend to be.

Forest Spring (Lesní pramen)

A mild alkaline acidulous water, the gentlest of the major drinking springs. It rises on the northern edge of the spa quarter by the Třebízský brook, where its Empire-style pavilion stands; its water also flows into the Ensana Centrální Lázně building, where it is available to guests.

Traditional use: diseases of the upper respiratory tract — including inhalation and gargling — and stomach complaints; physicians also often choose it to supplement the daily drinking regimen.

Taste: mild, refreshing, moderately salty — which is why the drinking cure often begins here, if the physician prescribes it that way.

Ambrose Spring (Ambrožův pramen)

An iron-rich acidulous water; its three outlets are in the spa park below Goethe Square, close to the Central Baths.

Traditional use: for its iron content it used to be recommended for anaemia, and traditionally also for urinary complaints.

Taste: metallic, with a slight astringency.

Maria Spring (Mariin pramen)

The Maria Spring is not drunk. It is not a spring in the classic sense: what rises from the depths here is not water but almost pure carbon dioxide (99.7%), which is captured and used for dry CO₂ baths and gas injections in the neighbouring Maria Spa house.

What research says about the drinking cure

The drinking cure is best studied in urinary stones. According to the European Association of Urology guideline, the basis of preventing recurrent stones is adequate fluid intake together with metabolic evaluation and targeted treatment by stone type (Skolarikos et al., 2024, Eur Urol). The drinking cure is a way of adopting such a regimen under medical supervision.

Bicarbonate waters, moreover, measurably change the composition of urine. In a double-blind crossover trial in 34 patients with recurrent calcium oxalate stones, bicarbonate water raised urinary pH, citrate and magnesium; the follow-up lasted only three days (Karagülle et al., 2007, World J Urol). In a randomised trial with 51 patients it increased urine volume, magnesium, pH and citrate over 12 weeks compared with plain water; oxalate excretion did not change, and the study was open-label and small (Lu et al., 2022, Int Urol Nephrol). Alkalising the urine is not appropriate for every type of stone — one more reason why the choice of spring is made by the physician after a urine analysis.

For digestion, the strongest evidence is a double-blind randomised trial with 226 patients with functional constipation: after 14 days of drinking a sulphate-magnesium mineral water, 50% of patients responded to treatment compared with 29% in the group drinking the control water (Dupont et al., 2019, Nutrition). The study was funded by the manufacturer and concerned a French water of different composition from the Marienbad springs; it does, however, illustrate the principle that sulphate waters have a measurable effect on the bowel.

What this means for the specific diagnoses that are treated and covered in Marienbad is discussed on the Mineral springs and the drinking cure page and in the articles on treatment of the kidneys and urinary tract and treatment of digestive disorders.

How the drinking cure usually works

The drinking cure in Marienbad follows a routine that has changed little in two centuries. What follows is a description of usual practice — the exact quantity, spring, water temperature and times are set by the spa physician after the initial examination and adjusted during your stay according to your condition.

What one cup of the drinking cure looks like

The journey of a cup

1. 1Spring

   The cup is filled straight from the outlet. Which spring, and in what order, is set by the medical prescription.

2. 2Temperature

   The water emerges cold all year round, 7 to 10 °C. Whether it is drunk as it flows or gently warmed is part of the prescription.

3. 3Interval before meals

   It is drunk on an empty stomach, at the prescribed interval before a meal, slowly and in small sips.

4. 4Walking

   Between sips you walk rather than sit. A slow stroll along the colonnade is part of the procedure, not a break.

Volume, number of cups per day and choice of spring are set by the spa physician after the initial examination. There is no standard dose.

The morning cure — the foundation of the day

The main drinking cure usually takes place in the morning, on an empty stomach, at an interval before breakfast set by the medical prescription. The patient sips the water from the prescribed spring slowly, in small mouthfuls, while walking in the spa park or along the colonnade. Walking between sips is a traditional part of the procedure, not a break — and at the same time the most natural form of the gentle exercise that belongs to a spa day.

The water of the Marienbad springs rises cold, at around 7 to 10 °C — unlike the hot springs of Karlovy Vary. Whether it is drunk as it flows or warmed is part of the prescription.

Mid-morning and afternoon top-ups

According to the physician's schedule, the drinking cure is usually repeated during the day — generally before lunch, sometimes in the afternoon as well, always at the prescribed interval before a meal. One cup usually holds around 200 ml, and in usual practice it is drunk two or three times a day; how many cups a day, and from which spring, is not fixed in advance, however. The quantity is set by the spa physician and adjusted during the stay. Spread the prescribed quantity over the individual cups as your schedule says, and never drink it all at once.

Rules to keep to

• Drink slowly — each cup in small sips during a slow walk, not in one go at the outlet
• Drink on an empty stomach — at the interval before meals set by your prescription
• Do not combine springs on your own initiative — each spring has a different composition; the combination and order are decided by the physician
• Follow the prescription — the quantity, the number of cups a day and the choice of springs are decided by the spa physician, and no one else

The spa cup — symbol and practical tool

Inseparable from the drinking cure in Marienbad is the spa cup — a porcelain cup with a flat handle that doubles as a drinking spout. The shape is no accident: the spout forces you to drink slowly, in small sips, and limits the water's contact with your teeth.

You can buy a cup in any souvenir shop in the town centre. If you do not have your own cup, you can use your own bottle or beaker, but the traditional cup is definitely more practical. More on its history and how to choose one in the article on the spa cup.

Where and when to visit the springs

The main springs at the colonnade and in the spa park are open daily, usually from 6:00 to 18:00. Exact opening hours may vary by season — you will find current information in the springs overview and on the practical information page.

The water of the Forest Spring in the Ensana Centrální Lázně building is available to guests of the Ensana hotels outside these hours too — simply go down to the ground floor of the Ensana Centrální Lázně hotel.

The best time for the drinking cure is the morning — between six and eight o'clock. The springs tend to be quieter then and the morning air in the park is pleasantly refreshing. At weekends and in the summer season the springs can be busier in the late morning.

Who pays for the drinking cure

The drinking cure from the publicly accessible springs is free — the springs are open to all visitors. You do not need to be staying in a spa hotel or hold a spa voucher.

For guests insured in the Czech Republic whose health insurer approves spa treatment and rehabilitation care, the drinking cure is part of the treatment plan, along with the initial examination by the spa physician and the other treatments. The length of the covered stay is set by the Czech indication list for the specific diagnosis — 21 or 28 days for comprehensive spa care, 14 or 21 days for contributory spa care. Details of the conditions for cover are in our guide to spa treatment and insurance.

Historical context — two centuries of treatment with water

Systematic spa practice at the Cross Spring was begun in the late 18th century by the monastery physician Josef Johann Nehr; the Teplá monastery under Abbot Karl Kaspar Reitenberger then had the springs opened to the public, and in 1818 Mariánské Lázně gained the status of a public spa.

Since then, monarchs, statesmen and artists have come here for the drinking cure — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, King Edward VII of England and the composer Fryderyk Chopin among them. All of them appreciated what still holds true today: the diversity of the springs combined with the beautiful natural setting of the Slavkov Forest.

Today Marienbad is part of the UNESCO inscription The Great Spa Towns of Europe — and the drinking cure at the colonnade is one of the most visible expressions of the spa culture that this inscription protects.

Do not forget

The drinking cure is not a substitute for medical care but a complement to it. Before starting the cure, always consult the spa physician, who will prescribe specific springs, quantities and a timetable according to your diagnosis. Some springs may not be suitable in certain conditions — strongly mineralised waters with a high sodium content, for example, call for caution in people on a restricted salt intake. Assessing that is the physician's job, not a guide's.

Bring comfortable shoes for walks in the park, your own bottle in case you have no time to buy a cup, and plenty of time. The drinking cure is not an activity to be hurried. It is a ritual that connects body, nature and two hundred years of tradition — and that is precisely where its charm lies.

Sources

Studies and official documents this article relies on. Our content does not replace medical advice.

1. Skolarikos A et al. 2024, Eur Urol — EAU guideline on metabolic evaluation and prevention of recurrent urinary stones — Prevention of recurrence rests on adequate fluid intake, metabolic evaluation and targeted treatment by stone type. A guideline, not a drinking-cure study.
2. Karagülle O et al. 2007, World J Urol — double-blind crossover trial, 34 patients with recurrent calcium oxalate stones — Bicarbonate water raised urinary pH, citrate and magnesium; calcium oxalate supersaturation fell with both test waters thanks to volume. Only 3 days of follow-up, small sample.
3. Lu Y et al. 2022, Int Urol Nephrol — randomised trial, 51 patients with calcium oxalate stones, 12 weeks — Bicarbonate water increased urine volume, magnesium, pH and citrate compared with plain water; oxalate unchanged. Open-label, small study.
4. Dupont C et al. 2019, Nutrition — double-blind randomised trial, 226 patients with functional constipation — Sulphate-magnesium water: response after 14 days in 50% vs 29% with the control water. Manufacturer-funded; a French water of different composition from the Marienbad springs.
5. Czech indication list for spa treatment and rehabilitation care (Decree No. 2/2015 Coll.) — The official list of diagnoses for which Mariánské Lázně is a designated spa, including the type of care and the length of the covered stay.

Health claims last reviewed:11 September 2026

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