Plzeň

Plzeň, Czech Republic

The Gothic tower of St. Bartholomew's Cathedral rises above a cobbled lane in Plzeň, lit warm gold by the low evening sun.

Plzeň is the birthplace of Pilsner beer, a compact Bohemian city of Gothic spires, deep cellars and working trams, just over an hour from Prague.

The place

Plzeň sits in western Bohemia, where four rivers, the Mže, Úhlava, Úslava and Radbuza, join to form the Berounka. Home to about 188,000 people, it ranks fourth in size among Czech cities, and it lies 322 m above sea level. Trains and buses from Prague take just over an hour, which makes it an easy day trip, though it repays a night. The old centre is a tight grid around one large square, watched over by a Gothic cathedral whose tower is visible from most approaches. Around it are Renaissance façades, a network of cellars underground and, a short walk east across the river, the brewery that carried the city's name around the world. Beyond the old town the mood changes. This is a working industrial city, long home to the Škoda engineering works, with tram lines, factory halls and a lively student population. As the seat of the Plzeň Region and the area's chief place of business, it feels lived-in rather than staged. A Bavarian brewer created Pilsner here, and the style has been copied almost everywhere, which gives the city a quiet confidence about its beer. Crowds stay modest outside summer weekends and festival days. Winters are cold and grey, while summers are warm enough for long evenings at outdoor tables. The centre is best covered on foot, with trams for longer hops to the zoo or the outer districts.

Its story

Plzeň began as a planned royal town. King Wenceslaus II founded New Plzeň in 1295 a short distance from an older settlement, which came to be known as Starý Plzenec. The position mattered, because roads linking Bohemia with Nuremberg and Regensburg ran this way and trade made the town prosperous. By the fourteenth century it ranked third among Bohemian cities, behind Prague and Kutná Hora, though it was small by modern measures. Brewing was already part of daily life, and the first written record of it dates from the early fourteenth century. In the Hussite Wars the city stayed on the Catholic side and held out while the Hussite commander Prokop the Great besieged it three times without success. Later in the fifteenth century it received the first printing press in Bohemia, and a volume printed here, the Statuta, is counted as the oldest printed book in the country. The seventeenth century was rougher. Emperor Rudolf II made the city his seat for a short spell around the turn of the century. The Thirty Years' War then brought a siege and occupation by Mansfeld's forces, with imperial troops retaking the town a few years later, and Wallenstein later chose it for his winter quarters. The nineteenth century turned Plzeň into an industrial city. The Škoda Works grew into a major engineering firm of Austria-Hungary and later Czechoslovakia, and the Bavarian brewer Josef Groll created the pale lager that became Pilsner.

What to see

Culture

Plzeň is a Czech city with a strong Catholic past and a good deal of quiet scepticism about religion today. The cathedral on Republic Square is the seat of the Catholic diocese, and the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren also has its regional seniorate here. The Great Synagogue is a reminder of a Jewish community that was once large, and it is now more a heritage site than a place of daily worship. A monument to American soldiers, inscribed with thanks, recalls the city's liberation at the end of the Second World War, and local people still take that memory seriously. Daily life revolves around the pub. A Czech pub is not just a bar but a social room, where neighbours meet after work, tables are often shared, and a glass of beer arrives without much ceremony. Beer here is poured with a thick head of foam, which locals consider part of the drink rather than a fault, and conversation is generally low-key. Football, ice hockey and the weekend trip to a cottage in the countryside are common topics. Students from the university and technical faculties give the centre a younger edge in term time, while festival weekends bring concerts and open-air stages. Service is polite but not effusive, which can read as cool to visitors used to more attentive waiting. In a pub, greet the table with a quiet dobrý den, ask before taking a free seat at a table where others are already sitting, and round the bill up rather than leaving coins behind.

What to wear

Plzeň has no single city costume, but the western Bohemian countryside has a strong folk tradition. The best known is the dress of the Chodsko region near Domažlice, with embroidered bodices, full pleated skirts, white linen blouses and wool or felt for colder days. Men's versions include dark waistcoats, breeches and embroidered detail. These outfits appear at festivals, weddings and folk gatherings rather than daily life, and regional museums sometimes display them. Everyday dress in Plzeň is plain and practical: jeans, trainers, sturdy jackets, and plenty of dark colours in winter. Engineering and student circles lean casual, while office workers dress smartly but without fuss. Evenings in restaurants do not demand formality, though people usually look tidy. Visitors should dress for the weather first. Spring and autumn can be changeable and cool, so a light waterproof and layers work well. Winter needs a warm coat, hat, gloves and shoes with grip for icy cobbles. Summer is warm, and cotton clothing is comfortable, but a light jumper helps in the cool underground cellars. Comfortable flat shoes matter, because the old town is paved with stone setts. In the cathedral and other places of worship, covered shoulders and knees are respectful, and hats should be removed. A small daypack is fine for brewery tours, but very bulky bags can be inconvenient in narrow tunnels.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. May–June and September–October bring mild days and comfortable walking weather. July and August are warm and busier, and winters are cold and grey, though the cellars and pubs suit that season well.

How long. 1–2

Getting there. Fly to Prague and take a train or bus to Plzeň, which runs hourly and takes just over an hour. From Munich there are direct trains about every two hours, taking around 4½ hours. A scenic railway runs from Železná Ruda via Klatovy through the Šumava hills. From the station, the old town is a short walk or tram ride.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources