Loket is a picturesque Medieval town in Okres Sokolov, Karlovarský kraj – western Bohemia in the Czech Republic.
Loket means ‘elbow’, because the center of the village is surrounded by the Ohře River, giving rise to a shape similar to an elbow. The center itself is set up by Loket Castle, a 12th-century Gothic castle. The town center is a national monument, and as such is protected from any modern development.
More Read
The entire historic old town is under special state protection as a monument reservation. Because of its cityscape, Loket was also often praised as the Bohemian Rothenburg. The city is a traditional destination for spa guests in Karlovy Vary.
The town hosts an annual opera festival, which takes place in an amphitheater with the castle in the background. Loket also hosts the Czech Motocross Championship.
Access : Coordinates: 50.188611, 12.751389 / By car : The road II / 209 connecting Loket with Horní Slavkov and III / 2099, which leads to Sokolov, passes through the town. / By train : The city crosses line 144, where there are two stops.
Highlights :
- The historic city center was declared an urban monument reserve in 1980.In 2006, scenes for the James Bond film Casino Royale were filmed in Loket’s market square.
- The second major attraction is the Ohře River. The dominant feature of Loket Castle is beautified by the section sought after by kayakers. Downstream, about one kilometer from the bridge, there is a boating camp .
- City fortifications / Market square : In the market square with a plague pillar – the column of the Holy Trinity, surrounded by “toy” houses, the whole picture resembles illustrations for children’s fairy tales in numerous books.
- Loket Castle (Hrad Loket) : The castle was built as a border fortress at the intersection of trade routes, and the first mention of it dates back to 1234. The film “Casino Royale” was shot in the Czech castle Loket. The castle served as a border fortress that protected the country from the German conquerors.It was here, according to legend, that the greatest poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, already in old age, met his last love, 19-year-old Ulrika.
- Prehistoric collection in the city museum, founded by Dr. Anton Gnirs / Bookbinding Museum (in the town hall) / St. Wenceslas Church.
- Svatošské rocks : It is a set of erosive shapes (pyramids, pillars) above the river, which was created due to the erosive activity of the river Ohře in the granite massif. They are widely used by recreational climbers.
- The city center, the bridge and the parking lot near the castle served as the backdrop for the film T-34 in 2017.Parts of the first season of the television series Genius about Albert Einstein were filmed here, as well as numerous commercials.
- Another natural tourist destination is the Ohře cycle path from Lokte to Karlovy Vary. It measures about 10 kilometers / 22 meter high suspension bridge, one of the oldest in the Czech Republic.
Activities : sightseeing / photo opportunities / take a walk in the area around the castle / Sightseeing excursions / Rafting Ohre.
Go next : The spa town of Karlovy Vary , about 15 km from Loket / Cheb , a city in Bohemia in Western Czech Republic.
