Staré Sedlo
Nature and Technology in the Ohře Valley
The occurrences of brown coal and pyrite in Tertiary sediments represent the mineral resource base for the development of industry in the Sokolov region. At first, the coal was not used as fuel, but as a chemical raw material. The existence of the Svatá Trojice (“Holy Trinity“) mineral plant near Staré Sedlo was first mentioned in 1573. It was the oldest plant for the production of alum, sulphuric acid and green vitriol in the region. The Adit of John the Baptist, today a cultural landmark, was driven in order to mine the raw material and to drain mines.
Important geological sections with pseudokarstic caves and a paleontological locality of Tertiary flora are located in the deep and valuable landscape of the Ohře River valley. More than twenty known rock caves, the largest of which is the more than 40 m long Cikánka Cave, are located on both sides of the valley. The protected area is called the Údolí Ohře (“Ohře Valley“) Nature Reserve.
The entire area lies next to a cycle route leading from Loket to Královské Poříčí that can be accessed by crossing the suspension bridge over the Ohře River.
