Plzeň (known as Pilsen), the most important city in West Bohemia, is only an hour’s drive from Prague along the motorway. Plzen was founded in 1290 and granted the privilege to brew its own beer. Pilsner Urquell brewery is the main attraction in this largely industrial town.
The Museum of Beer Brewing is housed in a beautiful neo-Gothic building. The brewery organizes guided tours in English and German daily at 12.30and 14.00. Open Sept-May, Tues-Sun, daily Jun-Aug.
Plzen’s main square has some fine Renaissance and Baroque townhouses and is dominated by the Gothic Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, the tallest church in the country. Other city attractions are the Town Hall, which was constructed in 1558, and the Franciscan Monastery, which is decorated with Gothic frescoes vividly illustrating the lives of the saints.
