The best city hikes and walks in Obora Studánka

A visit to the old town of Sokolov is also worthwhile.

A memorial plaque at the entrance to the castle courtyard commemorates the American film director and actor Samuel Fuller (1912 to 1997). As a soldier in the 1st Infantry Division of the US Army, he took part in the liberation of Sokolov in World War II in 1945. In 1980, Fuller, who became known through westerns such as "Forty Rifles" with Barbara Stanwyck, made the film "The Big Red One" based on his war memories. That was the nickname of his unit.

The old town mile is actually called "Old Square" (Staré námesti) and is the historical centre of Sokolov. At the eastern end you will find the Church of St. James the Greater, at the western end the Church of the Franciscan Monastery, which is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. In between are the Old Town Hall and the Marian Column, as well as the Jubilee Fountain and the Falconer's Fountain. And of course lots of shops, cafés and restaurants.

The road junction east of the station is decorated with a large wooden sculpture of the knight Sebastián, who, according to legend, founded Sokolov at the confluence of the Ohře and Zwota rivers. Sebastián was a skilled falconer, and the local nobles valued his services very much. This is how the place got its name, Falkenau.

This mural, which Vlastimil Květenský created in 1980 for the entrance to the police station in Sokolov, is clearly inspired by socialist-communist art. Květenský (1930 to 1985) was a ceramicist, painter and draftsman; he created ceramic sculptures and bronze reliefs. As a professor, the artist, who has won several international awards, taught at the Technical Secondary School for Ceramics in Karlovy Vary.

The Municipal Culture House (Hornický dům) is the former miner's house, which was built between 1923 and 1925 according to the design of the architect Rudolf Wels. It became an important centre of social, political and cultural life. On the façade there is a relief entitled "A Day in the Life of a Miner" by the Karlovy Vary sculptor Wilhelm Srb-Schlossbauer. In 1969 and 1970 Hornický dům was rebuilt, the façade was covered with white marble slabs, the windows were replaced and the roof was adapted. The Sokolovský Information Centre is also located here.

The name Sokolov, originally Valkenowe, first appears in a document from 1279. The legend of the town's founding takes place at the time of the Crusades. Knight Sebastián, returning from the Crusades in the Holy Land, found only a burnt ruin and the overgrown grave of his wife instead of his castle near Cheb. He left the place that reminded him of the loss of his loved ones, walked along the river and built a hut at the confluence of the Ohře and Svatava to live in seclusion. The lords of the castle from Loket often came to this area to hunt with their trained falcons. Knight Sebastián (popularly known as Wastl) was also a good falconer, which is why his skills quickly became very sought after. A settlement soon grew up around the hermit's hut, where hunting falcons were bred and trained. It was named after the birds: Valkenowe, later Sokolov. The falcon became the city’s heraldic animal.

This silver maple is the strongest tree in the Hus Garden. It stands on the right bank of the Lobezské stream opposite the indoor swimming pool. The maple, which is protected as a memorial tree, has an asymmetrical crown and a spiral-shaped trunk with a diameter of three meters. The crown of the tree reaches a height of 28 meters. The tree has been under protection since 2006.