VIII.REGIONS
KARLOVY VARY REGION The Region of Karlovy Vary lies in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic at the border with Germany. When it comes to size, it belongs among the smallest of all Czech regions, but when it comes to historical monuments, exceptional experiences, and natural wealth, it ranks among the most beautiful and the most tourist-attractive regions.
In the Middle Ages, small settlements began to appear in the Krušné hory (Ore) Mountains and silver, later other ores, were mined in their vicinity. At the end of the 19th century, mining operations in the surroundings of the town of Jáchymov were literally put on the map thanks to the discovery of the radioactive element of radium in the uraninite from the local mines by Marie Curie-Sklodowska. Likewise, rich deposits of kaolin triggered the foundation of prominent porcelain factories. Other premium local produce that has gained world repute includes glass made by Moser Glassworks or Becherovka herbal liqueur from Karlovy Vary. For more than 650 years, the Region has been inherently tied to spa treatment, which utilises local natural resources, such as thermal and cold mineral springs, mud, peat, and gas. The renown of the Region of Karlovy Vary has always been closely bound up with balneology. Not only the best known Czech spa of Karlovy Vary is located on its territory, but also other significant spa towns, i.e. Mariánské Lázně, Františkovy Lázně, Lázně Kynžvart, and Jáchymov. The spa resorts and hotels offer their guests a wide variety of wellness stays and spa programmes that are based on the tradition of exploiting natural healing resources. Their favourable effects have been verified by centuries of experience, as well as by modern scientific methods. You may find a vast number of notable architectural sites and monuments on the territory of the Region of Karlovy Vary. The most significant ones include Bečov Castle and Chateau with the unique Reliquary of Saint Maurus, the spa colonnades in Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, and Františkovy Lázně, Loket Castle, the Premonstratensian Monastery in Teplá, Cheb Castle – the only imperial palatine in the country, and many more. Tourist resorts in the Krušné hory Mountains and many sports areas and complexes throughout the Region allow you to spend your holiday actively in any part of the year. The most popular winter resorts are Boží Dar and nearby Klínovec, as they offer a great variety of downhill courses, cross-country skiing trails, and snowparks. In addition, hundreds of kilometres of tourist paths and cycle paths are available to hikers and bikers in the remaining seasons of the year. Golfers will undoubtedly enjoy 10 golf courses and several indoor golf centres. Those keen on tennis, water tourism or climbing will also have a great time.
ECONOMIC POTENTIAL The current economy of the Region is characterised by the large share of the services sector in the Region´s
gross added value creation. Most responsible for this high share is the spa business in combination with tourism. The Karlovy Vary Region accounts for nearly 50 % of the number of spa patients spending their time in the Czech Republic, with nearly 95 % of this number being foreign guests. As regards the manufacturing industry, the most important sectors in term of their shares of revenue and employment are the manufacture of metal constructions and metal products, engineering, the automotive industry (across a number of industrial sectors, which also include a large proportion of automobile industry suppliers), the manufacture of other non-metal mineral products (porcelain, glass, ceramics, building materials), the electrical engineering industry, chemical industry, the manufacture of rubber and plastic products, textile production, and the production of beverages. The last mentioned is a locally specific sector of industry due to its use of natural mineral waters from local springs occurring in the Region in very high concentrations. There are only very few large firms (especially manufacturing ones) in the Region and a substantial part of its economy is formed by small and medium enterprises, which account for the decisive part of most of the local sectors of industry. Many of the firms in the Region cooperate actively with scientific and research institutions, for example the firm Synthomer in Sokolov cooperates with the Chemical Processes Institution of the Academy of Sciences, the technical universities in Prague and Brno, Synpo Research Institute and other institutions at home and abroad. Regular cooperation is pursued by WITTE Nejdek engineering firm, which has its own development department and cooperates with the Engineering and Electrical Engineering Faculties of the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň and the Engineering Faculty of the Technical University. Just as the entire civil aviation segment, the Karlovy Vary airport, too, recorded a massive drop in traffic in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of the planned 80 000 passengers, it processed only 159 commercial flights and 17 234 passengers. In 2020, as in previous years, its key business partner was the Russian company Pobeda, which operated flights between Vnukovo airport in Moscow and Karlovy Vary until 13 March 2020. The Region offers a number of industrial parks and zones. Especially successful in this respect are Cheb and Ostrov, in addition to a number of other towns and localities. For example, Aš Industrial Park, on the territory of the town of Aš (13 090 inhabitants) is
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