The earliest reports on the mineral springs date back to the 12
th century. The first chemical analysis was made in 1572 and within 50 years the so-called Cheb acidulous mineral water had made a name for itself. The social elite of the time, kings and nobility, all came for treatment to Cheb. The founding of the spa was only approved in 1793 and the spa was later renamed
the Emperor Franz Spa. Therapeutical methods developed with the development of the spa and many leading physicists of the time worked here. Frantiskovy Lazne has a vast wealth of natural curative sources suitable for the treatment of heart and vascular diseases, gynecological disorders and disorders of the motor system. The spa has 24 springs of strong carbonic water saturated with minerals. 12 springs are used for baths and drinking cures. The rich local deposits of sulphur-ferric peat are used for packs and baths. A very important source of natural therapy is the spring which emanates carbon dioxide.
As concerns urban development Frantiskovy Lazne is a valuable construction entity. The individual buildings are surrounded by a sea of greenery - parks and woodland parks which are the pride of the spa and which provide the spa guests with the required calm.
The centre of the town is Namesti miru (Peace Square) dominated by Frantiskuv pramen
(Frantisek spring). Nearby is
the statue of the boy with the fish whom everyone has always called Frantisek. Of the buildings one should note the oldest preserved pension in the town The House at the Three Lilies (Dum u tri lilii), the Gas bath (Plynove lazne, the New Colonnade, Glauber Court, the colonnades of the Salt (Solny) and Lucni (Meadow) springs and Spa III.
The 250 hectares of parks and wooded areas represent an exquisite environment for various types of physical activities. The most frequented area for walks is America: the lake with the surrounding wooded park and restaurant on its bank. One of the natural landmarks of the area is Komorni hurka, 2 km southeast of the spa, the youngest quaternary volcano in the Czech Republic which was evidently still active during the first settlement of this area. At a distance of 5 km from Frantiskovy Lazne is another unique natural beauty, namely
the Soos peatbog. Its numerous cracks and vents emanate sizzling gaseous carbon dioxide and water bubbles in little lakes giving
the impression of boiling water. With this is connected another interesting phenomenon in this nature reserve, namely the so-called mofets which are really small mud volcanos. Some 7 km from the spa is Skalna where there used to be a water fort founded in the 13
th century.
Guide 
