Berchembogen Hunting Lodge Audio guide

A hunting lodge in the forests near Trstenice

Berchembogen stands away from the village of Trstenice, in the forest near the I 21 road between Chodova Plana and Cheb. It is a listed cultural monument that recalls a time when the nobility built not only grand residences, but also smaller buildings for the practical running of their estates and for social life during hunts.

Architecture and appearance of the building

The lodge is a two storey pseudo Gothic building with an irregular floor plan. Distinctive features include the entrance beneath an ornamental balcony, corner projections, bay windows, and a pair of gabled roofs with decorated gables. The facade is complemented by richly shaped window and door surrounds and other details intended to give the building a representative character. The builder's coat of arms is placed on the front gable. Inside, the layout with a central corridor with a net vault and rooms with carved ceilings has been preserved.

History and use

The building was commissioned by Jan Arnost Berchem Haimhausen as a place to rest during hunts on the Chodova Plana estate. The project was created in the 1870s, at a time when historicizing architecture was gaining ground on noble estates and expectations of comfort and display were also increasing. The building was supposed to be completed in 1875, but in the end it was not finished until 1876. It served the Berchem Haimhausen family until the 1940s. After 1945 it passed into state administration and was used by the State Forests. In the 1990s it was converted into a hospitality venue, but today it is not open to the public.

Berchembogen is especially interesting because it shows a less ostentatious but important layer of noble life, forest management, hunting, and seasonal stays away from the main residence. At the same time, it reflects the changes in ownership after the Second World War and the later shifts in the use of historic buildings.