The Karlovy Vary Region (Karlovarský kraj) lies in the west of the Czech Republic.[1] Its seat and largest municipality is Karlovy Vary.[2] It is the least populous region in the country.[4]*
Location and territory
In the north and west the region's boundary is the state border with Germany; to the east it borders the Ústí nad Labem Region and to the south the Plzeň Region.[1] With an area of 3,310 km² it is one of the smallest regions, occupying 4.2 % of the country.[1] The Ore Mountains run along the state border; their highest peak, Klínovec (1,244 m), lies in Karlovy Vary District. The lowest point of the region (320 m), on the Ohře river, is in the same district.[1] The whole region lies in the Ohře basin; other rivers are the Teplá, Rolava, Bystřice and Svatava.[1] The Teplá flows through the valley of Karlovy Vary, where most of the hot springs rise, and joins the Ohře in the town.[1]
Population and districts
As of 31 December 2025 the region had 292,027 inhabitants.[3] It consists of three districts: Cheb, Karlovy Vary and Sokolov.[1] Karlovy Vary District covers 45.6 % of the region and has the most municipalities (56); the Cheb and Sokolov districts are comparable in number of municipalities and area.[1] The region has 134 municipalities divided into 527 parts, and 38 of them are towns.[1] In 2024 the region had the fewest births of all regions, both in absolute terms and per thousand inhabitants.[1]
Creation
The region was established on 1 January 2000 under Constitutional Act No. 347/1997 Coll. on the creation of 14 higher self-governing territorial units.[5] It was formed by dividing the former West Bohemian Region into the Plzeň and Karlovy Vary regions.[1] Its name was derived from its seat.[5] In 2016 the boundary between the Karlovy Vary and Ústí nad Labem regions changed in connection with the redrawing of military area boundaries.[5] In the European statistical classification the region forms the North-West cohesion region together with the Ústí nad Labem Region.[1][6]
Spas and economy
The region is known above all for its spas. Besides Karlovy Vary, they include Mariánské Lázně, Františkovy Lázně, Lázně Kynžvart and Jáchymov.[1] In addition to medicinal springs, the region has sources of natural mineral water.[1] Over millennia the hot springs of Karlovy Vary have deposited varieties of aragonite known as sprudelstein and pea stone.[1] There are brown coal reserves in the Sokolov area, and deposits of ceramic clays gave rise to porcelain works in many parts of the region.[1] Tourism is one of the main sectors: in 2024 the region received 1,390,673 guests and ranked first in the country in overnight stays per thousand inhabitants.[1] Karlovy Vary hosts the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and Mariánské Lázně the Chopin Festival.[1]
Pages linking here
- Březová Reservoir
- Central Bohemian Region
- Introduction of a Fuel Price Cap (2026)
- Karlovy Vary
- Plzeň Region
- Ústí nad Labem Region