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.