Baden and the Bohemian Spa Triangle Move Closer Together
New Direct Bus Connection to Improve Travel Between UNESCO World Heritage Spa Towns
A new direct bus connection between Vienna and Karlovy Vary was highlighted in an overview of the latest tourism offers for the West Bohemian Spa Triangle.
Four spa towns that are part of The Great Spa Towns of Europe UNESCO World Heritage Site came together for an event at Embassy of the Czech Republic in Vienna in June 2026.
Representatives from Baden bei Wien, a spa town in Austria, just 30km from Vienna, met with spokespeople from the Karlovy Vary Region, who presented the three Czech towns that form the West Bohemian Spa Triangle: Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně.
Though they are across two different countries, these four spa towns are united by the UNESCO World Heritage Inscription they share as part of The Great Spa Towns of Europe.
The Czech town of Karlovy Vary. ©Jordan Banks, JRNY Magazine.
The event at the Embassy focused on the Czech spa towns and new tourism offerings available for the Austrian travellers. Particularly welcome news was the announcement that a direct bus connection between Vienna and Karlovy Vary is expected to be introduced in late autumn.
The event brought together representatives of CzechTourism, Karlovy Vary’s Mayor Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová, UNESCO Coordinator Nora Dolanská, and tourism representatives from the region. The host was the Czech Ambassador, Jiří Šitler, who has known and appreciated Baden bei Wien for many years.
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- Udine Brunnen in the Kurpark of Baden bei Wien.
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- (L-R) Herbert Dopplinger, Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová, Alexandra Harrer and Jiří Šitle. ©Herbert Dopplinger.
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- A mud pack treatment in Baden bei Wien, Austria. Niederösterreich Gesundheit
Close links between Baden bei Wien and the Bohemian spa towns already existed during the Habsburg Monarchy. “Many distinguished spa guests, including Ludwig van Beethoven, travelled between the spa towns, combining health treatments with culture, recreation and social life – an early form of health tourism,” explains Baden World Heritage Site Manager Alexandra Harrer.
Building on Historic Connections
The new bus service builds on these historic connections. At present, direct public transport links between the spa towns are very limited, and travelling usually requires several transfers. The new service will make the Bohemian Spa Triangle much more accessible for visitors from Austria, while also making Baden easier to reach for Czech visitors.
“Czechia has become one of our most important source markets since the pandemic,” says Tourism Director Klaus Lorenz. Czech visitors are now among Baden’s most significant international guest groups. At the same time, Austrian visitors rank among the top ten international source markets for the Karlovy Vary Region.
Municipal Councillor Herbert Dopplinger also welcomed the development: “We share a common history and a common cultural heritage. That is why it is all the more important that our towns grow closer together again in everyday life.”