The fame of Karlovy Vary has spread throughout the whole world thanks to its mineral springs. There are 12 healing springs in the spa (four or five in the pavillion pictured above, one with all of the students around it). Their basic compositions are similar, but they differ in temperature and the amount of carbon dioxide, which is why their effects are different as well. (Yet, they all attract tourists.) The colder springs usually have a slightly purgative effect, while the warmer ones make the production of bile and stomach juices slower. The springs cure mainly metabolic disorders; they are also used for inhalations and baths. The strongest is the Vřídlo spring, rising, like a geyser, from the depth of 2,000-3,000 metres. Its temperature reaches 73 degrees Celsius.
