ATTRACTIONS PLZEN

Plzen Brewery

A visit to the brewery will interest anyone who wants to learn more about the brewing process. The brewery actually comprises several breweries, pumping out brands like Pilsner Urquell and Gambrinus, the most widely consumed beer in the Czech Republic.

The 1-hour tour of the factory includes a 15-minute film and visits the fermentation cellars and brewing rooms.

Nearby is the Beer Museum for the ones who after the visit to the brewery would like to see more beer. It is one of the eldest Beer Museums in the world and it shows plenty of interesting exhibits. It is also a great place to buy souvenirs related to beer, like glasses, bottles, jugs etc.

Namesti Republiky

This is the town square of Plzen and is the biggest of all cities in Bohemia. It is surrounded by plenty of interesting and beautiful houses.

The Plague Memorial

St. Bartholomew Cathedral

This gothic cathedral with the tallest steeple in the Czech Republic at 100 m dominates the city square. St. Bartholomew was built in the middle of the town square already in 1297 and rebuilt again in 1476. The spire of the church of 100 m is the highest in the whole Czech Republic.

The altar shows the famous 'Madonna of Plzen', an early masterpiece of 1390, as one of the many statues. The altar itself was built in the 19th century and decorated with older statues. There is also the so called 'Sternberg-chapel' in the back of the church, as the Sternberg-family donated most of the money to build the church.

Town Hall

The Town Hall was built in 1554 by the Italian architect Giovanni de Statio. It shows great sgraffitis from 1908. If you have the chance, go there in the early afternoon, when the sun is high enough, otherwise the church will cover most of the great sgraffities with its shadow.

Inside the Town Hall you may see an exhibition of old photos of the city and the most important for you might be a small-size-model of the inner town, with all buildings inside the garden-ring.

Great Synagogue

This is the third largest synagogue in the world and was built in the late 19th century. A painstaking restoration project has brought back this shrine's beauty and is a must-see to take in some of the history that makes the Czech Republic so fascinating.

Plzen Zoo

The city has the only zoo which also has botanical gardens. Here you can see the Komodo dragon, the biggest lizard in the world. Komodo dragons are bred in only 8 zoos around the world. Next to the zoo is the largest natural amphitheatre in Central Europe.