Busacca Gallery

Engraved "Karlsbad"on the lid. German Antique and Retro Carved Agate and Metal Fittings Match Boxe. A beautiful antique retro hinged matchbox, gilt finish meal fittings, set with beveled edges carved striped agate, rectangular form measuring approx. measuring 2 ¾" x 1 ⅞" x ⅜". Karlsbad’s been famous for its spa baths. since Count Karl Wilhelm von Baden opened the first one in 1719. Karlsbad, Is A Black Forest Classic With Antiquity. At the northern edge of the mystique Black Forest lies the picturesque town of Karlsbad. The village is individually unique and considerably old and has been around since the 12th and 13th century. The region is famous for its Black Forest wood carvings. Karlsbad was named after Karl IV, an emperor of the Holy German-Roman Empire who built the town in 1370 on the banks of the Tepla River. The town was built around mineral-rich springs and later developed into a well-known spa town. In 1759 most of the town's houses were burned down in a fire. The town was rebuilt according to a plan, but instead of the wooden houses magnificent stone structures were built in their place.

The history of Karlovy Vary dates back to the 14th century, when Charles IV founded a spa there, named Horké Lázně u Lokte, which means “hot spas at Loket“. Charles IV was the same king after whom the famous Charles Bridge in Prague was named. The settlement was renamed to Karlovy Vary later and was granted town privileges in 1370. Karl is the Czech version of the name “Charles” and vary is the plural of var meaning “boiling”. The name of the town may be therefore understood more or less as “Charles’s Hot Springs”.