The Mill Colonnade is a large colonnade

Colonnade

In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....

 containing several hot spring

Hot spring

A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...

s in the spa town

Spa town

A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...

 of Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...

, Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

. The structure is one of the traditional symbols of the town.

Design and reception

The Neo-Renaissance

Neo-Renaissance

Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...

 structure has a nave

Nave

In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...

, two aisles and measures 132 m (433.1 ft) long by 13 m (42.7 ft) wide. There are 124 Corinthian

Corinthian order

The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...

 columns. Twelve statues representing the twelve months of the year sit above the portico

Portico

A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...

. There is a raised orchestra space

Orchestra pit

An orchestra pit is the area in a theater in which musicians perform. Orchestral pits are utilized in forms of theatre that require music or in cases when incidental music is required...

 for the spa orchestra

Orchestra

An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...

 which plays regular, free concerts.

Architect Josef Zítek

Josef Zítek

Josef von Zitek was a Czech architect and engineer best known for two neo-Renaissance landmarks in Prague, the National Theater and the Rudolfinum....

, who also designed the National Theatre

National Theatre (Prague)

The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...

 and Rudolfinum

Rudolfinum

The Rudolfinum is a music auditorium in Prague, Czech Republic. It is designed in the neo-renaissance style and is situated on Jan Palach Square on the bank of the river Vltava.-Overview:...

 in Prague

Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...

, designed the structure, which was built between 1871-1881. The original design called for a two level colonnade, but a lack of funds restricted it to one level. Construction proceeded very slowly and costs grew higher. The structure was initially reviled by critics and compared to a bed of carrots or a bowling alley; at the time it was finished, many believed it had blemished the center of town.

The Mill Colonnade was extended in 1893 to include the Rock Spring. The structure was restored in 1982, and stone reliefs portraying historic moments in Karlovy Vary history were added to the orchestra space in 1995-1996. By 1949, the adjacent portion of the Tepla River was bridged over in front of the Mill Colonnade, creating a plaza.

Springs

Karlovy Vary has 13 major springs and the Mill Colonnade covers five of them, ranging in temperature and history:

• Mill Spring , 56 °C (132.8 °F), used for therapeutic purposes since the 16th century, was historically one of the more popular springs, and its waters were at one time sold at stores in the region. The spring was named after an old mill which used to stand in the area.
• Rock Spring , 53 °C (127.4 °F), originally rose next to the nearby Tepla River ; in 1845 the spring was diverted to the current location of the Mill Colonnade.
• Libuše Spring, 62 °C (143.6 °F), is a merger of four smaller springs, and was originally named the "Spring of Elizabeth's Roses".
• Nymph Spring , 60 °C (140 °F), was known prior to 1945 as the "New Spring" and had its own colonnade before the Mill Colonnade replaced it.
• Prince Václav I Spring, 65 °C (149 °F), was originally one of the strongest springs in the area in both yield and force, and was used to produce curative salt. A second spring, Prince Václav II Spring, 58 °C (136.4 °F), comes from the same source and flows out several meters in front of the Mill Colonnade.