Sokol, Summit in North Bohemia, Czech Republic

Falkenberg (Sokol) is a cone-shaped phonolite peak in the Lusatian Mountains, 592.5 m high, just south of the German-Czech border. At the summit are the faint remains of the medieval Starý Falkenburk castle, including parts of the ring wall and foundation walls of the upper castle. The summit area is covered with beeches, so views are partial and best in the leafless season.

A castle called Starý Falkenburk stood on the summit, first mentioned in 1415 when Albrecht von Dohna was recorded as owner; August Sedláček suggested the Berka von Dubá built it around 1400. Its garrison raided the area during the Hussite Wars, so the Lusatian Six Cities League destroyed it in 1431; rebuilt, it was finally destroyed in 1467 and was deserted by 1513. Only remnants of the ring wall and foundation walls remain.

Both the Czech name Sokol and the German Falkenberg mean "falcon". The castle on the summit, Starý Falkenburk (Old Falkenburg), took its name from the bird, and the Hussite leader Nikolaus Falke von Lamberg, son of Johann Sokol von Lamberg, later held the castle.

Several marked trails start from the nearby town of Česká Kamenice and lead to the summit, with the red-marked path being the most direct route. Good hiking boots and proper gear are recommended since the trails can be challenging in places.

The summit is phonolite, not granite, and the castle remains are slight: fragments of the ring wall and the foundation walls of the upper bailey. The peak is wooded with beeches, so views open mainly on the climb through clearings, toward the northern Lusatian Mountains.