Klatovy Railway station

Welcome to Klatovy. You are standing in front of the building of the local station, which is much more than just ordinary stops for passengers. It's where the history of the railway meets the bold architecture of the last century. Now, if you look at the building in front of you, you see the main dispatch hall, which serves as the heart of the transport node for connections to Pilsen, Domazlic or Iron Rudy. Feel the atmosphere of this place, which has been connecting people from different corners of Pilsen region for over a century.

Now let's go back a little bit in time to understand how they got to this place. The first railway track was struck here in the year eight hundred and seventy-six. It was then built within the so-called Pilsen-March track and a new section of the route from Pilsen to Nýrsko was launched. Imagine what a coup meant to Klatovy at the time when the first steam engines enter the city and speed up trade and travel. A few years later, eight hundred and eighty-four years later, this runway was nationalized and the operation was carried over by the Imperial-Royal State Railways. With the advent of the new century and the creation of a separate state in the year nine hundred and eighteen then the station's control went into the hands of the Czechoslovak State Railways.

Now pay attention to the construction itself that you are facing. It is true that the railway began to work here in the nineteenth century, but what you see today is the result of a complete reconstruction from the second half of the twentieth century. At that time the appearance of the complex was completely changed, including the tracks and buildings. The current expedition building, which is today protected by the monuments, dates back to the late 1950s. Look carefully at its shapes and lines. This building is a very rare and distinctive example of the so-called Brussels style. It is an architecture that at that time meant modernity, lightness and a new view of space. The whole project was designed by the architect Josef Danda, who wanted to create a space functional but at the same time aesthetically appropriate to his time.

Now, when you think about who's been working on the form of this place, you come across the name Václav Matas. If you can see inside the building, I suggest you pay attention to sgraffiti decoration. Václav Matas created a work here in the spirit of socialist realism. Sgraffito is a technique in which layers of surface material are removed to create an image. These decorative elements in the interior are today an important testimony about how the role of art in the area of public transport was understood at that time. It is a fascinating combination of the architecture of Josef Dandy and the artistic expression of Václav Matas, which together form the unique character of the Klatov railway station.

You might be interested to know how the station evolved in the newer times. Although the building looks stable and traditional, the technique inside must have kept up with the times. An important milestone was the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-six when the electrical traction system was brought into the station. This meant the end of the era of older locomotives and the transition to more modern, cleaner and faster electric traffic, which further strengthened Klatovy's position as a key transport point in the northwest part of the region.

It's fascinating to think how many thousands of people have come through here in all these years. From passengers in the times of Austria-Hungary, to people in the times of the first republic, to passengers in the times of today. This Brussels-style building with its sgraffiti is a silent witness to all these changes. It's a place where the old railway tradition meets the bold design of the '50s.

Now that you know the story of this place, I suggest you examine the building in peace again. Take note of the details that Dando and Matas left behind, and try to imagine what the station looked like in a thousand eight hundred seventy-six compared to what you see today. Klatovy is a beautiful city with a rich history and this station is one of its important entry portals.

Thank you for your attention. I hope you're interested in this short trip to the history of the Klatovy Railways. Now I will no longer delay you and invite you to explore the city and its monuments. Have a nice day and a good trip.