Charles IV Equestrian Statue in Karlovy Vary

Standing on Divadelní náměstí in Karlovy Vary, the equestrian statue of Charles IV (Jezdecká socha Karla IV.) is a contemporary monument paying homage to the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia who founded the spa town. Unveiled on May 7, 2022, during the official opening of the 665th spa season, the sculpture depicts the monarch on horseback, marking a key landmark between the thermal springs and the grand bath palaces of the southern spa district.

Origins and Creation

The initiative to build the equestrian monument began around 2016 to mark the 700th anniversary of the birth of Charles IV. In 2017, the Rotary Club Karlovy Vary and the Karlovy Vary Gallery of Arts organized an artistic competition that drew 13 proposals from 12 creators. Academic sculptor Michal Gabriel won the competition, designing the piece in collaboration with architect Michael Gabriel.

The realization of the monument was financed through public fundraising, art auctions, regional and municipal grants, and a charity ball titled Vary Karlovi. Placing the monument on Divadelní náměstí required several years of municipal debate and consultations with regional heritage authorities before final approvals were granted.

Engineering and Optical Design

The monument was manufactured and precision-engineered by KASPER KOVO s.r.o. in Trutnov. Measuring between 5.6 and 5.8 meters in height, the entire structure weighs between 26.5 and 30 tonnes. This weight is distributed across an 11-tonne concrete sub-slab, a 4-tonne concrete pedestal, an 8-tonne lamellar steel plinth, and a 3.5-tonne equestrian figure.

Unlike traditional cast-bronze monuments, the statue is assembled from hundreds of parallel horizontal steel plates cut by laser. These stacked lamellas are separated by narrow gaps that allow daylight to penetrate the structure. Depending on the viewer's angle and ambient lighting conditions, the sculpture creates a kinetic visual effect, shifting between a solid silhouette and a semi-transparent, shimmering outline.

The Floating Crown and Time Capsule

Carefully designed negative space within the pedestal produces a notable optical illusion: when viewed from a specific angle, the silhouette of the St. Wenceslas Crown (Svatováclavská koruna) appears to float suspended in mid-air inside the slotted steel base.

During its installation, a sealed time capsule was deposited inside the sculpture. It contains regional documents, contemporary print newspapers, and small artifacts documenting the period of the monument's creation.

Urban Context and Reception

Local tradition credits Charles IV with establishing the spa settlement around 1370 after thermal waters healed his leg during a hunting expedition. This installation represents the fourth public monument dedicated to Charles IV in Karlovy Vary, joining a 1739 Baroque sandstone statue on the municipal library facade and an 1858 monument situated in Sady Karla IV.

Positioned near the Teplá River on Divadelní náměstí, the statue serves as a public meeting point between the Hot Spring Colonnade (Vřídelní kolonáda) and the historic southern quarter containing the Císařské lázně and Grandhotel Pupp. Its modern industrial aesthetics sparked a local dialogue, drawing praise for progressive public art alongside concerns that its layered industrial steel contrasts with the surrounding neo-Baroque and Belle Époque architecture.