Fiona Galloway: Editor
For excited parents-to-be, or those whose precious bundles of joy have just arrived, life has probably taken on a whole new persona. Gone are the late nights socializing in five-star restaurants or the long weekends in luxury hotels, and sleeping in the next day is a decidedly distant memory – for a while at least. Tired, emotional and unquestionably frayed, when it comes to babies our need to relax has never been greater. That’s why the concept of ‘babymooning’, originally a celebrity trend, has really caught on with couples looking for a last chance getaway to relax, and when it comes to child-free holidays, spa vacations in Europe are the perfect antidote to baby blues.
The key to a successful babymoon is ‘location’. Forget hiking the Alps or tackling the Moroccan souks when you’re starting a family because this is a time for tranquility and relaxation. And when it comes to taking the pace of life down a peg or two, the impossibly beautiful spa town of Marienbad (or Mariánské Lázně in its native tongue) is hard to beat.
Nestling in a valley that was once little more than a vast forest and gurgling wells, this 200 year old town in the Czech Republic sits in the heart of the Bohemian Spa Triangle, a tract of land once occupied by the Roman Empire. From street to street here, spring water bubbles to the surface ready to be sipped from sidewalk drinking fountains or used for bathing within the walls of eons-old spa baths. Its popularity as a romantic, therapeutic and exclusive vacation destination means it’s not short of a luxury hotel or two, a fact that’s been attracting the rich and famous – from European nobility, to famous composers and writers – for centuries.
The town is filled with renaissance buildings, narrow streets and secretive nooks and crannies, but undoubtedly one of Marienbad’s best features is its endless parks, which create an alluring green patchwork of landscaped tree-filled spaces across the town. All of them are home to at least one natural spring, and on sunny summer days – and the weather here in the Czech Republic often averages in the mid 20°s – these esplanades are where the locals flock to with picnics and deckchairs, and where drinking water is literally on tap. Grab your lunch from one of the bohemian cafes on Hlavní třída (the main street) and choose a shady spot to relax in and watch the world go by, or head to the Art Cafe on Ruská where al-fresco dining on the terrace is a lovely way to take in the atmosphere.
The best way to see Marienbad is on foot, but when you’re expecting a baby, pounding the streets might not be all that appealing. In this quaint Czech town, horse-drawn carriages are the answer. They clatter around the central esplanade, stopping at the main parks and circling the famous Singing Fountain, an ornate structure that shoots streams of water six feet in the air in time to music by Chopin, Mozart and Bach. It’s a lovely spectacle at night, with soft lighting at night creating a wonderfully romantic ambience.
Energetic babymooners can pass the time wandering through the elaborate, wrought iron spa colonnade, shopping in pretty boutiques and hunting out the many mineral fountains hidden along the route. The nearby Boheminium Park is a must-visit attraction, with miniature replicas of Marienbad’s most interesting and famous buildings hidden along the trails. It’s a leisurely way to pass an afternoon, and beats trekking through the surrounding countryside to see the real 17th Century Kynzvart Chateau or indomitable Loket Castle, with baby or bump in tow.
But of course, babymooning holidays are all about being pampered, and Marienbad doesn’t just offer picturesque scenery and delightful architecture to look at. Every corner turned through the labyrinthine streets and pathways of this charming hamlet reveals another fabulous spa hotel with a tempting range of treatments to ease away aches and pains.
We suggest heading straight for Hotel Nove Lazne in the north of the town, a wonderful luxury hotel where marble-columned Roman baths and an exquisitely designed Italian Neo-Renaissance casino make it the place to stay in bohemian Marienbad. This beautiful hotel was a favorite of King Edward VII of England and remains the hotel of choice in the area – not least because of its heritage and architecture, but because it’s got a wellness centre that’s truly fit for royalty.
Do you suffer from late-pregnancy swollen ankles? A treatment with natural dry carbon gas is the very thing for inflammation. Mud wraps, thermal waters, and mineral treatments are a specialty here, alongside traditional massages and hot stone treatments that are guaranteed to ease tired and suffering limbs. Relaxing in the opulent private spa, with plunge pools and outsized Jacuzzis is the perfect antidote to pregnancy pains, and a fabulous way to indulge in a little ‘you’ time.
Getting to Marienbad is delightfully easy, with the international airport at Prague just an hour and a half away. Car hire is a great option – there’s so much to see in the region – but there’s a direct train running every two hours from Prague’s main railway station, making babymooning Eastern-European style a breeze.
