Plzeň

Culture & History

Did you know that Pilsner Urquell has inspired more than two-thirds of all of the world’s beers, which are still today labeled as "Pils", "Pilsner", or "Pilsener"? This Pilsner Urquell Brewery tour will impress every beer fan and history lover. Get to know the original locations where this famous beer was conceived 179 years ago, and whose story continues even today.  From the Visitor Center, travel via brewery bus to one of the most modern bottling facilities, which processes 120,000 bottles per hour. Learn about the ingredients from which this pilsner is brewed. Discover the heart of the brewery: 3 brew houses from different centuries. The tour culminates with a tasting of unfiltered Pilsner Urquell beer in the historic cellars.

Take a step back in time at the Brewery Museum in Plzeň, a professional museum located in a 15th-century house that has been preserved in its original form. Find out a beer-making legend, and reveal the secrets of beer-making, serving, and drinking from the distant past. On your tour, travel through history to medieval times when beer was drunk through a reed. See medieval cellars hidden under a 15th-century brewing house and authentic beer pubs from the beginning of the 20th century. Explore the late Gothic malt shop, which forms an important part of the so-called threshing yard where grain steeping and germination took place. Finally, round off your tour at this unique museum with a glass of Pilsner beer.

The Czech Republic is not just Prague. Did you know that Pilsen has always been the country's regional center of industry, religion, education, sport, gastronomy and culture? This all culminated in 2015, when Pilsen received the prestigious European Capital of Culture Award. Your tour will begin with a tour to walk around and explore the Old Town, which will allow you to see all of the hidden spots and gems. As you tour, your guide will tell you about the city itself, including its history, culture, and people. The tour will then continue by entering the St. Bartholomeus Cathedral, which has the highest spire in the Czech Republic. Following this, you will get to see 3rd-biggest Synagogue in the world, allowing you to walk through a place where Czech history was written.  Following the historic portion of your tour, your guide will take you to a local Czech pub where you will get to taste traditional Czech snacks and beer. Your guide will also tell you about Czech eating habits and culture, as you learn about the country's rich gastronomic history.

When thinking of the Czech Republic, two traditional crafts often come to mind: crystal glassworks and beer. Discover the secrets of both on a full-day tour of the Ruckl glassworks and Pilsner Urquell Brewery. Admire elegant glassworks and even purchase a piece of your own before touring the Pilsner Urquell Brewery to taste the most famous Czech beer and enjoy a traditional lunch.  Meet the group in Prague 2 or arrange hotel pick up and set off in an air-conditioned van to the idyllic town of Nižbor. Here, visit a small family glassworks, one of the most famous in Bohemia. Since 1903, the Ruckel family have been blowing, grinding, and polishing beautiful glass pieces. However, the art of glassmaking goes back much further, all the way to the 17th-century when craftsmen honed their skills and passed them down through the generations. Learn about the glass-blowing process on a 1-hour tour before stopping by the factory shop for the chance to purchase your own authentic piece.   Next, head to the famous Czech brewery in Pilsen. Since 1842 the iconic Pilsner Urquell beer has been brewed here and you will learn everything about its history and brewing process on a 1.5-hour guided tour. Hop on the brewery bus in the Visitors' Center and see one of the most modern bottling plants with a capacity of 120,000 bottles per hour. Learn about the ingredients from which Pilsner Urquell beer is brewed and visit the heart of the brewery – three brewhouses from different historical periods. Taste unfiltered and unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell tapped directly from the lager barrels in the historical cellars.  After the tour, enjoy a traditional Czech lunch in an underground restaurant right in the brewery. The space was previously used for fermentation of beer and its dimensions will literally take your breath away. Of course, the local pale lager is served with lunch, but you may also choose wine or another legendary Czech beer, dark lager Kozel. Return to Prague after lunch at approximately 4:00 PM.

Experience the best of Pilsen nightlife and visit a variety of different clubs and pubs including a pub where you can pour your own beer. Accompanied by a local guide, visit 6 of the best drinking spots in the city and follow in the footsteps of stars such as John Malkovich, Gerard Depardieu, Jaromir Jagr, and Pierre Richard, all of whom have been known to frequent the mecca of Czech nightlife that is Pilsen. Look forward to an on-the-house welcome drink at every location.  End the night at the famous "Pamela" bar and participate in the Pilsen naked run if you're feeling brave. 

Discover two of the Czech Republic's famous products – pilsner and crystal. Leave Prague behind for a journey to Pilsen, a metropolis of Western Bohemia. Visit the Pilsner Urquell Brewery to learn about how this "liquid bread" is made. Founded in 1842, the brewery creates the best Pilsner in the world. Walk through the museum as you discover the brewery's 150 year long history. After your brewery tour, enjoy lunch before visiting one of the most well known glass factories of the Czech Republic – Ruckle Crystal. Enjoy a guided tour of the factory as well as discounts on your purchases before returning to Prague.