Think of the Czech Republic, and what might be some of the first things that come into your mind? Pilsner beer? Skoda cars? Well, believe it or not, these two quintessentially Czech things originated in Pilsen.

 

Pilsen (or Plzeň as it's locally known) is the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic, and was first mentioned as a castle in 976, and it officially became a town in 1295 when King Wenceslaus II granted its civic charter as a "Royal City" and established a new town site, some 10 km away from the original settlement, which is the current town of Starý Plzenec. It experienced rapid growth as it was situated on important trade routes leading to Nuremberg and Regensburg.

 

Bohemia was the seat of the Habsburg's Holy Roman Empire and later Austro-Hungarian Empire, so Pilsen was certainly never short of stories to tell. The Hussite Wars, the Thirty Years' War, even failed Swedish sieges all kept Pilsen at the forefront of European history. The Kingdom of Bohemia gave Pilsen the Baroque-style architecture which the city still exhibits to this day. In the latter part of the 19th century, Pilsen began to industrialise rapidly, but instead of forfeiting traditional values in favour of industrial and economic prosperity, Pilsen managed to hold on to the historical and cultural influences which made it such a great city in the first place. It's the same tradition of bringing together new technologies with art and culture which have ensured that Pilsen won the award of 2015's European Capital of Culture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But anyway, back to the beer... Pilsner (also spelt pilsener or pils) lager was first produced in Pilsen back in 1842, and as the name suggests, also took its name from the city. Pilsner Urquell, the city's most famous brand of beer, was the world's very first blond lager, and is the direct inspiration for over two-thirds of the beer produced in the world today. Now how's that for a legacy?

 

Today Pilsner Urquell beer is made in the exact same way, and in the exact same place, as it was all those years ago, with 100% of its ingredients being sourced from the same farming regions in the Czech Republic. Tradition is everything at Pilsner Urquell, and at the Pilsner Urquell Brewery they're offering tours in which you can learn more about the city's history, the brewing process, visit the new bottling facility (which can handle a mind-boggling 120,000 bottles per hour), and taste unfiltered and unpasteurised Pilsner Urquell on tap straight from oak lager barrels situated down in the historic brewery cellars.

 

Now for any of you lager-lovers who can't make it over to Pilsen and who haven't yet tried Pilsner Urquell, our advice to you is to go out and do so without further delay. Clean, crisp, dry and refreshing, Pilsner Urquell truly is beer as it should be (and before you ask: no, we haven't been paid by Pilsner Urquell or anybody affiliated with them to say this).

 

The history of Skoda is similarly entwined with the City of Pilsen. In 1859, Bohemian industrialist Emil Škoda founded the company Škoda Works in Pilsen and quickly built it up to become one of the largest companies in the country. At it's peak production, the Skoda plant employed 20% of the Pilsen's workers. And whilst Skoda cars are no longer produced in Pilsen (these days they are actually made in Mladá Boleslav), you can always visit the Techmania Science Centre. This modern interactive museum, rather fittingly situated in one of the old Skoda factory buildings, is one of the newest tourism destinations in Pilsen and provides an opportunity to discover the history of one of the most popular cars on European streets today.

 

If beer and cars are not your thing, though, there's plenty of culture to be found in the City of Pilsen. Take for instance the Great Synagogue, the second largest synagogue in Europe and the third largest in the world. Reflecting the rich Jewish community in Pilsen, who were sadly decimated during the Holocaust, the Moorish-Romanesque building underwent major renovation works in the latter part of the 20th century. Today, the Great Synagogue serves as both a place for religious worship as well as an exhibition/concert hall.

 

Then of course, there are the churches. Here's a quick question: Did you know that the Czech Republic is the least religious country in Europe? Ironic then, that one of the most notable persons in Christian history was a Czech priest who went by the name of Jan Hus (or John Huss, as we Brits like to call him). So influential was this man, that he inspired a large group of supporters (known as Hussites) and Germany's Martin Luther (who was said to have only started his work after having been inspired by Hus). So to put it another way: had it not been for Jan Hus, we would have never had the Protestant Reformation movement or probably even a Church of England today.

 

A truly remarkable man, but where was one of the first places which Jan Hus wanted to set his movement out from and where he truly admired the spirit of the local populace? That's right, Pilsen. St Bartholomew's Gothic Cathedral is testament to the legacy of the Hussites and the religion movement in Pilsen, and has been touted as one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Central Europe.

 

So there you have it. Just some of the few ways in which Pilsen has influenced our daily lives. But we're confident that should you decide to visit the city nicknamed "Little Prague", you'll find plenty of other ways for this great city to inspire and influence you.