In Loket (Elbogen), the history of the castle and city meets a range of museum themes and opportunities to explore the surrounding area. Loket Castle is a royal seat more than 900 years old, set on a granite massif surrounded by the Ohře River. When planning your visit, it helps to consider the castle as more than a single building: its visitor route includes exhibitions on city history, weapons, porcelain and medieval criminal law.
Loket Castle and the Black Tower
The public visitor route through the castle includes collections from the former city museum, a weapons museum and an exhibition on medieval criminal law. The latter is housed in the authentic cellars of the former prison. The castle therefore brings together a range of themes, from collections and weapons to criminal law and prison history. The layout of the exhibitions may change during restoration work, which may also affect access to the cellars. Check the current visitor information before your visit.
The Black Tower dates back to the 13th century. It was part of the fortress of the so-called Lower Castle, guarded the entrance to the town and also served as a watchtower. Today, it houses an exhibition on historic crafts, including pottery, carpentry and food processing. From the Black Tower, you can see both the town of Loket and Loket Castle. The tower’s seasonal opening hours may vary.
Museums and City History
The Museum of Secret Societies displays 700 exhibits on Freemasons, the Illuminati, Rosicrucians and Skull and Bones. The Cup Museum offers a very different collection, presenting more than 3,000 cups dating from the second half of the 18th century to 1945. These vessels were used for drinking Karlovy Vary mineral water. The two museums focus on different subjects: the history of secret societies and a distinctive type of drinking vessel.
The town’s architectural history can also be traced at several sites. The original town fortifications were built during the reign of Přemysl Otakar II, and loopholes are still preserved in the associated bastions. St. Wenceslas Church stands on the site of an originally Romanesque church, probably built before the mid-13th century. The Goethe Monument commemorates Johann Wolfgang Goethe, who often visited Loket. His diaries record three journeys through the town and ten stays there—two different ways of counting his visits.
Another glimpse into local history is offered by the brewery mini-museum in the Payer House, one of the town’s oldest buildings. It showcases traditional barrel-making, malt processing, historical bottling, and old machinery, and is part of the Svatý Florian family brewery. As access arrangements may change, it is a good idea to check visitor information if you plan to make this a fixed stop.
Trails, Views and Getting There
Near Loket, the Třešňovka leisure trail has 23 stations. Its features include a viewpoint overlooking the castle and town, a picnic area and interactive elements for children. The trail offers a different way to spend your visit than touring the collections. Facilities may be modified or maintained seasonally; if particular stations are important to you, check the latest information in advance.
The Loket visitor centre provides a town map with tips for the historic centre and viewpoints around the town. Loket is also in the Slavkovský les Protected Landscape Area. The visitor information lists several ways to get almost all the way to the castle: on foot, on horseback, by bicycle, by water, by car or by train. Since transport services and restrictions may change, check current connections and access information for your trip. This makes it possible to plan your castle visit, explore the town’s history and spend time outdoors according to the subjects that interest you most in Loket.
Discover more destinations: Bukovany, JindÅ™ichovice, Sokolov, OlovÃ, Chodov, PÅ™ebuz, Douglasgrün, Katzengrün.
Back to the regional travel overview: Sokolov District.
