Loket Castle

Loket Castle occupies one of the most remarkable natural positions of any castle in the Czech Republic. It stands on a granite island almost entirely encircled by a sweeping bend of the Ohře River — and the name says it all: loket is Czech for elbow, a direct reference to the river's tight horseshoe curve. That natural moat has defended the site for nearly 800 years, making Loket Castle one of the most strategically perfect medieval fortresses in Bohemia.

Founded at the close of the 12th century, the castle is among the oldest surviving stone fortresses in the country, with Romanesque walls considered some of the earliest still standing in Bohemia. The young Charles IV — future Holy Roman Emperor and founder of Charles University in Prague — spent part of his childhood here, brought by his father John of Luxemburg. The castle later guarded the western frontier road leading toward Cheb and the Holy Roman Empire. A devastating fire in 1725 changed its purpose: from 1822, Loket served as a regional prison, a history its dungeon and torture chamber exhibition still vividly recalls. An unexpected medieval relic also survives: the Loket Meteorite, a piece of extraterrestrial rock kept here since the 14th century.

Few castles anywhere can match Loket's cultural reach. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited multiple times during his stays at Karlovy Vary spa, calling the town "beautiful beyond any description." His most celebrated stay came in summer 1823, when he marked his 74th birthday on the castle terrace alongside the young Ulrike von Levetzow — an event immortalised in his poetry. Nearly two centuries later, Loket appeared on screen in Casino Royale (2006), doubling as a Montenegrin hospital garden where James Bond convalesces after his torture scene. The Brothers Grimm (2005), Hannibal Rising (2007), and The Illusionist (2006) were also filmed here.

The medieval town below the castle is a destination in its own right: a compact street plan little changed since the 14th century, a late-Gothic parish church, a Baroque town hall, and the Saint Florian craft brewery. In summer, canoe and raft hire is available on the Ohře River for those who want to experience the castle from the water. Loket is just 15 km from Karlovy Vary, making it the natural complement to a spa-town day trip. From Prague, the journey takes under two hours by bus via Karlovy Vary — or around 1 hour 45 minutes by car via the D6 motorway.