The first casinos in the Czech Republic

Chronological landmark (short)

XVIII-XIX centuries Kurzaly and social houses in Karlovy Vary, Mariana and Frantiskov Lazny (balls, concerts, elite leisure without the obligatory gambling function).

1899–1901. Building "Casino" in Mariansk Lazne as a cultural center (not a gambling house).

1905. Prague Palác Savarin is one of the first "real" casino clubs in the city/region, cementing the format of the urban gambling scene.

Late 1980s. Kaiserbad in Karlovy Vary briefly uses the casino function - already as a late reinterpretation of a historical object.

After 1989. Revival of the industry, return of halls in resorts and Prague, further institutionalization of the industry.

Why it matters for today

1. Roots in resort culture. Czech "first casinos" grew out of resort salons - hence the attention to interiors, music and etiquette.

2. Prague genesis of the city casino. Savarin has become a symbol of the "game + social life" format, which has survived to this day in an updated form.

3. Accuracy of terms. Not every historic "Casino" was a gambling hall; some of the buildings are cultural "kurzals." This helps to correctly read the tablets on the facades in Karlovy Vary and Mariansk Lazne.

For history lovers: where to go to "touch" the era

Palác Savarin (Prague). One of the oldest addresses in Prague casino history; the palace itself is a monument of architecture and urban life of the XX century.

Grandhotel Pupp (Carlsbad). A grand hotel with tradition since 1701, an icon of resort splendor; many "casino myths" are associated with this location and the surrounding halls.

Social house "Casino" (Marianske Lazne). Not a gambling house, but a historical cultural center - an example of turn-of-the-century resort architecture.

The first Czech "casinos" grew out of the resort secular culture of the 19th century, and a full-fledged urban format was designed by Prague venues of the early 20th century, where Palác Savarin (1905) is often called the oldest operating casino in the region. The socialist era almost cut short the tradition, but after 1989 the industry revived - already under modern regulation, while preserving the historical aesthetics of kurzals and grand hotels. For the historian and traveler, this is a plot about how cultural leisure, architecture and play intertwined into a unique Czech phenomenon.