Amy Abroad: On hot springs and healing liquor

The picturesque Bohemian town of Karlovy Vary, also known as Carlsbad, just an hour outside of Prague, is historically famous for its hot springs. The neo-Renaissance Mill Colonnade building is known for housing five of Karlovy Vary’s 12 hot springs. These include the Mill, Rock, Libuse, Nymph and Prince Vaclav springs — all of which are between 125 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The Mill Colonnade is considered an iconic, traditional symbol of Karlovy Vary.

The earliest of the springs were discovered in the 16th century. In fact, their waters were once sold in stores because they were said to have therapeutic healing powers. Some of the springs, such as the Prince Vaclav spring, surfaced more recently in the mid to late 20th century. The Prince Vaclav spring, originally one of the most powerful springs in the area — both in yield and force — was used to produce curative salt around that time.

Read the full column on SouthCoastToday.com, published on April 10, 2018.