Plzen gave the world Pilsner, and for many travelers that is reason enough to visit. The Pilsner Urquell brewery offers tours through the original cellars where the first batch was brewed in 1842 — cool, vaulted tunnels where you taste the unfiltered, unpasteurized version straight from oak barrels. It is a revelatory experience that will ruin every mass-produced pilsner you drink afterward.
But Plzen is more than beer. The Republic Square is one of the largest in Europe, anchored by the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew and its slender Gothic tower — the tallest in the Czech Republic. Below the streets, a network of medieval tunnels stretches for kilometers, originally used for food storage and beer production. The city served as European Capital of Culture in 2015, and the creative infrastructure remains: the DEPO2015 cultural center, a strong gallery scene, and restaurants that pair local brewing traditions with inventive Bohemian cooking.
When to go: May through September for warm weather and outdoor dining. The Pilsner Fest in October celebrates the anniversary of the first brew.