If you love beer and travel to the Czech Republic, it is very likely that one of your priorities is precisely to try beers that are produced in this country. The Czechs not only produce delicious craft and commercial beers, they are also the biggest beer consumers per capita in the world. And specifically in this country, in the city of Plzeň (Pilsen), is where the Pilsner type beer originated.
The beautiful city of Pilsen is located 95 kilometers from Prague, just over an hour by car or train. We traveled there to visit the famous Pilsner Urquell brewery (Plzeňský Prazdroj) and to take a very interesting tour where we learned about its history, the brewing process and the tasting of a special beer.
It all started in the late XIII century when King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia ceded the brewing right to the people of Pilsen. However, for centuries they failed to make good quality or long lasting beer. It was not until the XIX century when people began to protest and spill beer kegs, due to the low quality. That led the citizens to decide to build a brewery and brew the beer themselves.
They built a factory and hired the Bavarian master brewer Josef Groll, who was a great expert. They began to experiment with German lager beers until in 1842, he presented the first pilsner production. The result was a great success that revolutionized lager beer and has been maintained to date.
In the brewery, they not only explain the whole story to you, but you also see documents and artifacts that support everything you hear. Behind a glass, you can see the packaging area which is impressive. You walk between the copper pots in the cooking room; you take the malt with your own hands and tour the places where it rests in barrels at low temperature.
As expected, at the end of the tour, you conclude with the tasting of an unfiltered beer, something that you can only try here and that I really liked.
To sleep or not in Pilsen? The advantage of being close to Prague, is that you can return that same afternoon, although if you have time, I recommend staying one night in Pilsen, since it has very nice taverns where you can try other delicious beers including craft beers, as well as very nice restaurants for all tastes where you will eat wonderfully. This way, you will have the opportunity to get to know one more city in the beautiful Czech Republic.
If you want me to design and organize your trip to the Czech Republic 100% customized through our travel agency Tripdreaming, please contact me at silvia.lucero@tripdreaming.com, to plan this dream trip.
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