Cestou ze Sokolova do Šindelové kolem zámku v Jindřichovicích i zámečku Favorit v lesích

Sokolovské train station, where our route begins, is an important crossroads of several bike paths. We will head along bike route 2044 towards the nearby Svatava 50.1924363N 12.6239159E. One of the attractions is a local monument commemorating the horrors of a women's concentration camp, where up to 2500 women of various nationalities were held at the same time. They worked in an aircraft instruments factory. The concentration camp was liberated in May 1945.

From Svatava we continue along bike route 2044 to Lomnice 50.2117356N, 12.6326708E. In the village we will see the church of Saint Gil, originally Gothic, rebuilt in the early 17th century after a fire. At the crossroads by the post office we can see a remarkable mining colony. The mansard-roofed houses were built in a horseshoe shape with a central courtyard. They were built in 1921 by the Falknovská Coal Company for its miners from the Köstner mine (later Jiří) during a housing crisis.

From Lomnice we aim for Týn. Since the early 19th century, farmers in the area mined iron ore, which the Sokolov nobility transported to ironworks in Rotava and Šindelov. In the Erika mine, coal was mined, and today that name is used for a sandstone quarry where tertiary fossils are found. Those interested can take a detour to the nearby Erika quarry 50.2148386N, 12.6040569E. The quarry is currently the best-exposed profile of the ancient sedimentary layer of the oldest sedimentary part of the Sokolov Basin. The clastic deposits of this unit formed in the ancient tertiary in riverine and shallow lake environments. Those who wish to skip the quarry will head further down the large Podkrušnohorská dump towards Dolní Nivy. The dump is 8.5 km long and up to 2.5 km wide. The base of the dump lies at 445-595 meters and its two peaks reach heights of 600 m. The Podkrušnohorská dump is among the largest dumps in the territory of the Czech Republic.

We arrive in the village of Dolní Nivy 50.2431064N, 12.6370400E. In the village, there are architectural monuments, primarily the pseudoromanesque chapel from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries with an altarpiece of the Holy Family and original half-timbered houses, of which there are several in the village. We continue in the direction of Jindřichovice. After the battle on White Mountain, the Nostitz family transformed the Jindřichovice fortress into a castle, which now houses the district archive. Less than a kilometer above the village, a mausoleum was built for the remains of 7100 prisoners of war from World War I. A branch of the bike route from the village center leads to the mausoleum. Besides the castle, the village is also dominated by the Church of St. Martin (a Gothic building from the 14th century). It is also worth mentioning the Baroque statue of St. John of Nepomuk located in the square.

From Jindřichovice we head to Šindelov. Here, it is worth mentioning the hunting lodge Favorit 50.3033475N, 12.6042781E, hidden deep in the forests. The castle was visited by many prominent people, for example, J. W. Goethe celebrated his 43rd birthday here, naturalist Jan Evangelista Purkyně stayed here as a tutor to the Nostitz children, the king of Spain Alfonso XIII, Empress Sissi, and General Patton also visited the lodge. On the way to the lodge, there is a protected alley of 84 larches. In 1912, Erwein Nostitz had a cross built at the end of the alley in memory of his deceased mother.

We arrive at Šindelov 50.3186514N, 12.6033206E, which offers swimming and the possibility of refreshment. There are a few cottages by the pond, which today are also known by the name Na Tajchu, and the pond is called Tajch. This now serves for fishing and popular swimming, with a nearby restaurant. The village operates a campsite from May to September. In the vicinity, we also find a technical monument, the historic blast furnace and a quite well-known meteorological station from Mr. Kovařík (visiting possible by agreement - 602 280 103). Enthusiasts from the Association for the Preservation of the Šindelov Forge ensured that the unique ironworks, which was on the list of twelve most endangered monuments in the republic, did not disappear.