A short visit to the historic Plzeň city center from the Pilsner Urquell brewery: 2 km

• Plzeň is the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic and today mostly known (by tourists) as the home of the classic Pilsner beer, which was ‘invented’ in the 19th century at the Citizens’ Brewery, which is now called Plzeňský Prazdroj. The tour of this famous brewery is one of the most popular tourist activities in the country.
• Sadly, many people who visit the brewery do not take the opportunity to visit the centre of the city, which is just a short walk from the brewery gate. The old town of Plzeň is not a large area, but there are some exceptional buildings to see, including the Gothic cathedral in the centre of the main square, which is itself lined with a fine collection of Baroque and Renaissance buildings. The old brewery museum, located in a 15th century brew house, with its extensive underground tunnel system, dating back to the foundation of the city in the 13th century, is also highly recommended.
• In addition to its famous breweries (there are several to visit – not just Prazdroj) and their associated pubs, which invariably serve decent food, there are a variety of other excellent spots for refreshment, including a couple of very good cafés near the main square. Try ‘Le Frenchie’ on the corner of the square or the boutique Pappa Coffee, just next to the Brewery museum.

Note: click ‘Show on Mapy.cz’  to go to a full screen version of the route directly on the mapy.cz site. This can be used for on line navigation, saved or exported as a GPX file.

Directions

• From the Prazdroj brewery, follow the cycle trail on the walkway beseide the main road to cross the river
• After 400m turn left to pass under the main highway and enter the city along Pallova street
• Explore the main town square (Náměstí Republiky) and the streets that immediately surround the square, including Veleslavínova (where the Brewery museum is located) and then return back the same route