Franzensbad
Czech Republic
Franzensbad (Františkovy Lázně) is one of the most important spa resorts in Europe due to its size and quality of the preserved buildings. The spa town was founded in 1793 near the many acidulous springs. It was named after, and in honour of, Emperor Franz II of Austria.
Although the spa town was founded in the neo-classicist era, Franzensbad is an unusual concept for urban design. The spa town was founded on a square ground plan with a parallel street network and is characterised by a high concentration of neo-classical, imperial and historicist buildings of an exceptionally artistic and complex nature.
The ensemble of spa buildings of high architectural quality is surrounded by a large park in which individual, mainly neo- classicist buildings and monuments have been erected above the springs. Around the park there is a new town consisting of spa villas and houses, some in the historical style, and religious foundations of Orthodox and Protestant denominations.