History13 kmA Gothic royal castle on a rock encircled on three sides by the Ohře river. The tour takes you through the Knights' Hall and the porcelain and weapon collections down to the prison tower with its torture chamber. Below lies a picturesque little town with a square and a summer amphitheatre by the river.
History20 kmThe most famous Czech spa town. Stroll from the Hot Spring Colonnade, where the Vřídlo geyser shoots up to around twelve metres, past the Mill Colonnade to the Grandhotel Pupp. Buy a spa cup at any stall to taste the springs – and a spa wafer to go with it.
History25 kmA castle and chateau above the Teplá valley, home of the Reliquary of St Maurus – after the Crown Jewels the second most valuable movable monument in the Czech Republic. It was found in 1985, buried under the floor of the castle chapel. Booking the tour in advance is a good idea.
History28 kmChancellor Metternich's Empire-style chateau set in a vast English landscape park near Mariánské Lázně. The interiors, the cabinet of curiosities and the library survive from the days when Metternich entertained Europe's statesmen here. The park is perfect for a quiet walk.
History26 kmA historic town whose square is lined with half-timbered and burghers' houses. Its symbol is Špalíček, a cluster of eleven medieval houses in the middle of the square. A short walk away stands Cheb Castle with its Black Tower and a rare Romanesque double chapel.
History32 kmA spa town set among parks and listed by UNESCO together with Karlovy Vary and Františkovy Lázně. Its heart is the cast-iron colonnade and the Singing Fountain, which plays music with a water choreography several times a day – in the evening with lights.
History23 kmThe smallest of the three West Bohemian UNESCO spa towns – a quiet place of yellow-and-white Empire architecture, parks and pavilions. Taste the Franz Spring and look for the little statue of František, said to bring luck when touched. The Soos nature reserve is just outside town.
History8.8 kmA Baroque chateau with a Renaissance core in the centre of Sokolov, now home to a museum. The exhibitions cover the history of the region and the mining that shaped it, and the chateau park invites a stroll. A good stop along the Ohře cycle path.
History19 kmA unique medieval tin mine near the vanished mining town of Čistá and a national cultural monument. The tour leads through hand-cut galleries and huge chambers from the 16th century – a rarity in Central Europe. It is cold underground, so bring a warm jacket.
History2.7 kmJust a few kilometres from Háj stood one of the largest prisoner-of-war camps of the Habsburg monarchy in the First World War – up to 30,000 Italian, Russian and Serbian soldiers. Thousands of them died here of typhus, tuberculosis and hunger. Above the village stands a mausoleum from 1925–1928 holding the remains of some 7,100 Serbs and 189 Russians, now a listed monument, and the camp cemetery survives by the woods. A quiet place that tells what happened in these hills.
History4.2 kmA castle from around 1200 on a rocky spur above the Svatava river, close to us near Josefov. After the war it fell into decay, served as a granary and in 1985 it was set on fire. Since 1997 its owner Bedřich Loos has been restoring it with traditional methods, work that earned him the Patrimonium pro futuro award. The guided tour takes about 50 minutes and shows how a burnt-out shell is becoming a castle again. In July and August tours start every hour from Tuesday to Sunday, at other times by arrangement.
History21 kmAn open-air museum on the site of the former Vilém tin mine in the Slavkov Forest. Across 13 buildings and 8.5 hectares it shows tin, ore and coal mining in the Sokolov region, mining machinery, mine rescuers and one of the oldest mine power stations in the country. From May to October you can ride the mine railway – the children's favourite. Open March to October, Wednesday to Sunday; allow about an hour and a half.
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