Marienbad's Mineral Springs — A Complete Guide
More than forty mineral springs rise within the town of Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad) itself, and roughly a hundred more in its surroundings. They all have one thing in common: they are cold acidulous waters at 7 to 10 °C all year round, charged with carbon dioxide of volcanic origin. In every other respect they differ — in taste, in salt content, in where they rise and in what they are traditionally used for in spa practice. It is precisely this diversity on which the spa town's renown has rested for more than two hundred years.
This guide introduces the most important springs one by one — where to find them, what they contain, how they taste and what their history is. Take it with you on a walk from the colonnade up into the forests above the town.
One thing needs saying at the outset: which spring you stand at during the drinking cure and how much of it you drink is decided not by this guide but by the spa physician after the initial examination. Why the springs differ, how the drinking cure works and for which conditions it is used in Marienbad is explained on the Mineral springs and the drinking cure page. Practical cards with locations, opening hours and a map are in the springs overview.
Cross Spring (Křížový pramen)
Location and history
The Cross Spring is the heart of Marienbad — the spring where the history of the spa began. Locals had known it for ages, but its fame came only with the Teplá monastery physician Josef Johann Nehr, who began using it systematically for treatment in the late 18th century and pushed through the first spa buildings. The cross after which the spring is named has stood here since 1749.
Today the Cross Spring flows in the neoclassical pavilion by the colonnade, the ceremonial centrepiece of every drinking cure. Early in the morning, when the first spa guests appear with their porcelain cups, an almost sacred atmosphere prevails beneath its dome.
Composition
An acidulous water with Glauber's salt — that is, a sulphate-bicarbonate water with a high sodium content and natural carbon dioxide. It belongs among the most strongly mineralised springs in the town.
Traditional use
In Marienbad the Cross Spring is traditionally drunk for digestive and metabolic complaints; the sulphates and sodium give it its characteristic laxative effect, for which it was famous before the first hotel stood here. Which diagnoses this covers, and what research says about the drinking cure, is on the Mineral springs and the drinking cure page and in the article on spa treatment for digestive disorders. Whether the spring is included in the treatment plan is decided by the spa physician.
Taste
Distinctly salty to slightly bitter, with a mineral undertone and a delicate sparkle. First-time visitors tend to find it intense — yet many consider it the most characteristic taste of Marienbad.
Rudolph Spring (Rudolfův pramen)
Location and history
The Rudolph Spring bears the name of Crown Prince Rudolph. It rises in Úšovice in the lower part of the town, where it has its own pavilion; its water is also piped to the Cross Spring pavilion by the colonnade, so you can conveniently taste it in the centre of the spa.
Composition
An acidulous water rich in calcium and magnesium — a bicarbonate water with a lower total mineral content than the Cross Spring. The ratio of calcium to magnesium in its water is considered exceptionally favourable in spa practice.
Traditional use
The Rudolph Spring is Marienbad's classic "kidney" spring: traditionally the basic choice for diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract, and often part of drinking cures for osteoporosis; it is prescribed to children too. What studies with bicarbonate waters have documented for urinary stones and inflammations is summarised in the article Treatment of the kidneys and urinary tract. Which spring, and in what quantity, is determined by the spa physician on the basis of a urine analysis and the type of complaint.
Taste
Fresh and clean, less salty than the Cross Spring. The calcium gives the water a slightly chalky texture on the tongue.
Caroline Spring (Karolinin pramen)
Location and history
Originally called the New Spring, it received the name of Princess Caroline Augusta in 1817. Its pavilion belongs to the ensemble of buildings around the colonnade, a few steps from the Singing Fountain — and it is to this spring that the neoclassical Caroline Spring colonnade, one of the town's most photographed structures, is dedicated.
Composition
An acidulous water with an exceptionally high magnesium content, charged with natural carbon dioxide.
Traditional use
Its high share of magnesium makes the Caroline Spring the traditional choice for kidney stones; spa physicians often prescribe it in combination with the Rudolph Spring at a different time of day. Details on the drinking cure for urological diagnoses are on the Mineral springs and the drinking cure page. Inclusion is decided by the spa physician.
Taste
Slightly bitter, as waters with a high magnesium content tend to be, with a delicate sparkle.
Ambrose Spring (Ambrožův pramen)
Location and history
The three outlets of the Ambrose Spring are found in the spa park below Goethe Square, close to the Central Baths. Goethe himself liked to rest here. In the 19th century it was also called the "spring of love" for its supposed effects on beauty and freshness.
Composition
An iron-rich acidulous water — a water with a higher iron content, which leaves the typical rust-coloured deposit at the outlet.
Traditional use
For its iron content the Ambrose Spring used to be recommended for anaemia, and traditionally also for urinary complaints. Whether and how it is included in the drinking cure is determined by the spa physician; an overview of the traditional use of all the springs is on the Mineral springs and the drinking cure page.
Taste
Metallic, with a slight astringency — the ferrous taste is unmistakable. It does not suit everyone, but seasoned spa guests value precisely this profile.
Maria Spring (Mariin pramen)
Location and history
The spring that gave the town its name is found behind the Central Baths. The sulphurous smell of the vent earned the place its original name, "Stinking Meadow", before it was renamed after an image of the Virgin Mary; it was in use even before the spa was founded.
Composition
The Maria Spring is not a spring in the classic sense: what rises from the depths here is not water but almost pure carbon dioxide (99.7%) — "Maria's gas", which only secondarily dissolves into the shallow groundwater.
Use
The Maria Spring is not drunk. The gas is captured and applied in the neighbouring Maria Spa house in dry CO₂ baths and gas injections — the treatment that made Marienbad famous. What can be said about it, and who decides on its inclusion, is described on the CO₂ therapy page.
Forest Spring (Lesní pramen)
Location and history
The Forest Spring rises on the northern edge of the spa quarter by the Třebízský brook, and its Empire-style pavilion of 1869 is among the most graceful in the spa. The morning walk to the Forest Spring, cup in hand, is a daily ritual for many guests. Its water also flows into the Ensana Centrální Lázně building, where it is available to guests.
Composition
A mild alkaline acidulous water — the gentlest of the major drinking springs, with a milder mineral content and natural carbon dioxide.
Traditional use
The Forest Spring is traditionally used for diseases of the upper respiratory tract — thanks to its mild alkaline composition also for inhalation and gargling — and for stomach complaints. Spa physicians also often choose it to supplement the daily drinking regimen. Details on the Mineral springs and the drinking cure page.
Taste
Mild and refreshing, with a light sparkle and moderate saltiness. Those trying the drinking cure for the first time often begin right here — if the physician prescribes it that way.
Ferdinand Spring (Ferdinandův pramen)
Location and history
The Ferdinand Spring is the oldest spring of Marienbad in written records. It is named after Ferdinand I, during whose reign salt-boiling was attempted here in the 16th century. The charming pavilion of 1827 stands in the lower part of the town in Úšovice; a pleasant walk through the Úšovice park leads to it, and the Anthony Spring can be tasted on the way.
Composition
A strong Glauber-salt acidulous water. The Ferdinand Spring has the highest mineral content of all the Marienbad springs; in composition it resembles the Cross Spring.
Traditional use
Its traditional use matches the Cross Spring — digestive and metabolic complaints. Details and the documented studies are on the Mineral springs and the drinking cure page; inclusion is decided by the spa physician.
Taste
Even more pronounced than the Cross Spring: salty, dense, with a delicate sparkle. A spring for those who already know what to expect from Marienbad water.
Anthony Spring
The spring of the lower town served the surrounding farmsteads long before the spa was founded; today's small pavilion in Úšovice dates from 1997, when the outlet was newly captured. A refreshing, very drinkable acidulous water that locals consider the best "table" water and come here to fill their bottles with. Together with the Ferdinand Spring it makes a natural goal for a walk through the lower town.
Forest springs: Farská kyselka and the Balbín Spring
Anyone looking for springs away from the colonnade has two goals in the forests north of the town.
Farská kyselka is a freely rising iron-rich forest spring and the classic goal of a spa walk. A blue-marked trail leads to the spring through the forest towards Prameny; the easy walk from the colonnade takes just under an hour. To extend the loop, you can continue to the Smraďoch reserve — both fit into one morning. The iron-rich water leaves its typical rust-coloured deposit at the outlet; a cup on the spot is part of the experience.
The Balbín Spring, a gentle iron-rich acidulous water named after the scholar Bohuslav Balbín, rises in the Prameniště natural monument by the little Balbín pond, between the Hleďsebe quarter and the forests north of the town. The surrounding boggy meadows are among the last places where the rare sundew grows — so the spring deserves a quiet, considerate visit.
Advice for the walk to the springs
The right cup
Use the traditional porcelain cup with the flat handle that serves as a spout. The spout slows your drinking — and drinking slowly, in small sips, is part of the drinking cure. You will find beautiful examples in the shops in town; they also make a lovely souvenir. More in the article on the spa cup.
When and how much to drink
The water is usually drunk in the morning on an empty stomach, slowly, in sips and while walking. How many cups a day, from which spring and in what order is not fixed in advance — the schedule is drawn up by the spa physician after the initial examination and adjusted during the stay. The usual course of a day, practical rules and what research says about the drinking cure are described in the drinking cure guide.
Temperature and freshness
Drink the water directly at the spring. Bottled, it loses its carbon dioxide within a few hours, and with it its taste. The springs are open all year round, in winter too — some spa guests swear by the winter drinking cure, when the park is snow-covered and the colonnade quiet.
Where the springs come from
The mineral springs of Marienbad owe their existence to a geological peculiarity: deep below the surface, carbon dioxide of volcanic origin meets groundwater that seeps through different layers of rock and dissolves different minerals from them. That is why so many springs of differing composition can rise on such a small area — and why in Marienbad a drinking cure can be composed from several waters according to what the patient needs.
Conclusion
The mineral springs of Marienbad are not a museum exhibit. They flow today just as they did two hundred years ago, and the drinking cure remains the foundation of spa treatment here. Take your time, consult the spa physician — and discover, spring by spring, the underground wealth of this exceptional town.
