You Are Here – Teplice
I was contacted by some amazing readers of my blog who alerted me to the release of not one, not two, but as many as three new mugs from Czechia. I would like to thank all of them for helping me keep the site up to date. Special thanks go to the reader who provided these photos of the You Are Here Teplice mug, which is where we will start our journey.
Teplice’s history is closely connected with its thermal springs, which were already known in the Middle Ages. A Benedictine monastery was founded here around 1164 by Queen Judith, and the monastery later developed into the complex that became Teplice Castle. By the 18th and 19th centuries, Teplice had become an important European spa destination, attracting aristocrats, artists, scientists and even emperors. The town was known as “Little Paris” during its golden age as a fashionable spa resort.
– The thermal spa (on the back of the mug) is perhaps the most important theme on the mug. Teplice is home to one of the oldest spa traditions in Europe, built around its naturally warm mineral springs. The Pravřídlo spring, for example, currently reaches about 106°F (41°C). The city’s spa architecture, parks and fountains grew around these springs and helped establish Teplice as a major destination for visitors seeking the therapeutic benefits of its waters.
– The Church of St. John the Baptist is represented by its distinctive tower among the collection of historic buildings. Located on Castle Square, the church was originally built in 1594 on the foundations of an older structure and received its present Baroque appearance in 1703. Its tower also serves as a lookout point, offering views over the historic centre of Teplice.
– Another prominent group of buildings represents Teplice Castle. The complex began as a Benedictine monastery founded in the 12th century and was gradually transformed into a manor house and then a castle. The Clary-Aldringen family, who owned it from 1634 until 1945, carried out major rebuilding works that gave the castle much of its present Classicist appearance. Today it houses the Regional Museum of Teplice.
– The mug also features a football, a reference to the city’s strong football tradition. FK Teplice was founded in 1945 and has been based at Na Stínadlech since the stadium opened in 1973. The stadium has a capacity of more than 17,000 spectators and remains one of the largest football grounds in the Czech Republic outside Prague.
– The musical instruments on the mug point to another important part of Teplice’s cultural identity. The city has a long association with classical music, most famously through Ludwig van Beethoven, who visited Teplice several times. The connection remains alive today through the annual Ludwig van Beethoven Music Festival, which continues to bring orchestral and chamber music to the city.
– The Holy Trinity Column (on the front of the mug), also known as the Plague Column, stands on Castle Square and is one of Teplice’s finest Baroque monuments. It was created by the renowned sculptor Matthias Bernard Braun between 1718 and 1719, after the plague epidemic of 1713 spared Teplice. The monument was intended as an expression of gratitude and also commemorated the reconciliation of the four Clary-Aldringen brothers.
– The Doubravka Castle is represented by the historic fortress on Doubravská Mountain overlooking Teplice. Built by Jan Ilburk of Vřesovice between 1478 and 1486, the castle was later expanded into a fortified residence before being damaged by fire in 1626 and eventually demolished during the Thirty Years’ War. Its romantic ruins became a popular destination in the 19th century, and an observation tower was added to one of the surviving bastions in 1884–1885
