There is one viewpoint in Karlovy Vary that even has a legend of its own. Intrigued? Today I’ll tell you where this viewpoint is and introduce you to its first — rather eccentric — owner. I won’t keep you in suspense any longer: let’s begin!
First the essentials, so you don’t mix it up. This is not the Diana Tower and not the forest “Charles IV Lookout” tower — those are different places. The viewpoint in this article is the city park Sady Jeana de Carro on the slope above the Vřídlo, next to the Lützow Villa. The park contains a column with a statue of Charles IV and opens onto a view of the whole spa centre. Entry to the park is free, all year round; there is no ticket office and no opening hours. The villa, though, is a private home: you are not allowed inside the house or the garden; the famous cat on its pillar is visible from the park, but it already stands on the villa’s grounds. Incidentally, the villa has been for sale since at least April 2025, and as of October 2026 the listing was still up on sreality.cz (price on request).
1. General information about the Lützow Villa
1.1. Historical background
The Lützow Villa was built on the orders of Baron August von Lützow between 1853 and 1854. It is one of the first villas both in Karlovy Vary and in the whole of the north-western Czech Republic. Its architectural style differed sharply from the town’s other buildings. Other villas later appeared in Karlovy Vary, but this building still stands apart.
A garden was laid out on the grounds, with a number of sculptures by August Kiss, a Berlin friend of von Lützow’s and a sculptor by profession. One of the sculptures became the basis of a town legend, which I will tell you too.
On 13 September 1858, for the town’s 500th anniversary, the authorities placed a column with a statue of Charles IV by the sculptor Josef Max in the neighbouring park. The emperor on his six-metre column did not turn out well, and from below you can’t really make him out. The baron answered in his own way: on the stone rondel of his garden, where there was already a lookout, he put up a tall pillar with a seated cat. They say the cat was turned with its backside to the old town hall in the valley — that was how the baron rated the work of the gentlemen councillors. Local historians, however, consider this a tale: originally the cat faced the driveway up to the villa.
And here is that very statue of the king:
Incidentally, another legend is linked to this baron. According to tradition, the town of Karlovy Vary was founded because, during a hunt, a deer leapt off a cliff straight into a stream with a healing spring, and the king leading the hunt ordered a town to be built around the spring.
Baron von Lützow always found this legend amusing and absurd. Back in 1851, before the villa was built, he placed a figure of a chamois on the rock at the spot called “Deer’s Leap” (Jelení skok): on cliffs like these, in his opinion, it is chamois that leap about, not deer. The joke backfired: the chamois quickly won the hearts of the resort’s guests and became one of the symbols of Karlovy Vary, and in 1853 the councillors even made the baron an honorary citizen. There is also a version that the baron put up the cat in revenge because the council would not let him build his own funicular from the villa to the spring.
1.2. Where it is
The villa stands on a steep slope above the spa valley, about 160 metres north-east of the Vřídlo — that is, across the river from the Market Colonnade. The viewpoint is in the neighbouring Sady Jeana de Carro park, just below Na Vyhlídce street.
The villa’s address: Stezka Jeana De Carro 542, 360 01 Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.
Location on the map:
1.3. How to get there
You can walk here from the Geyser, though the stroll won’t be the easiest. The way is short but steep: from the Vřídlo along Kolmá street past the Church of St Mary Magdalene, then up a steep staircase onto the path that leads straight into the Jeana de Carro park. That’s about 500 metres and roughly 10 minutes, uphill almost the whole way.
If you’d rather not tire your legs, it’s better to use public transport. Take one of these bus lines:
- No. 2;
- No. 7;
- No. 8;
- No. 11;
- No. 13.
They take you to the Na Vyhlídce stop, from where it’s just a few metres down to the park and the villa. Line No. 11 is handy if you arrive by train: it runs from Horní nádraží station. As of October 2026, a one-hour ticket for city transport costs 30 Kč. If your trip falls on the holidays of 24–26 December or 31 December–1 January, check the news of the carrier DPKV — as of mid-October 2026 there was no holiday timetable there yet. And bear in mind that under Czech law large shops are closed on 25–26 December and 1 January, while on 24 December they are open only until noon.
1.4. Visiting times
The villa is closed to visitors and has no regular open days. The only occasion I managed to find was a heritage open day in September 2013: the owner let guests into the garden and onto the rondel with the cat, but even then no one was allowed into the house.
After the war the building was a residential house, then a holiday home of the airports administration, and after 1989 a private owner bought the villa, restored it and turned it into a family residence. When we were there in autumn 2019, the owner happened to be driving into the grounds. Since April 2025 the villa has been for sale through the agency Czech Republic Sotheby’s International Realty: 468 m² of house and a 2,681 m² plot, price on request (the listing on sreality.cz was still active in October 2026).
2. Views over Karlovy Vary
The Lützow Villa is on the right:
There are plenty of green lawns around the villa — very picturesque:
The grounds are fenced off; unfortunately you can’t get inside:
It’s very beautiful all around:
You can walk on to the viewpoint:
A great view over the town opens up:
View of the Geyser Colonnade:
And here is that very cat:
An excellent lookout point with a view over Karlovy Vary:
There’s certainly plenty to see in Karlovy Vary — from architecture to nature:
A parting photo of the little tower with the cat — have you spotted it? Alas, it’s time to say goodbye to this cosy spot:
3. What else to see nearby
Down in the spa valley stands the Grand Hotel Pupp. In brief, it’s a very stately and beautiful building put up in the imperial era. You can go into the hotel and look at the interiors — the staff don’t object. And the best-known fact about this hotel: the James Bond film ‘Casino Royale’ was shot here.
You can also see the stone garden. It was built by a Japanese master according to all the rules, so you won’t find any differences from such places in Japan itself. I’ve been there too.
Right below the viewpoint, down by the Church of St Mary Magdalene, is the Geyser spring. It’s one of the best-known springs in Karlovy Vary and also a source of medicinal salt. Incidentally, you can buy this salt as a gift or as a souvenir for yourself.
And if you want to look at the town from the other side of the valley, ride the funicular from the Grand Hotel Pupp up to the Diana observation tower. Two things to bear in mind. The funicular has its own fare — an ordinary bus ticket isn’t valid there: as of September 2026 the ride up costs 110 Kč, and a return trip is 165 Kč. And it is sometimes closed for maintenance: for example, from 1 to 25 September 2026 the funicular was closed, while in October 2026 it is running. Before your trip it’s still worth looking at the DPKV news section: closures are announced there.
And if you happen to be in Karlovy Vary in December 2026, the spa area below will be decked out for Christmas: the town’s “Vánoční Karlovy Vary” markets will run from 29 November 2026 to early January 2027, the main stalls will be by the Mill Colonnade, and the town Christmas tree will stand in front of the Hotel Thermal (the markets’ page on karlovyvary.cz).
4. Conclusions
A great viewing platform that’s easy to reach (the others are much harder to get to), an unusual villa, and you can peek over the fence. It’s really lovely up there, and it’s a pity the villa has become private. I’m sure the experience would be even richer if you could look around the grounds properly.
What do you think of an estate like this? Do you like town legends? If you know any legends about your own town, write them in the comments — it will be interesting to read.
