"Come and Worship..." a Plzen Travel Page by RockTadgers

Visiting the brewery of Pilsner Urquell, arguably the Czech Republic's (even the world's) finest beer was always something I wanted to do, but always struck me as a rather Homer Simpson-ish thing to do. Luckily, the 163rd Plzenfest gave me the perfect excuse to bow down at the altar of all things Pilsner...

They've been brewing the stuff in the small town of Plzen, a couple of hour's train ride from Prague, since 1842. This led me, rather naievely, to expect a tour round an old brewery filled with middle aged Czech guys wearing funny hats and dungarees, with huge moustaches, rolling barrels around and other brewery-type stuff, occasionally invigorating themselves with long draughts of the beautiful golden liquid.

Not so. It's all been modernised now, and while the vast aluminium vats are undoubtedly impressive, the new hi-tech facility was a world away from the traditional methods I expected.

There is a tour, available in English, that lasts about forty-five minutes, that educates the curious visitor in everything on making beer. The Czech guides are informative and quite willing to field any questions. The highlight undoubtedly is the descent into the ancient brick cellars (reportedly covering nine miles of passageways) where their precious beer is stored in enormous barrels in the perfect temperature. They still brew the beer by the traditional method aswell, so they can compare the quality and make sure the new techniques don't alter Pilsner's cherished flavour.

The tour also includes a hokey medieval axe battle (I missed the connection) and the chance to sample some beer directly from the barrel. This, naturally, is the bit everyone's waiting for, and the guide allows visitors about fifteen minutes to stand around drinking their beers.

If you are lucky enough to visit the brewery on their annual Plzen Fest, there will also be a massive marquee with live music, lots of benches, traditional Czech food, and, luckily, enough Pilsner Urquell to fill Lake Superior for visitors to enjoy. The place is packed with people travelling from all over the Czech Republic to unite in their love for their proudest joy. As a result, everyone's tanked up by four in the afternoon, city girls sit clinking glasses with farmers, and men with large bellies and bad jumpers stand on tables singing along to sentimental old Czech favourites. It's a wondefully boisterous, friendly atmosphere, and it's great to encounter the usually reserved and introverted Czechs letting loose and enjoying themselves.

If you're a fan of Czech beer, and you only make one trip out of Prague, then Plzen's got to be it. See you there next September...