town was founded by the Teplá abbots, namely Karl Kaspar Reitenberger, who also bought some of the surrounding forests to protect them. The inhospitable marshland valley was changed into a park-like countryside with colonnades, neoclassical buildings and pavilions around the springs. The name Marienbad first appeared in 1786; since 1865 it has been a town. Then came a second period of growth, the town's Golden Era. Between 1870 and 1914 many new hotels, colonnades and other buildings were constructed or rebuilt from older houses. In 1872 the town got a railway connection with the town of Cheb and thus with the whole Austro-Hungarian Empire and the rest of Europe. The town soon became one of the top European spas, popular with notable figures and rulers who often returned there. At that time, about 20,000 visitors came every year. It was also a popular resort and vacation venue for European rabbis and their Hasidic followers, accommodating their needs with kosher restaurants, religious prayer services, etc. Marienbad remained a popular destination between World War I and World War II. After World War II, the ethnic German population of the town was forcibly expelled according to the Potsdam agreement, thereby emptying the town of the majority of its population. After the communist coup-d'état in 1948, it was sealed off from most of its foreign visitors. After the return of democracy in 1989 much effort was put into restoring the town into its original character. Today it is a spa town and a popular holiday resort thanks to its location among the green mountains of the Slavkovský les and the Český les, sport facilities (the town's first golf course was opened in 1905 by the British King Edward VII) and the proximity to other spa towns, such as Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) or Františkovy Lázně (Franzensbad). Demographics Until their expulsion in 1945 the majority of the population of the town were German (see Sudetenland). Afterwards, the Czechoslovak authorities repopulated the town with Czechs from the hinterland. As of 2022, with an average age of 46.4 years, the town has one of the oldest populations in the country, and the oldest among the towns with a population of over 10,000. Transport Mariánské Lázně is located on three important railway lines: Prague–Cheb, Plzeň–Karlovy Vary, and Františkovy Lázně–Bohumín. Mariánské Lázně Airport is situated on the southern border of the town. Public transport The town's public transport is operated