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Once one of the most fashionable European spas - and a regular haunt of King Edward VII, who also came for the golf - MARIANSKE LAZNE (Marienbad) is far less exclusive today. The riotous, turn-of-the-century architecture is gradually being restored and the spa now surveys busloads of elderly Germans getting the full works. Buses and trains stop 3km from the spa, from where trolley bus #5 runs the remaining distance, up Hlavni tRida to the Hotel Excelsior . Sumptuous, regal buildings, most dating from the second half of the nineteenth century, rise up from the pine-clad surroundings - an appropriate backdrop for the genteel classical music festivals hosted annually here. The focal point of the spa is the Kolonada . This beautiful wrought-iron colonnade gently curves like a whale-ribbed railway station, the atmosphere relentlessly genteel and sober, although the view has been marred by a functionless concrete splat left by Communist developers. In summer, Bohemian bands and orchestras give daily concerts here, while tourists buy up the Bohemian crystal in the upstairs gallery. Access to the colonnade's life-giving faucets is restricted (daily 6am-noon & 4-6pm), though the spa's first and foremost spring , Krizovy pramen, is accessible all day and night. Marianske Lazne's altitude lends an almost subalpine freshness to the air, and walking is as important to "the cure" as the various specialized treatments. At the end of the Kolonada, by the new "singing fountain", there's a map showing the marked walks around the spa. However, don't miss trying out the spa itself: you can book treatments, which include various massages, mineral baths in the gorgeously colonnaded indoor pool and mud treatment, through the spa organization (tel 0165/65 55 55, marienbad.thc@.plz.pvtnet.cz ) at Masarykova 22. If you want to stay , rooms are getting increasingly pricey, but try the pleasant family pension, Villa Rozemberg (tel 0165/62 58 30; GBP5-10/$8-16/?9-18), at Dobrovskeho 154/5 south east of the centre. The Kossuth , Ruska 77 (tel 0165/62 28 61; GBP5-10/$8-16/?9-18), parallel to the main street, is pretty basic, but the Bohemia, Hlavni trida 100 (tel 0165/62 32 51; GBP20-25/$32-40/?36-45), is central and classy. Accommodation is also available from the tourist office at Hlavni 47 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat & Sun 9am-5pm; tel 0165/62 24 74, www.marienbad.com ). Hlavni trida is punctuated with cafes , shops and restaurants , some hinting at bygone opulence; Cafe Polonia , Hlavni trida 50, offers chocolate cakes and Viennese coffee as rich as its stucco decoration. The Golden Globe , Nehrova 26, is a stylish pub offering live classical music, or you can really splurge at the elegant Villa Romano , Anglicka 62.
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