Short break to Czech Republic, brewery tour

country:	Czech Republic
departures:	This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary
price:	From £240 (4 days) excluding flights. We can arrange flights from the UK

Czech Republic holidays

Cultural short breaks

the amazing things you'll be doing

The range of beers available on the Czech market would satisfy even the most discerning beer drinker. Czech breweries produce more than 470 types of beer, and brand names such as Pilsner Urquell and Budweiser Budvar are known around the globe.

Tasting sessions enable people to experience the main attributes of Czech beer, in particular its clean taste, pleasant aroma and its characteristic slightly bitter aftertaste.

Highlights include:

Prague - Royal Route Walk - Staropramen Brewery Tour

Ceske Budejovice - Budweiser Brewery Tour

Zvikov castle – a cruise along the Orlicka dam - Zvikov brewery

Plzen - Pilsner Urquell Brewery Tour

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Prague - Royal Route Walk - Visit to the Staropramen Brewery. In the afternoon we will start our tour with a viewing of the most important and beautiful locations of Prague situated along the Royal Route. This leads from the Old Town Square to Prague Castle and was once the coronation route of the Bohemian kings. From there we head for the unique Charles' Bridge, built in the middle of the 14th century. We will set up for another visit after the walk, this time to Prague's biggest brewery, Staropramen, which is the second largest producer of beer in the Czech Republic. The tour takes about sixty minutes and, of course, includes a tasting. Finally, there will be dinner at the brewery restaurant with an extensive menu of traditional Czech cuisine, of which the most popular is roasted knuckle of pork served with mustard and horseradish, as well as international cuisine.
Day 2:	Prague – Ceske Budejovice – Visit to the Budweiser Brewery. After breakfast there will be a short trip to the baroque citadel of Vyšehrad; a national cultural heritage site, the seat of the first Czech kings from the end of the 11th century and the symbol of Czech statehood. Vyšehrad rises on a rock above the Vltava river and offers an exquisite view of the whole city. In the afternoon we will move to Ceské Budejovice where we will visit, amongst others, the square shaped as a giant quarter with each side 133 metres long. Those who are interested can climb another city dominant, the 72,25 metres high renaissance Black Tower, and enjoy the stunning view from its gallery 46 metres high. As the second part of the itinerary we will visit the famous brewery Budejovicky Budvar. The visit takes about 60 minutes and includes sampling straight in the beer-storage cellars. We will finish the excursion with dinner in a stylish brewery-restaurant with tasteful and well-looked after beer. You will find local and international specialities on the menu.
Day 3:	Ceske Budejovice – a cruise along the Orlicka dam - Zvikov castle – Visit to the Zvikov Brewery. Then we will move on to the nearby Orlicka prehrada Dam on the Vltava River where we can expect a short, about 45 minute, cruise along the dam towards the Zvikov Castle. The castle belongs to one of the most important Czech Gothic castles. It towers on a once high rocky promontory over the Vltava and Otava meeting (confluence) but the valley below the castle was flooded after building the dam so nowadays the castle protrudes above the surface just several metres. We will visit Pivovarský Dvur Zvikov - the brewery aiming to renew the tradition of the ancient brewery at the Zvikov Castle where beer was made for many centuries. The Zvikov Brewery is very small which gives it an advantage over the mass producing breweries - it can easier focus on special kinds of beer. The accommodation will be provided directly in the hotel adjacent to Pivovarsky Dvur Zvikov.
Day 4:	Plzen – Visit to the Pilsner Urquell Brewery - departure. In the morning after breakfast we will head off for Plzen, "The Capital" of Czech beermaking. By touring the Pilsen brewery you will learn about the unique brewing process for Pilsner Urquell, the only original of Pilsner type beer. During the tour you will visit the authentic places where Pilsner Urquell has been produced from the beginning. The tour is combined with a tasting of unfiltered Pilsner Urquell beer in the original cellars. Then we will have lunch in Na Parkane Beer Pub which is the only place in the world where visitors can go back more than one hundred years in time and taste unfiltered beer - the Pilsner Urquell pale lager! In the afternoon departure for Prague Airport.

how this holiday makes a difference

On this tour you will travel in varied small group of like-minded people. The smaller the group, the less it interferes in the everyday life of the visited place. Small group also allow our guide to dedicate more time to making your journey more unique and special.

You will spend your holidays not only by sightseeing, but you can also pursue walking amongst the local people in the towns of Ceske Budejovice and Plzen. Instead of moving through great distances and visiting many places in one day, you will get better idea of how the country feels by exploring its local attractions. We can expect a cruise along the Orlicka dam and a visit to one of the most important Czech Gothic castles - Zvikov.

You will not eat only in international restaurants or fast food chains but rather in local restaurants (we will have lunch in Na Parkane Beer Pub which is the only place in the world where visitors can go back more than one hundred years in time and taste unfiltered beer - the Pilsner Urquell pale lager) where traditional food is served and where you can enjoy regional dishes (eg. pork with cabbage and dumplings) together with excellent beers and wines the country can offer. By visiting small, family run brew-house Pivovarský Dvur Zvikov – we will support the brewery aiming to renew the tradition of the ancient brewing at the Zvikov Castle where beer was made for many centuries.

In order to maintain maximum authenticity and comfort, we provide accommodation in smaller family run hotels and guesthouses preferably, with local atmosphere and the possibility of an outdoor seating area (eg. pension V Solni in Plzen). You will learn a lot more about the culture of the country by personal experience rather than looking at it through a coach window. This way of travelling has the lowest environmental and cultural impact to the visited country and creates a positive experience for all.

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