Karlovy Vary District

Karlovy Vary District is divided into two administrative districts of municipalities with extended competence: Karlovy Vary and Ostrov.

Karlovy Vary District borders Germany in the north. The character of the terrain is very diverse, the landscape alternates between mountainous, hilly and slightly undulating. The territory extends into six geomorphological mesoregions: Ore Mountains (north), Doupov Mountains (east), Sokolov Basin (west), Slavkov Forest (west), Teplá Highlands (south) and Rakovník Uplands (small part in the southeast). The highest point of the district and the entire Karlovy Vary Region is the Klínovec mountain in Jáchymov with an elevation of 1,244 metres (4,081 ft). The lowest point is the river bed of the Ohře in Stráž nad Ohří at 305 m (1,001 ft).

From the total district area of 1,510.7 km² (583.3 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 534.5 km² (206.4 sq mi), forests occupy 651.3 km² (251.5 sq mi), and water area occupies 26.5 km² (10.2 sq mi). Forests cover 43.1% of the district's area.^[1]

The most important river is the Ohře, which flows across the territory from west to northeast. Its longest tributaries within the district are the rivers Teplá and Rolava. The southern part of the district is drained by the Střela. The district is also crossed by the Schwarzwasser (here called Černá) in the north. There are no significant bodies of water. The largest body of water is the Žlutice Reservoir.

There is one protected landscape area, located in the west of the district: Slavkovský les.

The largest employers with headquarters in Karlovy Vary District and at least 500 employees are:^[5]

The I/6 road, which is the unfinished section of the D6 motorway from Prague to Karlovy Vary and Cheb (part of the European route E48), passes through the district. The I/20 road (part of the European route E49) leads from Karlovy Vary to Plzeň.

Karlovy Vary Airport is located in the district. It is one of the six public international airports in the country.

The Red Tower of Death in Ostrov, the mining cultural landscape Jáchymov and the mining cultural landscape Abertamy – Boží Dar – Horní Blatná were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2019 as parts of the transnational Ore Mountain Mining Region.^[6]

The historic city centre of Karlovy Vary with the spa cultural landscape was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021 as part of the transnational Great Spa Towns of Europe because of its springs and architectural testimony to the popularity of spa towns in Europe during the 18th through 20th centuries.^[7]

The most important monuments in the district, protected as national cultural monuments, are:^[8]

• Bečov nad Teplou Castle
• Reliquary of St. Maurus
• Red Tower of Death in Ostrov
• Císařské lázně spa building in Karlovy Vary
• Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Karlovy Vary
• Mint in Jáchymov
• Mauritius Mine in Abertamy
• Blatenský water ditch

The best-preserved settlements and landscapes, protected as monument reservations and monument zones, are:^[9]

The most visited tourist destinations are the Motýlí dům tropical garden in Karlovy Vary, Bečov nad Teplou castle and chateau, Klínovec observation tower, Becherovka visitor's centre in Karlovy Vary, and botanical garden in Bečov nad Teplou.^[10]