Cheb and Františkovy lazne. Cheb city, Karlovy Vary region - travel on the map Practical information for independent travelers
Cheb was founded in the 9th century. Part of the ancient city has still been preserved - this is the historical building of the central part, which is called “Stone Castle”.
Cheb is a city whose history is incommensurably wider than its geographical boundaries. In the 11th century, Cheb temporarily became the residence of the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The famous ruler of Germany built a castle in Cheb in the Romanesque style, which to this day dominates the city landscape. By the way, the German name of the city – Eger – is still used in Germany. In the 16th century, tragic events were added to the city chronicle - the murder of the highest military commander of the troops of the Austrian Emperor Albrecht Wallenstein in the building of the current city museum.
What to see
Walking through the city streets of Cheb will reveal many secrets. In addition to well-known historical facts, every small tavern or mansion in the city can tell its own unique legend. And if the ghosts of the castle in Cheb no longer surprise anyone, then perhaps a small discovery will be the story of the owner of some tavern about a sad maiden wandering through his food warehouses or a gloomy knight who rattles his armor on a moonless night under the balcony that belonged five hundred years ago the family of his beloved.
The city will open its heart to you on King George Podebrady Square. Here, in the very center of Cheb, you can feel its beating. This is the passage of time, which, once begun, suddenly froze in the red tiles of Gothic mansions.
Cheb is a city in western Czech Republic, located in the Ohřa River valley. It is part of the Karlovy Vary region. The nearest large cities are the resorts of Frantiskovy and Marianske Lazne.
History of Cheb
Initially, the city was German territory. And only during the reign of King John the city was annexed to the Czech possessions. Very often Cheb served as the residence of Czech kings; George of Poděbrady especially loved to stay here.
In 1634, the generalissimo of the imperial troops, Albrecht von Wallenstein, was killed in the Cheb Museum.
After the end of the First World War, the city came into the possession of the Czechoslovak state created on the territory of Austria-Hungary, which led to a conflict between local German residents and everyone else. Since this situation was not the only one, this was one of the reasons for the outbreak of World War II.
Cheb Climate
The city is located in a temperate climate zone, like the whole of the Czech Republic. In winter, the temperature here rarely drops below -4 °C, and the average temperature in summer reaches 24 °C.
How to get to Cheb?
Since Cheb is one of the most important transport hubs in the country, getting here is not difficult. Trains and buses to Cheb run from Prague, Karlovy Vary, and indeed from almost any major city in the Czech Republic.
Sights of Cheb
What to try in Cheb?
In Cheb you can taste traditional Czech cuisine:
- First of all, try the dumplings - these are steamed pieces of potato dough. They are often served here as an appetizer or side dish to the main course.
- For starters, you can order one of the many soups, for example, kulaida mushroom soup.
- For the main course, take bramboraka - these are potato cakes with marjoram.
- Well, since you are in the Karlovy Vary region, do not deny yourself a glass of local Becherovka liqueur.
What to bring from Cheb?
As a souvenir, you can bring the same Becherovka liqueur or the famous Bohemian crystal, which, although not produced here, is not difficult to buy in Cheb. When choosing a gift for the fair sex, take a closer look at the famous Czech jewelry or garnet jewelry.
Been to the Czech Republic many times. And in Prague, and in Cesky Krumlov, in Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne, Frantiskovy Lazne, Loket and many more places. And alone, and with his wife, and with his son...
I came to Prague for the first time. With Amigo Tours. We arrived by train. I was delighted with the city. I spent a week exploring the center and all the pubs there on foot. I was tired as a dog, but I was happy. Prices are about the same as in Moscow (at least in the center). Service everywhere is at a very good level. There is only one problem - people from all over the world go there in droves, you will meet them from any direction of the world.
This is the second time I’ve already tried Prague - it’s an attraction city that the Czechs quickly took over in the early 90s. And he decided to move deeper into the country, guided by the message that the real country is always in the outback. I chose the city of Heb. In the far west of the Czech Republic. It is very convenient to travel to Hub - a carriage departs from the Belorussky Railway Station to Hub every day. Our carriage is very comfortable.
KHEB is an old imperial city, 100 years older than Moscow. In the 11th century, it was ruled by Emperor Barbarossa, known to everyone for the sad and tragic events of 1941. The city itself is in many ways a German-Czech city. for its thousand years, more precisely 950, it belonged to everyone, including Louis of Bavaria. and the Czech king and Austria-Hungary, and in modern history the German Reich is 7 years old. This city still has the same history. Accordingly, there are also monuments in the city and district. The City alone is worth it; Barbarossa built it. Lots of monasteries. I like to relax after lunch in the Monastery Garden in warm weather.
The city itself is the old part, which is concentrated around the Castle and the Market Square (Markt), and the new one. Well, the new one is interesting, but the old one is like an open-air museum. All houses are old, but in excellent condition. We must give the Czechs their due - they know how to preserve their heritage. In the center of the Markt there is a symbol of Heb - a complex of buildings called Špalicek (stump) with a restaurant of the same name. Quite pretentious and expensive by local standards - dinner per person with beer, Becherovka, a huge dish and coffee will cost 300 crowns with a tip of 350 (450 -500 rubles). Don't make the mistake of only getting one dish at Heb. You just pick at the second one anyway, you won’t be able to eat it. The downside is the Stella Artois beer. 30 CZK Why? Unclear. In the neighboring cafes there are Krušovice and Gambrinus and Hradební, but you never know..
Hub is the administrative center of the Karlovy Vary Region. To Germany: to Bavaria - 3 km. to Saxony - 10 km. The railway is very developed. To get to the resort of Frantiskovy Lazne by train, a two-car diesel is 7 minutes away and 11 CZK one way, but it’s better to immediately take a two-way ticket - it’s cheaper. Karlovy Vary is 40 km away. The highway to K.V. is currently being completed. By car it takes 25 minutes. On the way you can stop by Loket - also a cool old town. Marianske Lazen is 28 km away. The road is good, but in the Czech Republic in cities there are 50 km, and often 30, 40. And there are radars that take pictures of you. If the car has Russian license plates, then of course they will spit on speeding, but if it is rented, then they may have time to send a fine - and a rather large one. You should only drive on the autobahn with a stamp under glass, for at least a week. CZK 250. Otherwise, a fine of CZK 5,000.
Restaurants and cafes in Heb: On the square I recommend Špalicek, Sklepik, Jiřego s Podebrady. that on Jatečnaya Street and Markt, you can drink coffee everywhere, but it’s better in Bartolomeus. There is also Zhidovska Street - at the very end of the square to the left. There are a lot of pubs there and you can go to any one, the beer there is excellent everywhere. Go from one to the other in a zigzag. It’s 200 meters to the end of the street, but if there’s a mug in every beerhouse, it’s hard to stay on your feet. You only need to remember one phrase - one beer, please. Beer please.
At the very end And Dovskoy st. On the left is the pension "U Kata" (At the Executioner's). The owner Dusan speaks Russian very well. On the second floor he has a boarding house - 4 double rooms and an apartment. The rooms are quite decent, and there is a beer hall on the ground floor. Note - the more beer you drink, the cheaper it is. Now Gambrinus light from Dusan costs 22 crowns, prices have decreased by 2 crowns over the year. DECREASED. For two people to drink plenty of beer - 130-150 CZK. get drunk.
If you don’t want to sit in the hall, they’ll pour it up to your room. The price for a room is CZK 350 per person. Those. 700 CZK per room. For apartments for 4 people. 1500 CZK. The pension is popular. One day in the spring, on May 8th (the Americans freed them), a brass band played all night in the pub. It’s cool, but we had to leave for Moscow by car in the morning, so at that moment it made us angry. And now I think about it with feelings - here they live. And in December 2008, before Christmas, near Zhidovskaya, I saw about 5 guys walking under the windows, playing Christmas melodies and moving on, like caroling.
Czechs, according to my observations, drink beer, but not a lot - 2-3 mugs per evening. Although, of course, it also happens that they fall under the table - I saw it myself. But this is not typical, unless someone gives a free treat.
Shopping can be done in Germany - excellent train connections. A hub is a large transport hub. You can use the EGERNET system. The fact is that Heb (German name Eger) was the center of the Principality of Eger, which included the lands of present-day Saxony and Bavaria. Now the EU, together with Germany and the Czech Republic, is pursuing a policy of unification - with this ticket you can travel cheaply in both Germany and the Czech Republic. Marktredwitz is 20 minutes away. You can take the train directly to Nuremberg, Bayreuth, Wunsiedl, Zwickau.
Well, the story turned out to be quite confusing, but I have a lot of impressions from Hebu. But I like it most in the Czech Republic.
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Tourism in Cheb is booming because it is easy to get here from anywhere in Central Europe, and the border situation is felt in the incessant German speech on the city streets.
CITY AT THE CROSSROADS
The location of Cheb is such that it was not only almost in the geographical center of Europe, but also at the center of all major European wars.
The Czech town of Cheb stands on the banks of the Ohře River, a tributary of the Laba, in one of the most picturesque corners of the West Bohemian Region. Only a few kilometers separate it from the border with Germany, and the Smrcini (Fichtel) mountains, at the foot of which it is located, divide the border between the Czech Republic and Germany (Bavaria).
The history of the city is full of unexpected, sometimes surprising turns.
Initially, on the site of the city there was a Slavic settlement of Janski Vrh; traces of it were found in the northern part of the city center. In 807, the village and the surrounding area became part of the East Frankish Kingdom under the rule of first the Babenberg princes, and then the Margrave of the Bavarian city of Faber an der Donau.
In the 11th century As a result of feudal wars, the region became part of the Holy Roman Empire. The first mention of Cheb dates back to this same period, and this was made by the German king and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV himself (1050-1106). In 1061 he recorded that “We, Henry, the king by the grace of God, sacrifice part of the forest by the road leading from Egire” (as Cheb was called in the German manner).
In 1157, this wonderful place was inherited by the king and emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick I Barbarossa (1122-1190). Appreciating the natural beauty of the place, the creator of the German knighthood wanted to build the imperial Palatinate (residence) here.
The area was gradually covered with villages and the population increased, until in 1179 Cheb - then it received the name Egra - received a visit from the emperor, who granted these settlements the status of an imperial city.
At the end of the 11th century. Depolt II, the grandson of Vladislav I, Prince, took over the arrangement of the city. Returning from the Third Crusade (1189-1192), in which he led a Czech detachment of knights, Depolt II built a castle here. And the historical core of the city of Cheb, then already called Eger, was formed after a terrible fire in 1270, when the city was literally built anew.
During the reign of King John of the Czech Republic (Jan the Blind, 1296-1346), the city was given to him by the Duke of Bavaria and the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV of Bavaria as an uncovered hereditary pledge and from the 14th century. finally became part of the Czech Kingdom under the name Cheb.
Trying to resolve the territorial disagreements that arose from time to time, in 1459 the German electors concluded the Treaty of Eger with King George of Podebrady (1420-1471) of the Czech Republic (Bohemia), which defined the border between the Czech Republic and Saxony at the height of the Ore Mountains and in the middle of the Elbe. However, this did not bring peace for Cheb.
The city suffered greatly during the Hussite Wars (1419 and 1434), during the Swedish invasion in 1631 and 1647, as well as in the War of the Austrian Succession of 1740-1748. Germany did not recognize the treaties concluded with the Czech Republic, called these lands Egerland and imposed German customs, culture and language here.
After World War I, the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the formation of Czechoslovakia, relations between Germans and Czechs in the city worsened. According to the Munich Agreement of 1938, Cheb and the entire Sudetenland were occupied by Germany, Hitler rode triumphantly through the streets of the city.
After the Second World War, under the Benes decrees of 1946, the Germans were deprived of citizenship and expelled, including from Cheb, where by that time they accounted for about 80% of the inhabitants.
HOUSES OF THE OLD TOWN
The ancient buildings of Cheb have managed to acquire a mass of legends and traditions that bear little resemblance to the truth, but are an integral part of the ancient city folklore heritage.
Cheb is a city-reserve in which historical and architectural monuments of the 12th-13th centuries have been preserved.
Some distance from the city center, on a hill, are the remains of fortifications and other buildings of Cheb Castle - evidence that the city was an important player in European history for many centuries.
The two-story chapel of Saints Erhard and Ursula is relatively well preserved. It has classic architecture for such a building: the first floor is in the Romanesque style, the second is in the Gothic style that replaced it during construction.
Nearby are the ruins of a palace destroyed in 1742 by the French army during the War of the Austrian Succession. It so happened that the city ended up right on the border between the Czech and German (Bavarian) lands, where feudal hostility did not subside and war could break out at any moment, which predetermined the entire future fate of the city, which belonged either to the Czech Republic or to Germany. All major European wars took place through Cheb.
Right there, on a hill, stands the 20-meter Black Tower. The tower is indeed black, as if smoked, because it is built from dark volcanic tuff. The tower has a rather ominous appearance; there are several legends about it. The most popular one is about the widow Maria Martin, who in the old days lived in the city with her capricious daughter Rosalie, who loved dancing and expensive clothes and disappeared into the fortress, where she was taken by a mysterious stranger...
The market square is surrounded by eleven Gothic buildings - the architectural ensemble of Spalicek (in German - Stöckl, and translated from both languages - “a bunch of pieces of wood”), where Jewish traders lived in the old days. The houses are pressed closely against each other, separated by a one and a half meter wide street. The oldest buildings date back to 1472, and the most famous is the Grüner House, where the German poet Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) often spent time talking with the owners. Not far from the City Museum located here is the Schiller House: the great writer stayed there when he collected materials for the trilogy about Generalissimo Wallenstein. Although the architecture of the houses is Gothic, they are painted in unexpectedly bright and cheerful colors.
The architecture of the Church of St. Nicholas and St. Alzbeta is even more original. From the first building of 1220 in the Romanesque style, two towers have been preserved; in 1456-1476. the hall was rebuilt in the Gothic style, and in 1746 the spiers of the towers, damaged by fire, were rebuilt in the Baroque style; subsequently the temple underwent a number of fires and reconstructions in order to achieve its final appearance in 1869, which was also sought during the post-war restoration.
The city is home to several enterprises, mostly with a long history, producing bicycles, motorcycles and agricultural machinery. Cheb is also famous for its carpets, textiles and leather goods. Tourists, whose number is steadily growing, bring large revenues to the city budget. The location of Cheb is such that tourists simply cannot pass it: not far from the city there are three famous Czech resort towns of Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne and Frantiskovy Lazne, and the German border is nearby. In addition, Cheb is a major transport hub, from which several road and railway lines radiate throughout Europe.
Music festivals in the city are also becoming traditional, such as the FIJO youth brass band festival, which has been held for more than 40 years.
ATTRACTIONS
Natural:
■ The extinct volcano Kammer-bul (497 m).
■ Soos Nature Reserve.
Historical:
■ Fortress and city fortifications (XI century).
■ Black Tower (Bergfried, 11th century).
■ Schiller House.
■ Renaissance castle (reconstruction in pseudo-Gothic style, 19th century).
■ Romanesque chapel (1179-1188).
■ Chapel of St. Erhard and Ursula.
■ Ruins of the Palatinate (palace) of Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa.
■ Town Hall (1723-1728).
Architectural:
■ Market Square and the ensemble of Gothic buildings in Shpalicek (XIII century).
■ George from Poděbrady Square.
■ Fountain of the Knight Roland (1591).
■ New Town Hall (Gallery of Fine Arts, 1728).
■ Gabler House (second half of the 17th century).
Iconic:
■ Church of St. Nicholas and St. Alzhbeta (1220).
■ Franciscan church at the Franciscan monastery (1247).
■ Church of St. Bartholomew (1414).
■ Church of St. Wenceslas (1674-1688).
■ Church of St. Clare (170-1712).
■ Convent of the Sisters of Charity of the Holy Cross (1930s).
Cultural:
■ City Museum (Pachelbel House of the 14th century).
■ Some of the privileges of the imperial city, received by Cheb (then Egra) from the King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1179, were preserved and were in effect until 1849.
■ The border between the Czech Kingdom and Saxony, defined by the Treaty of Eger in 1459, has remained roughly in this form to this day, dividing the Czech Republic and Germany, and is one of the oldest border lines in Europe.
■ Generalissimo and Admiral of the Fleet Albrecht von Wallenstein (1578-1634) - an outstanding commander of the Thirty Years' War of 1618-1648. - was a very ambitious person, which greatly worried the authorities of the Holy Roman Empire. Suspecting Wallenstein of treason, Emperor Ferdinand II ordered an end to the popular military man. Wallenstein took refuge in Cheb (Eger), where he died at the hands of hired killers. Nowadays, in the house of burgomaster Pachelbel, where the crime took place, the City Museum has been opened, and the crime scene - a Gothic bedroom decorated with carved wooden panels - has been carefully restored and is also included in the exhibition.
■ In April 1945, during the liberation of the city, both towers of the Church of St. Nicholas were damaged during the bombing by Allied aircraft, and the spiers burned down. These were subsequently replaced with a simple low roof. Only in 2008 did the Cheb Historical Foundation manage to raise 9 million crowns to build new church spiers. With the restoration of two 26-meter spiers, the city got rid of, as the townspeople said, a long-standing “scar”, and the ancient silhouette of the city of Cheb returned.
■ The name of the creator of the Church of St. Clare is not known for sure, but experts are inclined to believe that it was built by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer himself (1689-1751), a court architect of the Baroque era, German by origin. The fact that this church was created by him is indicated by similar stylistic details in the architecture of the church in Cheb and the Prague Loreta (Church of the Nativity in Prague) - the creation of Dientzenhofer.
■ The name of the city Cheb supposedly comes from the bend (oheb, hebu in Old Czech) of the Ohře River. The German name Eger directly comes from the Ohře River, also known to the Celts under the name Agara, or “salmon river”.
■ The city of Cheb remembers that Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg (1316-1378), the Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Czech Republic, the builder of medieval Prague, who gave the city of Cheb the right to mint its own gold coins, stayed there six times.
Perhaps we would not have gotten here if we had not vacationed in Karlovy Vary. By the way, tourists often wonder where to go from Karlovy Vary - here is one of the travel points for you. Firstly, all travel agencies in the city offer excursions to Cheb, and secondly, it’s only half an hour away by rented car. It’s very close, why not go?!
Cheb is an amazing city, it feels like it is frozen in time and you seem to be transported centuries ago. The city has largely felt the German influence, especially being in the city center it seems as if you are in Germany, but in fact the Czech speech brings you back to reality and you understand that you are in the Czech Republic. They say that local residents still divide themselves into Czechs and Germans.
The city itself was built in the 8th-9th century by Slavic tribes as a border fortress, then the city more than once came under the rule of the Germans, then the Czechs, was part of Austria-Hungary, and after the First World War it finally became part of what was then Czechoslovakia.
The central square of the city is built around the perimeter of Gothic houses with red tiled roofs, tightly pressed against each other. And the colorful and variegated colors of the houses give the city a festive touch.
Arriving in the city, you immediately feel that you are in the province - it is quiet, calm, and leisurely. In cafes with open terraces, people drink beer quietly, there is no fuss, only tourist groups meet from time to time.
And considering that we were previously in Regensburg, Germany, and its border location with Germany, there are many Germans in the city and German speech is heard more often than Russian and Czech. In general, there is a feeling of some kind of contrast - Germany in the Czech Republic in Czech.
The most important attraction of the city is the vault of Gothic buildings from the 13th century. It is also called Shpalicek.
This is a complex of 11 colorful houses owned by Jewish merchants.
The houses are pressed closely to each other, and they are separated by a narrow street. This is what cities looked like in the 13th century. And the passage between the houses is about 1.5 m wide.
There are doors on both sides of the building, and despite its antiquity, people still live here.
I can imagine how much the house is saturated with the smell of old age, but nevertheless, they knew how to build before.
This complex of buildings simply captivates with its toy-like appearance. I walked around it, and being already fascinated by these houses, I simply fell in love with the windows decorated with flowers.
The whole city creates the impression of coziness and comfort, and the windows decorated with love fill the city with warmth.
The spiritual center of the city is the Church of Saints Nicholas and Elizabeth. The church was built in the 13th century in the Romanesque style, but after a fire in 1742, it was reconstructed in the Gothic style. The building has two towers, the sharp peaks of which reach towards the sky.
And at the foot there is a circular staircase leading to the cathedral, and decorated with statues of saints.
Near the church, life seems to have completely died out; I haven’t met a single person here. The silence around makes my ears whistle.
Again I return to the central square, it just attracts me here like a magnet.
And once again I am convinced that autumn gives its charm to cities, its colors, special lighting, crumbling leaves on the asphalt. How beautiful it all is! I will probably never get tired of admiring every claptic of our beautiful land.
