Cheb Medieval Town

The town in the heart of Europe can show off with a rich history going back to the 9th Century. Happenings that took place behind the stone or colorful walls of silent witnesses of the past entered the history…
Cheb was first mentioned in a list of the German king Jindrich IV. in 1061. Construction of the first stone stronghold is connected with the early-Middle-Age's policy of colonization.
In 1157, the German emperor Friedrich Barbarossa acquired Cheb as an inheritance. He had the old stronghold rebuilt into a representative imperial residence. Under the rule of the king Jan Lucembursky, the town was once for all added, as a hereditary security, to the Czech Crown Lands. Within the kingdom, it had a privilege of self-governing territory with its own council. The Czech king George of Podebrady also used Cheb's services for his political dealings.
In the 16th Century, Protestantism asserted itself in the hitherto Catholic Cheb.
The last incident connected with the town that entered the history of the "Highest Politics" was the murder of generalissimo of imperial troops, duke Albrecht of Valdstejn. The murder was committed in Cheb on February 25, 1634. Since 1874, thousands of visitors have come to the Cheb museum to see with their own eyes the room where Albrecht of Valdstejn was murdered on February 25, 1634.
The town underwent a profound Baroque transformation during the second half of the 17th Century and in the 18th Century. Such distinguished architects and builders as Dienzenhofer, A. Leutner, P. Bayer, B. Alliprandi, A. Pfeffer and Cheb's native Baltasar Neumann participated in reconstructions and construction of new buildings.
Come and let yourself be inspired by the town as did also Friderik Schiller when he collected in Cheb material for his work "Valdstejn trilogy". You may even find as good friends as the ones that Johann Wolfgang Goethe visited here. You will definitely discover beauty of this small town with extensive history.
The town has its own museum, theater with a permanent theater company, National Fine-Artss gallery, a number of private galleries and regional library. Since 1970, they organize the International Festival of Youth Brass Orchestras (FIJO) on bi-annual basis in Cheb. As a natural center of the Czech part of so-called Euroregia Egrensis, Cheb is today a frequented tourist center.
It seems as if the town's architectonic treasures wanted to remind that the distinguished builder of the cathedral in Würzburk, Balthasar Neumann, was born in Cheb. Activities of prominent builders Christopher Dientzenhofer, A. Leutner, G. B. Alliprandi, P. Bayer a A. Pfeffer are documented by church and secular Baroque buildings. Only a few towns can show off with such rare landmarks. The Cheb castle protected by the Black Tower is one of the most beautiful Central European Roman landmarks. Behind the stone fortification, the stronghold hides a European rarity - rare two-floor Roman-Gothic chapel. The town's symbol, Spalicek, which was built in the 13th Century, but also other preserved burgess houses create an unrepeatable atmosphere of the Cheb's square. Significance of the landmarks is evidenced also by the fact that the town's historical center was designated a town historical reservation.
The town's historical center underwent an extensive rehabilitation and reconstruction at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. For its building and architectural uniqueness, Cheb, which has today more than 32,000 inhabitants, was designated a town historical reservation in 1981.
The castle complex with the town fortification The castle was built in the second half of the 12th Century at the place of a former Slavic settlement from the 9-11th Centuries. In the second half of the 15th Century, a farm building where Valdstejn's officers were murdered on February 25, 1634, was built adjacent to the imperial castle. The Black Tower and a part of the east wall remained from the original Roman fortification. The best preserved and most valuable building of the imperial castle is the castle chapel of St Erhard and Urshula.
Church of St. Nicholas The western portal and bottom parts of towers date back to the beginning of the 13th Century when the church was built as a three-aisled Roman basilica. The church's three-aisle, presbytery and vestry came from the Gothic phase of construction. After a fire in 1742, the towers were fixed with Baroque domes according to B. Neumann's design. The last modifications, including neogothic roofing of the towers, were carried out in 1864. This roofing was destroyed in April of 1945.

Spalicek The symbol of the Cheb's square is made off a bizarre complex of 11 houses divided by Kramarska street, which has been developing since the 13th Century at the place where there were originally shopkeeping booths and meat stores. According to the oldest depiction from 1472, the ground plan of these 2 blocks has remained basically the same up to this day. The third row of houses, which used to be on the western side of the square, was taken down.

Church of St. Wenceslas It was built in the Baroque style between 1674 and 1688 in place of a medieval church and convent from the beginning of the 14th Century. During the church's reconstruction, the ground plan of the medieval building was changed and main front with a majestic portal and Habsburg emblem was oriented into Kamenna street.

Franciscan church The Minorite church was built simultaneously with a convent after 1247 when Franciscans settled in Cheb. A vestry and adjacent portion of walling has been preserved from the original building from the mid-13th Century. A cloister of the convent from the 1st half of the 14th Century is one of the most beautiful landmarks in the town's historical center.

Town house The town house in the bottom part of the square is thanks to its lay-out, Gothic portal and Renaissance passage one of the best preserved burgess houses. The oldest reports about the house come from the end of the 14th Century. It underwent a Renaissance reconstruction at the beginning of the 17th Century. It made history on February 25, 1634, as a place where Albrecht of Valdstejna was murdered. Since 1735, the house is permanently owned by the town. In 1873, the town museum was founded there.

Church of St. Bartholomew The former hospital church of the order of Red-Star Crusaders was finished in 1414. The Gothic-style building has an unusual design of the ribbed vault carried by one central pillar. The church was damaged at the end of the World War II. During the reconstruction between 1962 and 1963, original wall paintings were restored and the church served up to 1997 as an exhibition hall of the National Gallery of Fine Arts. There was a permanent collection of Gothic sculptures there. Then, the church was returned to the order of Red-Star Crusaders.

New town hall The east side of the square is dominated by the new Baroque town hall, which was built between 1723 and 1728 according to the design of Prague court architect Giovanni Battista Alliprandi. In spite of the fact that the building is only a torso of the original town hall, it is, with its palace lay-out and stuke and sculpture interior decoration, one of the most successful Baroque architectures in the town. Since 1962, there is the National Gallery of Fine Arts there.

Exhibition and concert hall "Klara" The former church of St. Klara, which was built between 1708 and 1712, is one the most valuable Baroque church buildings in Cheb. The project was authored by Christopher Dienzenhofer. After the order was abolished in 1782, the church was in 1782 de-blessed. Today, there is a concert and exhibition hall of the National Gallery of Fine Arts there.

Gabler's house The house belongs thanks to its richly articulated and decorated Rococo façade among the most valuable results of the late-Baroque reconstruction carried out in the 18th Century. In the second half of the 17th Century, the house was owned by Jesuits who placed a relief with the figure of Virgin Mary above the portal.

Schirdinger's house This house belongs among the most representative buildings of the whole square, which document different phases of town's reconstruction. The house with its narrow front and graded, high gable illustrates the appearance of Gothic houses of medieval Cheb. A Renaissance arcade gallery in the courtyard comes from the time of reconstruction.

Grüner's house The house belonged to the prominent Wrendl family, the emblem of which is placed in the round cartouche above the portal. In the first half of the 19th Century, a municipal councilman Grüner lived there and the house was a place of numerous meetings with J. W. Goethe.

House "U dvou arcivevodu" (At the two archdukes) This house was the oldest pull-up in Cheb called "U cerveneho konicka" (At a red horse), which hosted most of the prominent visitors since 1531. The name "At the two archdukes" comes from 1806 when two Austrian archdukes Johann and Ludwig lived there.

Fountain with a sculpture of a Savage Man - the knight Roland The fountain is located in the middle of the square and since 1591, it is decorated by a sculpture of the knight Roland who used to symbolize market privileges of imperial towns. The original copy of the sculpture is kept in the "mazhauze" of the Cheb museum, while the fountain is decorated with a sandstone copy made by academic sculptor Zivny in 1985.

W from Prague - 2,5hours

Trips :
1)Ostroh and Cheb trips number CWW10 + CWW11 - 9hour round trip

Trips combinations :
2)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 - 10hour round trip
3)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 - 10hour round trip
4)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Moser glassworks CWW3 - 11hour round trip
5)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Nelahozeves castle CNW1 - 11hour round trip
6)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Sirem-Franz Kafka CB3 - 12hour round trip
7)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 - 12hour round trip
8)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa{WW2} + Nelahozeves {NW1} + Lidice WW2 memorial {W2}- 12hour round trip
9)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Terezin concentration camp CNW3 - 12hour round trip
10)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Karlstejn castle CSW1 - 12hour round trip
11)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Krivoklat castle CW1 - 12hour round trip
12)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Moser crystal fact. CWW3 + Lidice WW2 memorial CW2 - 12hour round trip
13)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Kynzvart spa CWW6 - 12hour round trip
14)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Plzen brewery CSWW1 + Sirem of F.Kafka CB3 - 13hour round trip
15)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Nizbor crystal factory CW3 + Krivoklat castle CW1 - 13hour round trip
16)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11+ Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Terezin conc. camp CNW3 + Lidice WW2 memorial CW2 - 13hour round trip
17)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Nelahozeves castle CNW1 + Terezin conc. camp CNW3 - 14hour round trip
18)Ostroh and Cheb CWW10 + CWW11 + Karlovy Vary spa CWW2 + Karlstejn castle CSW1 + Krivoklat castle CW1 - 14hour round trip


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