LLL - summer delicacies from Luhačovice, part five

It is in the calm and leisurely morning time that the interesting and remarkable buildings in the city centre seem to come to life more, which pedestrians and drivers usually pass by inadvertently, which is, of course, the misfortune of those passing by.

The main massive landmark is the Palace Spa Hotel. Try to imagine Luhačovice without it. It's kind of impossible, isn't it. It's been there for some time. Specifically, since 1928, when it was built by a Luhačovice merchant František Drtílek. His name was also in the original title. The Palace Hotel has gone through such a remarkable history and twists and turns, including the bankruptcy (and untimely death) of the original owner, that it would make a book of its own.

In its heyday during the First Republic, top artists from here and from America performed here, including R. A. Dvorsky. President Masaryk's daughter Alice stayed here, Oldřich Nový or Jan Werich came here, and after the war Gustav Brom and his orchestra made life more interesting for visitors. It has always been the centre of spa life with rich facilities and it is still so today. It is still the largest spa hotel.

If the Palace is the largest, then the Alexandria is definitely the most luxurious. It's practically across the street, and the likes of Mayor Marian Lezak must be admiring it when he walks out of City Hall. The Palace on the right, the Alexandria on the left.

The hotel today has two parts. The first dates back to the late 1930s and is a unique landmark in the city; the second was added much later, when the hotel was renovated in 2010. The Alexandria has impeccable facilities, its French restaurant is downright iconic, but there is also a night club, rich spa facilities and, unusually, it has its own theatre. Death at the Alexandria has been successfully performed in the Zlín theatre.

One more unusual building catches the eye, perhaps more for its practical use, in the heart of the city and close to both hotels. It is a functionalist gem, the Czech Post Office, built in 1929. The building, designed by architect Bohuslav Fuchs, is listed and represents the second wave of Luhačovice buildings that were built in the pre-war Czechoslovak period of the First Republic. When you go to send a postcard from the spa to your loved ones, quite unusually nowadays, stop, explore and admire, it is not as common here as it is, for example, on the colonnade.

Categories: Tourism, What to do in Luhačovice, Tips for a trip, Luhačovice, Hotels