Church of Saint Bartholomew

The Church of Saint Bartholomew is a small but architecturally remarkable Gothic building in Cheb, standing right next to the Bridge Gate on the bank of the Ohře River. It's the kind of site visitors rush past on their way to the main square, which is a shame — the interior hides a structural solution that has no equal anywhere else in the Czech Republic.

Why was a church built on this exact spot?

The site's story goes back to the Middle Ages. A municipal hospital with a Chapel of the Holy Spirit, a Romanesque building serving the sick and travelers, originally stood here. After a devastating fire swept through the town in 1270, Bohemian king Přemysl Otakar II ordered the site rebuilt, and a new hospital with an attached church was constructed. In 1414 a new church replaced the old Romanesque chapel and was handed over to the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, a charitable order that still runs hospital-linked institutions in the region today. The dedication to Saint Bartholomew only came later, in 1673 — before that the church was associated with a different patron tied to the original hospital chapel.

What makes the interior so unusual?

The building's exterior is deliberately plain — a simple rectangular hall with no elaborate facade decoration. What happens under the vault, though, impresses anyone with even a passing interest in Gothic sacred architecture. The ribbed vault forms the shape of a six-pointed star, and this entire intricate pattern rests on a single, centrally placed pillar. Architectural historians consider this solution unique within Czech Gothic architecture — no other church in the country has a vault of this design supported by just one column in the middle of the nave. Look out, too, for the Gothic frescoes preserved on the walls and on the pillar itself, uncovered and restored during the postwar reconstruction.

How did the church survive the 20th century?

The building suffered severe damage during Allied bombing raids in 1945, near the end of the Second World War. Reconstruction didn't begin until 1962 and took years to complete — it was during this restoration work that conservators uncovered and brought back to their present state the original Gothic wall paintings. The church has been listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since June 9, 1970. In 1997 the building was returned to the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, the same order that originally administered it in the Middle Ages.

When should you visit and how do you get there?

The church stands in the heart of historic Cheb, directly beside the Bridge Gate and on the bank of the Ohře, just a few minutes' walk from the main square and Cheb Castle. The interior is open seasonally, from May 1 to September 30, Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Outside this window, the exterior alone is worth a look — the austere Gothic silhouette against the riverbank makes for one of the more photogenic corners of the old town.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Church of Saint Bartholomew in Cheb open all year? No. The interior can only be visited seasonally, from May to September, Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Outside that period the church is closed to visitors.

What's the main highlight of this church? The unique ribbed vault shaped like a six-pointed star, carried by a single central pillar — a design not found in any other Gothic church in the Czech Republic.

Who owns the church today? Since 1997 it has belonged to the Order of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, the same religious order that originally administered the site in the Middle Ages.

Are there other landmarks nearby? Yes. The church sits right next to the Bridge Gate, and Cheb's main square with its distinctive crooked townhouses, along with Cheb Castle, are only a few minutes' walk away.