Loket Iconic Castle

www.hradloket.cz Accessibility: 142 km from Prague

by train from Prague 3 h 45 min by bus from Prague 2 h 43 min by car from Prague 1 h 56 min

Target group: Pleasure seekers: without children, families with children

One of the most picturesque Czech castles, Johann Wolfgang Goethe called Loket “a work of art in the landscape”. The castle associated with the life of King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV is the Romanesque crown of a small medieval town surrounded almost entirely by the river Ohře. It offers several exhibitions and entertainment programmes, and also conceals the oldest meteorite and the smallest rotunda in the world. A Castle Where Charles IV was Imprisoned One of the oldest stone castles in the Czech lands has towered over a meander on the river Ohře for over 800 years. It was built in the Romantic style on the site of a former Slavic fortified settlement to protect a trade route and to guard the border. At the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, a small medieval town grew up around it. The castle was known as “the key to the Kingdom of Bohemia” and it was believed that anyone who conquered Loket would conquer all of Bohemia. But the castle was never taken. It was highly appreciated by King Charles IV, even though, as a young boy, he was kept there by force by his own father. He did not come to resent the castle, however, and often stayed there. He even classified it among places which should never be taken away from the Czech crown. Although the castle later underwent several redevelopments, it has not lost its Romantic spirit. It has preserved its Romanesque foundations and, above all, its extraordinarily valuable rotunda which, with an inner diameter of just 3.6 metres, is the world’s smallest preserved rotunda. Loket is extremely popular for its attractive exhibitions, as well as for its rich cultural events. There are festivals and fairs, the Feast of Knights with a jousting tournament, the Castle Vintage, concerts, theatre and fencing performances, the famous Castle and Chateau Advent and the Ore Mountain Christmas. Children will especially enjoy the mini zoo, as well as the interactive programme A Flight through Charles’ World and exhibitions of porcelain and tin toys.

Authentic Torture Chambers and Executions However, visitors of all ages are most attracted by spectacular exhibitions of medieval torture in a

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Destination Manual 2020 | Cultural Tourism

torture chamber with movable mannequins, where vivid demonstrations of various torture methods are accompanied by authentic sounds and screams. At many castle events, you can also experience chillingly faithful reconstructions of medieval executions. In the Margrave’s house, you can see an old pharmacy, exhibitions of wooden statues and sculptures and, above all, part of the legendary Loket meteorite, which was dug up in a nearby field around the year 1400 and recorded as the world’s oldest meteorite. More fascinating exhibits await beneath the castle tower. You can see a collection of cold weapons and firearms, helmets and artistically drawn targets. You can also visit several floors of prison cells, where children will be frightened by Štrakakal, a little man who punishes untidy and messy-haired children. And that’s not all. There is an interesting exhibition of historical porcelain and unique Gothic murals from the reign of Wenceslas IV. There is also plenty of interest in the town below. The Baroque town hall houses a Museum of Bookbinding with a fully functional late 19th-century book bindery, while the historical square is dominated by a Baroque Holy Trinity Column and lined by a series of town houses.

City nearby: Karlovy Vary, Beneficial Harmony for Body and Soul Loket is a fifteen-minute drive from the most famous Czech spa town, enchanting Karlovy Vary. The number of local therapeutic mineral springs is unparalleled in the world. There are 81 of them! Stroll along the famous colonnades, try the beneficial effects of the local spas and wellness programmes, visit the Moser Museum of Glass and Glassworks or the Jan Becher Museum, or experience the unforgettable atmosphere of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Karlovy Vary in early July.

www.hradloket.cz Amphitheatre Loket: www.loket.cz/kulturni-akce/prirodni-amfiteatr-loket/ Karlovy Vary region: www.zivykraj.cz Karlovy Vary: www.karlovyvary.cz