The city of Pilsen (a.k.a. Plzeň) lies about an hour west of Prague near the border of Germany. And as the name implies, it’s home to the thirst-quenching pale lager, Pilsner (or Pils).
Things I did and love in Pilsen
- Take the 90 minute tour of Pilsner Urquell Brewery, which ends with a sampling of their unfiltered beer (my dad still talks about that beer).
- We also toured the historical underground network of tunnels beneath the Old Town area. Though not haunted like the underground catacombs of Edinburgh, this was an interesting, history-heavy tour of the sophisticated system extending a few stories below Pilsen. And you get to wear a hard hat, so that’s cool.
- St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral has the tallest tower in the Czech Republic, so…you need to climb it. The view is pretty great, and it’s ⅓ the price and ¼ the crowds as the clock tower in Prague.
Things to note
- Food, transportation, and just about everything in Pilsen is much cheaper than in Prague, so buy your souvenirs and beers here! The Czech Republic as a whole is also a lot more affordable than the rest of Western Europe.
- The Czech Republic is not on the Euro, but rather the Czech Koruna (Kč or CZK).
Read about Prague and the Czech food scene here.
Mira says
Hi Sarah, thank you for your kind words regarding my country. I hope you will visit another nice places here and if you want to choose in advance, have a look here: https://www.amazingczechia.com/
I can recommend this site because the author and owner is very good photographer and his snaps are apt and nice. Mira