Source: Město Loket
Town of Loket
The former royal town lies in a meander of the Ohře River in the shape of an elbow, hence the name of the town. The town center is a historical preservation area. The town's dominant feature – the Gothic Loket Castle towering above the river – originated in the 12th century. The first written mention of the town dates back to 1234. The town lies at an altitude of approximately 427 meters above sea level on a granite river promontory. A geological peculiarity is the occurrence of a specific form of feldspar known as the Karlovy Vary twin. South of the town lies the Slavkovský Forest Protected Landscape Area (PLA).
Source: Živý kraj
Loket Castle
The originally Romanesque royal castle was founded in the third quarter of the 12th century as a guard fortress. Later, it was rebuilt into a representative family seat of the Schlick family in the late Gothic style. The castle is home to what is said to be the oldest Czech meteorite, which fell here in 1422 and is now nicknamed the Enchanted Burgrave. The castle also served as a prison, and so part of the exhibition is devoted to torture law and historical weapons. Since 1992, the castle has been owned by the town of Loket.
Source: Town Loket
Goethe´s Pavilion
The Schwarzenberg Lookout, also known as Goethe's Pavilion, is located at the Hotel U Bílého koně (At the White Horse). In 1823, the southern city walls were built, which already belonged to the inn At the White Horse at that time. German poet J. W. Goethe celebrated his 74th birthday on this wooden veranda with decorative carved railings. It was also here that he had his fateful encounter with the young Ulrike von Levetzow. You can sit on the terrace by the pavilion, enjoy some refreshments, and look out over the Ohře River valley.
Source: Živý kraj
Loket Open-Air Amphitheatre
Directly below Loket Castle there is an amphitheatre set in the romantic surroundings of a park by the Ohře River, which was built in the 1940s. It offers not only a unique atmosphere in the natural surroundings of Loket Castle, but also perfect acoustics. The first cultural season began on July 2, 1949, with Antonín Dvořák's opera Rusalka. The amphitheatre has a capacity of 1,800 seats and has undergone several renovations. During the summer season, concerts of various genres, musical, opera, theatre and film performances, as well as other cultural events of the town, take place here. The amphitheatre offers a beautiful view of the castle.
Source: IC Karlovy Vary
Svatoš Rocks
It is a granite rock town by the Ohře River on the way from Loket to Karlovy Vary. It is a national natural monument that even J. W. Goethe was enchanted by and visited regularly. According to one of many legends, a water nymph from the Ohře River turned an unfaithful suitor and his wedding procession to stone here. This story was, among other things, the inspiration for Goethe's masterpiece Faust.