Cheb Castle

The original Slavic settlement from the first half of the 12th century underwent a major transformation around 1180, when Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa had it rebuilt into a representative residence. The architecturally extraordinary double Romanesque-Gothic Chapel of Saints Martin, Erhard, and Ursula has been preserved from this period, being the only part to survive the heavy damage inflicted on the castle by the French army in 1742. Today, the complex is dominated by the massive Black Tower, built of dark volcanic tuff, from whose gallery a wonderful view of the historic center of Cheb opens up. A darker chapter of history is illustrated by the events of 1634, when the officers of Albrecht von Wallenstein were murdered here.