Japonská zahrada

The Hana Bälz Japanese Garden is a small but atmospheric corner of Karlovy Vary — a Japanese Zen rock garden tucked away in a park near the Parkhotel Richmond, on the left bank of the Teplá River on the town's southern outskirts. It's easy to walk right past it while strolling along the main colonnades, yet it offers a completely different, contemplative experience than the spa architecture the town is famous for.

Where does the garden's name come from?

The garden is named after Hana Bälz, wife of the German internal medicine specialist Dr. Erwin von Bälz. In 1876 he was invited by the Japanese Emperor to help lay the foundations of modern medicine in Japan. Hana Bälz herself is credited with helping bring Japanese and European culture closer together, and the garden was opened to mark the 150th anniversary of her husband's birth — a symbolic tribute to the ties between the two nations.

Who designed the garden?

The garden was designed by Kanji Nomura, a renowned Japanese landscape architect. Construction was carried out together with eight Japanese gardeners brought over from Nagoya Prefecture. The work was completed on 16 June 1998, and the garden's ceremonial opening took place the same month.

What does the garden look like, and what does it symbolize?

It's a classic Japanese Zen rock garden, laid out on a circular plan. An inner arch running through the design references the principle of yin and yang — two opposing yet complementary forces. White gravel represents the sea stretching symbolically between the eastern and western hemispheres, at once separating and connecting the two cultures. A single stone protrudes at the centre of the composition, representing Hana Bälz herself — a figure bridging East and West, the good that binds the two worlds together.

The garden's minimalist form — stone, gravel, geometric arrangement — is typical of traditional Zen gardens, where a deliberately limited palette of materials is meant to encourage stillness and meditation rather than decorative spectacle.

Why is it worth visiting?

The Hana Bälz Garden offers a rare chance in Central Europe to see an authentic Japanese Zen garden designed and built by Japanese specialists themselves, rather than a local interpretation of the style. Its location in a quiet part of the park, away from the crowds around the main colonnades, makes it a good stop during a longer walk along the Teplá — particularly for anyone interested in landscape architecture, Eastern symbolism, or the history of Japanese-European relations.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the garden located? In the park near the Parkhotel Richmond, on the left bank of the Teplá River, on the southern outskirts of Karlovy Vary.

When was the garden built? Construction was completed on 16 June 1998, and it opened the same month.

Who designed it? Japanese landscape architect Kanji Nomura, together with eight gardeners from Nagoya Prefecture.

What does the central stone represent? It symbolizes Hana Bälz, a figure connecting Eastern and Western culture.

Why is the garden named after Hana Bälz rather than her husband? The opening coincided with the 150th anniversary of Dr. Erwin von Bälz's birth, but it's his wife who is credited with bringing Japanese and European culture closer together, which is why the garden bears her name.