Disappointments in Plzeň

My daytrip to Plzeň continued after my visits to the Pilsner Urquell brewery and the Purkmistr brewpub. There were still two other brewpubs to visit in addition to the brewery museum and the Na Parkánu restaurant.

Before travelling to Plzeň, I had used Pivní Filosof's travelogue as my beer guide to the city. After taking the trolley bus back to the city centre from the suburb of Černice, it was already late afternoon. I looked at the watch and decided that I would skip one of the brewpubs. After looking at the maps, it looked as if it would take more time visiting U Rytíře Lochoty than the other places, as both Pivovar Groll and Na Parkánu were in walking distance.

Plzeň has several beautiful buildings. The Cathedral of St. Bartholomew has the highest spire in the Czech Republic, and the gothic cathedral is a beautiful sight. The same is to be said about the synagogue and town hall.

Even though the architecture was interesting, I was ready for a visit to the beer museum. Not far from the cathedral, I found it. But what a disappointment! The museum was closed.

OK, no problem, I thought. Let's try out the Na Parkánu restaurant next door instead. This is the only place in the world were you can find a kvasnicové version of Pilsner Urquell. During my visits to the Czech Republic, I have tried several kvasnicové beers, and I like them a lot. No such luck this time. Na Parkánu was closed.

All right, then I was off to Pivovar Groll instead. I located the building next to a large parking lot. To get there, I had to cross a road with very much traffic. Finally I was inside the brewery building, but again there was a problem. The little coffee bar on the ground floor was open, but that was all. The Pivovar Groll brewpub was also closed, and there would be no possibilities trying the LOTR beers on site this time around.

I was disappointed. Two of the city's sights for beer tourists had been closed, and I would have to make the trip back to Plzeň another time if I ever was to try Pilsner Urquell kvasnicové. But on the positive side, I had seen the Pilsner Urquell brewery and had a great time at Purkmistr. Both were really good experiences, so on the way back to the railway station I was not disappointed anymore. Instead I had an excuse making my next visit to Plzeň a trip with a layover. For instance at the Purkmistr hotel...

Among pilsner camels

After visiting Pilsner Urquell, my next adventure in Plzeň led me to the suburb of Černice. To get there, I needed to take trolley bus number 13. The nearest bus stop was called Sumavska, so I had a short walk there along the U Prazdroje street.

U Prazdroje street is named after the Pilsner Urquell brewery's Czech name, Plzeňský Prazdroj, and it means literally "at the source". I liked walking with the brewery site on my left, so I decided to walk to the next bus stop on the street, Gambrinus - named after the other well known beer brand from Plzeň. That was a good choice, as there were many beer related posters to take a look at near the road. In addition to this, it was interesting looking at the modern brewery buildings from the outside.

After a short wait, trolley bus 13 came. I entered the bus, and had in a way a ten minute sightseeing through the city centre before the bus led us southwards to Černice in another 10 minutes. On the bus stop Gen. Lišky it was time to leave the bus, and I was suddenly on the countryside. I walked through a residential area with many new houses before my goal was in front of me: Purkmistr brewery and hotel.

I entered the on-site restaurant, sat down and ordered a half litre of their pale lager, ležák. As I waited for the beer, I looked around in the room. I liked it. On the walls there were bricks, the bar was nicely decorated and the brewing equipment was a nice touch.

The waitress brought my beer, and I was very excited. The beer was a little bit cloudy, but otherwise golden with a large head. There was no carbonation at all, and it the nose I felt nice yeast notes. The beer was very good with a fruity touch. There were some notes of citrus, and they danced with hints of yeast until a nice, somewhat bitter finish. A lovely beer, and it was well worth the bus ride tasting it.

I was hungry, so I ordered a portion of beer goulasch. It was very nice with a great sauce, and the beef was nice and tender. I liked it a lot, and it was so filling that I was not able to eat it all.

It was time for another beer, and this time I tried one of the five other Purkmistr beers on tap, the polotmave or half dark lager. Also this beer was served with no carbonation and a small head. It was a good beer with aromas of yeast and burntness. In the mouth the burnt notes took lead with hints of sweetness. I felt some chocolate before a bitter aftertaste took the lead. This was a nice beer, but in afterthought I should have taken another golden lager. That was a much better beer.

It was time to move on, as I had more plans during my visit to Plzeň. On the way out I decided to take a look at the hotel reception, as Purkmistr's website promises a lot of merchandise for sale.

Bingo! They had beer glasses, jams, spreads, sausages and different Purkmistr beers for sale. I bought a handful of beer bottles and a branded glass to go. My plan was to enjoy a bottle of ležák on the train back to Prague.

I left Purkmistr with a smile promising myself that I would be back at this nice restaurant with the great beers. But first I had to find the bus stop again. Another brewpub was waiting for me in the city centre of Plzeň.

Pilsner pilgrimage

For a very long time I have wanted to take the trip to Plzeň, the fourth largest city of the Czech Republic. Located in the western part of Bohemia, Plzeň (also known as Pilsen) is famous for the pilsener beer style, first brewed by the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery in 1842. The Pilsner Urquell lager beer hails from this brewery, and all other pilsener beers are made in the same style as this beer from Plzeň.

On the last Sunday in February I was standing on the platform of Prague's main railway station, Hlavní nádraží, to catch the train to Železná Ruda. Well, I was not going all the way to the city near the German border, but this is one of the train routes serving people travelling to Plzeň.

A two hour train ride was in front of me, and as we travelled out of Prague the fields had more signs of Winter than the Czech capital where there were only signs of Spring.
On the train I felt a little bit thirsty, and what else to drink than some Pilsner Urquell? It was refreshing drinking the beer, while thinking that I would try it on the brewery site in a few hours.

The train stopped at several stations. One of them was Beroun, where you can find the Berounský Medvěd brewery and brewpub. The brewery's beers have a good reputation. I remembered from Pivní Filosof's blog post about Berounský Medvěd that the brewery was very near the railway station, and I made a mental note to visit Beroun on a later trip to the Czech Republic.

We got closer and closer to Plzeň, and suddenly we were in the suburbs to the city. There was some industry, and as we were coming into Plzeň's railway station I could see something I knew: The Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery's tower.

I left the train, and starting walking through the railway station. On the ground floor there is a tourist information. I went into it to buy a day ticket on Plzeň's buses and trams. Unfortunately, they only sold one way tickets for public transport there, so I was asked to buy a day ticket at a ticket machine near a tram or bus stop. I found one later, and it cost only 40 CZK.

From the railway station it was only a short walk to the brewery. First I had to go through an underground tunnel, later I found myself on a pedestrian bridge. From the bridge you have a great view of the brewery and its famous gate. The gate is, of course, found on the label of Pilsner Urquell.

I entered the brewery area and walked around it inside the gate. The brewery souvenir shop was unfortunately closed, so I ended up without some of the Pilsner Urquell merchandise I was planning to buy. Instead I had a look at the brewery buildings and surroundings.

Pilsner Urquell had a great success in the 19th Century, and I have read several books that tell that the brewery daily sent beer to Vienna. A Pilsner Urquell railway wagon was on the brewery site - probably to commemorate this.

Then it was time for on-site beer drinking. I went into the brewery restaurant, Na Spilce.

The cellar was cavernous, and there were many people there. The Winter Olympics were still going on in Vancouver, and highlights were being shown on screens all over the restaurant.

It was time for a beer, and naturally I ordered a half litre of Pilsner Urquell. A waitress brought it to me very quickly. It was great! I am a big fan of Pilsner Urquell, and it was a treat to drink it at the brewery. I do not think it has tasted better ever, but of course that view is coloured by the time and place. In the glass it was a golden lager with some carbonation and a medium sized head. The aromas were of grains and flowers. In the mouth there was this fresh and delicious taste with a hint of sweetness combined with lovely maltiness and that great and just correct bitter finish with lots of Saaz hops. Wonderful.

I also had some food. The waitress was not good at English, but I manages to get a Czech speciality that is great with beer: Fried cheese with tartar sauce. I also had some fried potatoes on the side. That was a nice dish to the beer, and I liked having it.

The restaurant also sells other beers than Pilsner Urquell. If you like the darker Master beers, they are available together with the black Kozel beer and the ever present Gambrinus light lager. I avoided all of them, and had another glass of Pilsner Urquell.

Then it was time to leave the brewery. I had more plans for my visit to Plzeň. There were sights to be seen, and there were also new beers to be tasted.