Elbogen: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Loket Castle is a royal seat more than 900 years old, situated on a granite massif encircled by the Ohře River.

Culture and History

The original fortifications of Loket were built during the reign of Přemysl Otakar II. The associated bastions still contain loopholes to this day. The origins of the Black Tower can be traced back to the 13th century: it was part of the fortress of the so-called Lower Castle, guarded the town entrance and also served as a lookout tower.

The Black Tower houses an exhibition on historical crafts, including pottery, carpentry and food processing. From there, visitors can see the town of Loket and Loket Castle. St Wenceslas Church stands on the site of an originally Romanesque church that was probably built before the middle of the 13th century.

Museums and Places of Remembrance

The public tour of Loket Castle includes porcelain exhibitions, collections from the former town museum, an arms museum and an authentic exhibition on medieval criminal law. This exhibition is located in the authentic cellar rooms of the former prison.

The Museum of Secret Societies displays 700 exhibits on secret societies such as Freemasons, the Illuminati, Rosicrucians and Skull and Bones. The Museum of Kurlutsch Cups displays more than 3,000 cups dating from the second half of the 18th century to 1945 and presents the world's most comprehensive collection of porcelain Kurlutsch cups, which were used for drinking Carlsbad mineral water.

The Goethe Monument commemorates the German poet, prose writer, dramatist and politician Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749–1832), who frequently visited Loket. His diaries record three journeys through and ten stays in the town.

Nature and Trails

Loket lies in the Slavkov Forest Protected Landscape Area. The Ohře Valley is accessible only on foot or by bicycle.

In the vicinity of Loket is Třešňovka, a recreational trail with 23 stations, a viewpoint overlooking the castle and the town, a picnic area and interactive elements for children. The Loket Visitor Centre provides a town map with tips for the historic centre and the scenic routes around the town.

Loket Castle can be reached almost all the way to the destination on foot, on horseback, by bicycle, on the water, by car or by train.

Events and Crafts

Since the first race in 1995, the Loket motocross track has been a permanent fixture on the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar for decades.

The Loketské kulturní léto festival was founded in 2000. The first performance, on 6 July 2000, was Dvořák's opera Rusalka.

The brewery mini-museum in the Payer House, one of the oldest buildings in the town, showcases the traditional production of barrels, malt processing, historical bottling practices and old machinery. It is part of the Svatý Florian family brewery.

More local pages: Frühbuß, Brösau, Schaben, Neudorf Bei Tepl, Neusattl, Stríbrná, Josefsdorf, Silberbach.

For the higher-level travel overview: Falkenau an der Eger District.