Loket Castle — Attraction in Sokolov District

The Loket Stone Castle stands on top of a rocky hill towering over the town surrounded by Ohře river. Currently, its gates are open to tourists, they can visit the historic interiors, admire the views from the 26-meter Romanesque tower, as well as learn about the history of torture.

At the beginning of the 13th century, Loket, a royal castle was built on a landmark promontory within the Ohře River bend. It used to be called the "Key to the Czech Kingdom". Soon after, a small town, first mentioned in 1288, arose below the castle. In the early 15th century the royal town was fortified and turned into an important focal point of the Czech Crown. In the course of the 19th century, the town became famous for its local porcelain factory. However, industrial production was located in the surrounding towns. The town regained its former fame in the time of beginning tourism bloom, when the local area of great natural beauty and numerous historical monuments became increasingly popular with holidaymakers and romantics.

Guests can also see an exhibition of porcelain with products from nearby, non-working factories and a room with collections of firearms and knightly armor.

The castle also reveals its dark side to guests - there is a reconstruction of the torture chamber with terrible tools used in the past to inflict pain and death. In the castle dungeons you can meet Štrakakal, a house elf with a book and brush, who, according to legend, tries to comb his tousled children.

Loket Castle is open daily for visitors: November – March: 09:00 – 16:00 April – June: 09:00 – 17:00 July – August: 09:00 – 18:30 September – October: 09:00 – 17:00 Last admission 30 minutes before closing time

The historic town of Loket (Elbow, Elbogen in German) is located about 14 kilometres from the centre of Karlovy Vary. Start your trip in the Karlovy Vary district of Doubí. To get there, use bus No. 6 and then follow the blue tourist route. A pleasant walk through the romantic valley of the Ohře River past the Svatoš Rocks is 9.5 kilometres long and will take you about two and a half hours. If you decide to ride a bike, the cycling path that is part of the backbone cycling route No. 204 will lead you through the valley as well. To get to Loket from Karlovy Vary, take an intercity bus from Dolní nádraží (Lower Bus Station) or a train leaving from Horní nádraží (Upper Railway Station), changing in the Chodov station. If you are travelling to Loket by car, use the R6 motorway in the direction of Cheb. At the Loučky exit, turn onto the 209 district road that will take you directly...

Loket castle is a medieval structure with a colourful history, much restored but still very much in character. It dominates the town below and looks impregnable and large from afar but is quite intimate once you are inside. Narrow stairs and passages make it an adventure but not for the mobility impaired. We parked in the small town square and walked up. Parking is at a premium and we were fortunate in finding a space. We were self guiding but there are multi lingual captions. Near the entrance, stairs take you to a room displaying a section of a meteorite that fell to earth near the town and was much celebrated in the day. There are displays of weapons, clothing etc. The central courtyard is authentically 'rough', with stalls around the sides as it would have been in the day. The living spaces for the nobles were more refined. The highlight of the tour was an extensive dungeon with oddly comic manikkins being tortured by a variety of devices to the accompaniment of recorded screams. The effect was like the house of horrors in a country fair or a b grade movie starring Bella Lugosi. Admission to the castle was very reasonable and the town below the castle, with its cobbles and old buildings is charming. Definitely...

Ticket cost per 09.2024 : 7 Euro per person

Beautiful looking castle with deep history. After buying the ticket, visitors will be given a paper containing the information of the castle. (In czech, german, or english language).

There are several interesting rooms and buildings to explore. One of the remarkable ones was the torture room deep in the basement.

The history of the town of Loket. At the beginning of the 13th century, Loket, a royal castle was built on a landmark promontory within the Ohře River bend.

The castle today is divided into nine different parts containing many medieval artefacts of historical interest. Besides the Margrave's House where an exhibition of porcelain is on display and the remains of a Romanesque rotunda, the smallest of its type in the Czech Republic, the castle also features the prison cells and the chamber of torture, the wedding and the ceremonial hall, the historical arms and Archeological hall, where a maquette of the so-called 'bewitched burgrave' Elbogen meteorite is on display, a Romanesque prismatic tower, the 15th-century burgrave's house and the captain's house, and a 16th-century...