he construction of the train station in Cheb was commenced in 1863, and two years later, the first train rode through, connecting Cheb with Regensburg and Leipzig.
But no route connecting the train station with the town centre existed.
Therefore, in the mid-19th century, the citizens of Cheb decided how to connect the heart of medieval Cheb with the technological innovation of the time, the railway, and they did so with vigour.
They demolished two buildings at the south end of the square, and led a new, spectacular boulevard through this hole to the train station.
The GATES OF TIME – a nine-metre-tall artefact that is two metres wide and weighs 3.5 tonnes, was built on the former site of these two buildings during the reconstruction in 2009 – 2010.
It depicts a portal into the no-longer-standing house, and here, medieval Cheb opens towards the Industrial Era and the future.
The artefact rotates around its axis. Inconspicuously – by 180 degrees in 24 hours. At midnight, it is in the “Closed” position, and at high noon, it is in the “Open” position. At this moment, the side of the artefact inscribed with the year 1061 is linked with the timeline showing the most significant dates of Cheb’s history. This proceeds all along the pedestrian zone until reaching the year 2011 – 950 years of the town’s proven existence.
A detailed description of the pedestrian zone’s construction history, as well as of its reconstruction, can be found in the publication “The History of the Pedestrian Zone” by authors Zbyněk Černý, Karel Halla, and Hana Knetlová. You can purchase this publication in the Tourist Information Centre in Cheb. You can also get a brochure describing the historical milestones from the timeline in detail there, available in three languages.
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