Johann Wolfgang Goethe was a German poet, politician, and natural scientist. He regularly visited Bohemia. In Loket, a monument and an exhibition in the museum commemorate him.

Imagine Loket as island in the middle of an ocean of ​​trees, in spring and autumn leaves change color three times a day… from green to gold to red to brown.

I spent a long weekend in Loket, recharging my batteries.

Even the train journey to Loket is an adventure. From Berlin’s main station to Dresden, along the Elbe River, changing trains in Ústí nad Labem, along the Mountains to Chodov, and then on a 1960s-era railbus to Loket.

Upon arrival—pitch-black night, only the castle glows. And yes, there’s a hotel open in November, which means a bit of a walk. Then four days of forest and wide open skies and an endless array of colors.

And chocolate cakes, black coffee, roast pork, dumplings, beer – plus a bonus dragon living beneath the castle tower’s stairway

This isn’t just hiking through the woods. It’s immersing yourself for hours among trees and meadows and leaves.

For those who prefer to cycle in daylight: From Wittenberg follow the Mulde Cycle Path, past Aue over the pass into Bohemia and next enjoy a thrilling descent downhill ride through mountains and fields to Loket.