Falkenštejn, also known as Sokolí, is a rock castle ruin that instantly transports you back to the age of medieval knights and robber barons. Tucked into the wild landscape of Bohemian Switzerland near Jetřichovice, this sandstone stronghold offers a raw, atmospheric encounter with history carved straight into the rock.

The castle once stood atop a sandstone rock, with an outer bailey below protected by a rampart and moat. Today, visitors can see chambers hewn directly into the stone and the foundations of other structures. A natural rock crevice, later adapted for access, leads up to the summit plateau, where views open across the forested hills of Bohemian Switzerland — especially magical in autumn when the woods turn gold, or in winter when frost dusts the sandstone. It's a place where silence and rugged nature dominate, broken only by the occasional call of a bird of prey — fitting, given the site's falcon-inspired name.

How to get there

• Jetřichovice — follow the yellow trail to the Pod Suchým vrchem junction, then take the side path to the castle, easy to moderate difficulty

Practical information

• Protected as a cultural monument since 1966
• In 2017, a staircase and a metal-grate viewing platform were built to protect the eroding sandstone
• Rock-hewn chambers and foundations survive, including a space believed to have served as a chapel

The first written record of the castle dates to 1395, and its later owners, the Berka of Dubá family, were notorious for their raiding expeditions into Lusatia — proof that this quiet, scenic spot once had a much wilder past.