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The house was originally built in late Romanesque style but it burned down in 1725. Only foundations remained original (all underneath the floor), the rest of the building was renewed as museum at the beginning of 20th century.
On the first floor of the Magrave´s House, the visitors can find exhibits of refunded collections, originally from Loket, among them also Loket meteorite that belongs to the eldest discoveries worldwide.
Serveral floors of cold and wet prison cells were preserved unchanged till nowadays. They originate from 1822-1948 when the castle served as prison. In one of the cells, you will find Strakakal, a shaggy little man who punishes by book slaps on a back all untidy children with messy hair.
In the prison, you will also find demonstration of right of torture that was used in Middle Ages to make the prisoner to confess. The terrible form of torture by various instruments can be seen on motion life-size figurines, the atmosphere is underlined by nerve-wracking sounds.
The castle Rotunda (capella castri) originates in 12th cetnury and it was devoted to St. Agnes. At that time, it was a solitaire building in the north-eastern part of the original roman settlement. In the next centuries, the Rotunda was incorporated into the body of stairway in the northern palace where it waited till 1966 to be rediscovered. With the inner diameter of only 3.6 metres, it is the smallest Rotunda worldwide.
On the first floor of the Eastern Wing, the Ceremonial Hall can be found that is widely used for music and theatre performances or wedding and medieval feasts.
From the Hall, the visitors can take the stairway down to the Ceremonial Chamber, decorated with large mural of 17th century. A guard and a detail of burning main castle gate are pictured on the mural. Portrayals of historical figures can be seen on other walls, the ceiling is made with painted lock tiling.
The Ceremonial Hall and Ceremonial Chamber are available to lease.
The Hall on the first floor hides one of the castle jewels: murals originated from the beginning of 15th century. The murals represent the view behind the castle walls, to the garden with fruit trees, flowers and birds.
There is an Exposition of Porcelain on the ground floor of the District Office building. The porcelain comes from the production of local perished factories. Visitors might find interest in ancient firing devices, toothpick holders in the shape of little figures, porcelain doll heads or old spa buttons.
In the tract underneath the castle tower, the Exposition of Historical Arms can be found: Cold-arms (bar arms, swords etc.) and fire-arms (mountain cannon, fancy decorated muskets etc.). There are also plate armatures, casques or painted targets on display.
In the Margrave´s House, there are exhibits places, of refunded Loket collections. Furniture of previous three centuries can be seen as well as old Loket pharmacy, wooden sculptures and reliefs.
On the same spot, next to precious minerals, the Loket meteorite can be viewed that Johann Wolfgang Goethe himself was very interested in.
Visitors themselves can experience the glimpse of medieval torture. The unique show of moving figurines is underlined with chilling cries and groans of prisoners. The right of torture is set up in authentic premises of castle basement prison.
Visitors will be surely amazed by the Exposition of Arms, historical cold-arms and fire-arms where various old military equipment and casques can be seen.
Artistic targets used for shooting are surely an unconventional matter of interest.
Unique murals of the period of Wenceslas IV reign were discovered in the years 1990.
The murals were painted on dry parget (secco technique) and they give a view of gardens behind the castle walls. Observant visitors will surely notice the fading remnants of coats-of-arms and figure painted motives.
The walls of Ceremonial Hall are decorated with framed copies of historical documents of the castle and the Loket town itself.
The original documents are deposited in the State Archive in Jindrichovice. The documents were chosen by historian Dr. Vladimir Vlasak.
A wast collection of porcelain of 19th and 20th century is the unique jewel of the castle expositions. The porcelain was made in Loket´s, Horni Slavkov´s and other local factories.
Viennese spa goblets, made during the turn of 18th and 19th century, belong to the most precious showpieces, as well as painted porcelain pipe heads or the very first piece ever made in the Loket porcelain factory.
Visitors can also view the glass products of the famous glass factory of Moser, based in Karlovy Vary.
The Loket castle, built of stone, is more than 800 year old settlement, positioned on a granite rock that is runaround by the river of Ohre. It was most probably founded as a frontier fortress. The castle served to kings, Lords of Schlick and Lords of Plauen, Loket´s townsmen and it was used as prison in 19th and 20th century. Shortly after 1989, it was open for public. The tour leads through expositions of porcelain, collections of former town museum, museum of arms to the premises of former prison where an impressive and authentic demonstration of torture can be seen.
It is not clear when exactly the Romanesque castle was founded. Vladislaus I, Bohemian King or ministerial officials of Fridrich I Barbosa are considered as the founders. German farmers were invited by ministerial officials to populate the area.
A half-timbered settlement was built around the castle that was later raised to a royal town. At the end of 14th century, the castle gained its current gothic appearance and became a frequented harbour of royal family members.
The first written mention of Loket castle comes from 1234. Later, under the rule of Ottokar II of Bohemia, Premyslid dynasty King, the castle underwent extensive rebuilding in early gothic style.
During the turbulent period of protests against the King John of Luxembourg, Queen Eliska Premyslovna found a refuge in the castle, together with her child Wenceslas who later became the Emperor and King Charles IV. Although he was imprisoned here at the age of 3, he liked visiting the castle later in his life.
The castle was besieged during the Hussite Wars but it was not taken even after the second attempt. As a reward for their financial help, Chancellor Caspar Schlick gained the castle as forfeiture and under the administration of Schlick Dynasty, the Loket castle changes into a representative dynasty residence in upcoming Renaissance style.
After extensive confiscation of wealth of Schlick Dynasty and after numerous disagreements with townsmen, the castle became a property of Lords of Plauen. They did not prove to be good landlords so the castle came under the administration of Loket´s townsmen.
The castle became the property of Loket´s townsmen and during the upcoming years served mostly for homestead purposes. At Loket´s Town Hall was in poor condition, the castle was also used for town councillor gatherings.
Jiri Popel of Lobkowicz, the highest controller of Bohemian Kingdom, who was imprisoned in Kladsko town and later in Loket for disrespect towards imperial majesty, died in Loket castle prison. He was buried at the location of former church tower.
Together with all Bohemian Lands, also the town and castle of Loket suffer from numerous disasters during the period of the Thirty Years´ War. The city is repeatedly besieged and under fire and finally taken by imperial army. At the end of war, it is also besieged by Swedish troops but most of all, Loket is economically devastated by plague and imperial order of including Loket among frontier fortresses.
In 1788, a proposal is put forward to rebuild the castle to town prison. The works were finished in 1822. During the reconstruction, the Stone Chamber palace next to the castle tower seized to exist. The castle was used as prison till 1948.
Since 1968, the castle was no longer a property of Loket town and has been under the administration of Heritage Institute in Pilsen.
The new era of the castle started in 1992 when it was returned to the property of town of Loket again. A newly established Loket Castle Foundation later became a Common Welfare Corporation and the Loket castle gains again its beauty and well-deserved attention of thousands of visitors.
