A visit to the industrial town of Sokolov, with its beautiful chateau: 2 km

• The town of Sokolov, located on the Ohře river in west Bohemia, is mostly known in recent times for its industrial and mining heritage. With the decline of coal mining in the region, Sokolov has needed to begin a process of revitalization and reclamation of the mining landscape. It is worthwhile stopping by this important (and historic) town to see the latest developments.
• The most obvious attraction in the center of town is the beautifully maintained Baroque chateau, which today houses an information center and a small town museum. The chateau was owned from the 15th to the 17th centuries by the Šlik family – who were leaders of the Protestant rebellion which started the 30 Years War.
• After the Battle of White Mountain, the chateau was confiscated by the Catholic victors and sold to the Nostic family, who reconstructed the property to its current form. The Nostic family were (possibly controversially) unable to reclaim their confiscated properties after the Communist period. The chateau therefore remains in State ownership.
• The main items of interest on a short walk around town are the old town square, lined with Baroque buildings and a fine Plague column, the restored Capuchin monastery (which houses the Nostic family tomb) and the chateau, with its attractive park area. It is little more than a 2 km circuit if starting from the train station. There are many refreshment options in the center of town , but for good coffee and cakes, try Kavárna CAKE CAFE on square (map point 2).

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.com’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.com site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• Starting at the station follow the RED trail into the center of town and on to the chateau
• Return back via the YELLOW trail