Easy hikes and walks around lake Medard

James the Greater (the Latin 'major' is not translated as 'great' in English), to whom this church/chapel in ___ was dedicated, belongs, together with his brother, to the closest circle of Jesus' disciples. In his version of the "Good News" (this is the meaning of the word "gospel"), the Evangelist Mark enumerates a list of the apostles: "James, the son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James—to whom he called the Boanerges, which means sons of thunder" (Mark 3:17). They are said to have had very temperamental characters, but were faithful followers of Jesus Christ, in whom they recognized the promised Messiah. According to the Acts of the Apostles, James was executed for his faith. His tomb in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia (Spain), is one of the most famous and important pilgrimage destinations in the world.

Saint John of Nepomuk was a priest (Vicar General of the Archbishop) in Bohemia who died a martyr's death in Prague in 1393. By royal order, he was thrown from Prague's Charles Bridge into the Vltava River and drowned. His statue can still be found on or near many bridges today—as is the case here over the Ohře River. He is not only considered a popular "bridge saint" but also the patron saint of the seal of confession. In many depictions of him, he holds a cross in one hand, sometimes placing a finger to his lips with the other as a sign of silence (which was heard during confession). In this depiction, however, his other hand holds a palm branch, which in Christian iconography is the sign of martyrdom. The feast day of Saint John of Nepomuk in the calendar of saints is March 20.

The patronage of this church was not conferred on one of the (almost infinite) number of saints, but entrusted to the protection of the "Holy Trinity." Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger, 1927 to 2022) uttered the following words about that mystery of faith, which in Christianity, across all denominations, we venerate the ONE God in THREE Persons: "On the Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Through the Holy Spirit, who helps us understand the words of Jesus and leads us to all truth, believers can, so to speak, gain knowledge of the innermost being of God and thereby discover that He is by no means infinite solitude, but a communion of light and love, life given and received in an eternal dialogue between the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit—lover, beloved, and love, to use the words of St. Augustine." (Address by Pope Benedict XVI, at the Angelus on 11 June 2006)

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.