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Pilsen · West Bohemia · Czech Republic

Pilsen

Where pilsner was born, in 1842

BEER CAPITAL 3/3 3 days

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beBeer Events Brussels Express

About this trip

In October 1842, a young Bavarian brewmaster named Josef Groll tapped the first golden, bottom-fermented lager in the cellars of the Burghers' Brewery in Pilsen. The world never drank the same way again. Today nearly 70 % of all beer on the planet descends from that recipe — but only Pilsen can still claim to be the original, and the city carries the title with the calm of someone who no longer has anything to prove. Modern Pilsen is much more than a label. The West Bohemian capital is home to the legendary Plzeňský Prazdroj, its sister Gambrinus, the experimental brewery Elektrárna, the craft micro-brewery Raven, and the brewpub-spa Purkmistr. Between the 102-metre spire of St Bartholomew's Cathedral, the main square and the 14 km of medieval cellars tunnelled beneath the old town, three days are barely enough to grasp its full historical and liquid depth.

beBeer's verdict

Pilsen isn't a city you visit the way you'd visit any other: you come here the way you go to Reims for champagne, or to Cognac for cognac. With one difference — pilsner didn't stay rooted in its birthplace. It took over the planet, sometimes to the point of caricature. Coming back to the source means rediscovering a fuller, maltier, more signature beer than you'd remembered. It also means realising that Czech craft exists — young, alive, and unafraid of comparison with anyone. Three days are enough for the essentials; five let you settle in. Come between May and early October, when the gardens are open and the festivals are in full swing.

Where to go

Brewery 3

  1. 01

    Gambrinus

    U Prazdroje 64/7, 301 00 Plzeň 3, Chequia

  2. 02

    Pivovar Purkmistr

    Selská náves 21/2, 326 00 Plzeň 8-Černice, Chequia

  3. 03

    Pivovar Raven

    1, Mozartova 132, 323 00 Plzeň 1, Chequia

Bars & Taprooms 3

  1. 04

    KEGzistence

    Rooseveltova 76/4, 301 00 Plzeň 3-Vnitřní Město, Chequia

  2. 05

    Raven Pub City

    Plachého 10, 301 00 Plzeň 3, Chequia

  3. 06

    Klub Malých Pivovarů

    Nádražní 16, 301 00 Plzeň 3-Východní Předměstí, Chequia

Your itinerary

  1. Day 1

    Following Josef Groll's footsteps

    Morning

    1. 9h00
      — A strong coffee on Náměstí Republiky , facing the Gothic Cathedral of St Bartholomew (102.26 m — Bohemia's tallest spire).
    2. 10h00
      — Visit the Brewery Museum (Pivovarské muzeum), set inside a 15th-century brewhouse — the most comprehensive of its kind in the world.
    3. 11h30
      — Descend into Pilsen's Historical Underground : 800 m of medieval tunnels 9–12 m beneath the old town.

    Afternoon

    1. 13h00
      — Lunch at Šenk Na Parkánu — goulash, svíčková and, above all, unfiltered Pilsner Urquell (the voucher from the museum is redeemable here).
    2. 14h30
      — The sacred moment: guided tour of Plzeňský Prazdroj . 110 min, brewhouses, bottling line, 9 km of cellars, tasting from the oak barrel.

    Evening

    1. 17h30
      — Apéritif on the terrace of Hospoda Na Spilce — one of the biggest pubs in the Czech Republic, housed in the former fermentation cellars.
    2. 19h30
      — Tank-beer dinner at U Salzmannů , the oldest inn in town (1627).
    3. 22h00
      — Nightcap at Francis Beer Cafe , the square's best-kept secret.
  2. Day 2

    Pilsner in every possible form

    Morning

    1. 10h00
      — Coffee and a koláč in the old town, then a visit to the Great Synagogue (the third largest in Europe).
    2. 12h00
      — Walk past the General Patton memorial and through the former Jewish quarter before lunch.

    Afternoon

    1. 12h45
      — Hearty lunch at U Mansfelda : pork knee, roast duck, Pilsner Urquell 12° straight from the tank.
    2. 14h30
      — Tour of Gambrinus : historic fermentation room, modern cylindro-conical tanks, tapping class in the 1869 brewhouse.
    3. 17h00
      — Visit the experimental brewery Elektrárna (formerly Proud), housed in the 1907 power plant on the Prazdroj site.

    Evening

    1. 19h00
      — Craft tasting at KEGzistence : flight of four beers, Czech and international IPAs, sours and stouts.
    2. 21h00
      — Closing burger at Pivstro with a hoppy pale ale to a punk-rock soundtrack.
  3. Day 3

    Beyond the walls: craft and micro-breweries

    Morning

    1. 10h00
      — Trolleybus 13 southbound to Černice end stop. Arrive at Pivovar Purkmistr , a 17th-century farmstead.
    2. 10h30
      — Guided tour of the micro-brewery (1,600 hl/year) and a beer bath in a larchwood tub, fresh-beer tap within arm's reach.
    3. 12h30
      — Lunch at the Purkmistr restaurant: modern Czech cuisine paired with the house unfiltered lagers.

    Afternoon

    1. 15h00
      — Back to the centre, then tram 1 to Mozartova. Tour of Pivovar Raven — 30 min and five brewer-picked beers (CZK 200).
    2. 17h00
      — Apéro at Raven Pub Bolevec , right at the production site: IPAs, APAs and the year's Black Label.

    Evening

    1. 18h30
      — Back downtown, stop at Raven Pub City for bottled editions.
    2. 20h00
      — Dinner and last round at Klub Malých Pivovarů , Pilsen's first beer club with 8 rotating taps from Czech and European microbreweries — the perfect final glance at the craft scene before leaving.
    3. 22h00
      — Final stop: Brewhemian Beer Shop to fill the suitcase with rare bottles.

Practical information

Best period
May to September for beer gardens and terraces. Early October for the Pilsner Fest , commemorating the first brew of 1842.
Events
Pilsner Fest (first weekend of October) · Slunce ve skle — Sun in a Glass (mid-September, Purkmistr, ~70 micro-breweries) · Noc pivovarů — Breweries Night (May) · Bohemia JazzFest (summer).
Budget per day
Budget €50–70 (hostel + pub meals + 5–6 beers) · Standard €100–130 (3★ hotel + tour + mix of pubs & restaurants) · Premium €200+ (Hotel Purkmistr + beer spa + fine dining).
Getting around
Trams 1 and 2 cross the centre and reach both the station and Prazdroj · Trolleybus 13 to Purkmistr (Černice) · Tram 1 to Raven (Mozartova) · Single ticket CZK 25 on board with contactless card · From Prague: train 1h20 (~CZK 175) or FlixBus 1h (~CZK 140).
Accommodation
Vnitřní Město (centre) : everything on foot, bars and restaurants at the door. Opposite Prazdroj : Vienna House Easy Pilsen is directly across from the brewery. Černice : Hotel Purkmistr**** for the brewery-spa-hotel combo.
Beer tip
Pivo = beer · Hladinka = classic pour with a creamy foam crown · Šnyt = half-pour with a thick foam cap · Mlíko = "milk": all foam · Nefiltrovaný = unfiltered · Na zdraví! = Cheers!
Food pairings
Pilsner Urquell 12° + svíčková (beef in cream sauce) · Gambrinus + goulash served in a Czech bread bowl · Purkmistr Dark + vepřové koleno (roasted pork knee) · Raven IPA + smash burger of aged beef.

What you shouldn't miss

  1. 01

    The beer straight from the oak

    The birth of a legend, in a single sip

    Descending into Pilsner Urquell's 5 °C cellars and drinking the unfiltered lager tapped straight from an oak barrel — exactly as Josef Groll did in 1842. 9 km of cool tunnels beneath the city, and a flavour 180 years haven't changed.

  2. 02

    A beer bath in a 17th-century farmhouse

    Bohemian wellness, liquid edition

    Slipping into a larchwood tub full of warm beer, yeast and herbs at Purkmistr Černice, with a fresh-beer tap within reach. Thirty minutes your skin won't forget.

  3. 03

    The perfect hladinka from a true master

    The Czech science of foam

    Watching a Pilsen tapster pour a flawless hladinka at Na Spilce: three-quarters beer, a thick creamy foam blanket. Czech foam is an art form — and this is the academy.

  4. 04

    The unfiltered at Na Parkánu

    The purists' secret address

    One of the only places on earth — aside from the brewery itself — allowed to pour unfiltered Pilsner Urquell on draft. 1920s decor, heated terrace even in January.

  5. 05

    Sunset over Náměstí Republiky

    The square that gave beer its name

    A cold pilsner, the Gothic spire of St Bartholomew (102 m) standing against the Bohemian sky, and the light slowly turning across the Renaissance façades. A simple, total, Czech moment.

  6. 06

    Saaz, malt and soft water

    Understanding brewing through the senses

    Touching, smelling and chewing the three ingredients that changed beer history: Moravian malt, Saaz hops from Žatec, Pilsen water. The new Ingredients Exhibit (May 2025) turns brewing education into a sensory journey.

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