After a few days in Prague, I had adjusted to the environment and knew much more about the culture than I had before the trip. On the sixth day, we changed pace and learned about Prague’s favorite beverage, pilsner. The group traveled outside the city to the town of Pilsen, the birthplace of the famous beer, to take a tour of the Pilsner Urquell factory.
I was excited when we arrived because I had already enjoyed plenty of pilsners, whether with my dinner or while socializing with others. The tour started in the lobby, where there was a fascinating display of workers storing beer in a cellar. From there, a bus picked us up to head to the factory portion of the property. The first thing the group was introduced to was the cleaning process for the bottles. As an avid environmentalist, I found this section particularly interesting. What Pilsner Urquell does is collect the bottles they sell and run them through a sanitation process to be reused, significantly reducing waste. This impact was striking because it wasn’t just a few bottles being cleaned—it was an endless line of thousands of bottles covering the entire floor.
Afterwards, we took a short bus ride to the next building, where the pilsner is brewed. The first thing we learned was that pilsner is made from malted barley, which consists of tiny seeds that we were allowed to sample. I thought they made a nice little snack. Entering the next room, we saw a dozen copper machines used to turn the malt into a fine powder. Proceeding to the next step in the brewing process, we ventured deep underground, where the beer ferments before it is completed. Here, we got to try some beer while socializing, after walking what felt like forever through the cold tunnels. One of the most fascinating things I learned in the cellar was about the massive open spaces that were once filled completely with ice. This ice, which lasted a year, was used to cool the cellar before air conditioning was installed in the building.
Touring the Pilsner Urquell factory was an incredible experience because beer has deep roots in Czech culture. To begin with, Czechs drink more beer per capita than any other country in Europe. Many tourists from around the world visit the Czech Republic for its beer, drawn by its rich history as well as the chance to experience the local beer culture. The Czech Republic offers delicious beer varieties, which can be light, dark, or even mixed, often topped with thick foam. Czechia is also home to many beer brands that are exclusive to specific areas and cannot be found anywhere else, giving visitors a reason to tour the country in search of its unique brews.
The next day, the group was able to sleep in longer compared to the previous two days, which was refreshing after getting minimal sleep all week. The morning was spent at the Museum of Communism, where our amazing tour guide, Petr, walked us through the exhibits and delivered an excellent lecture. With his deep knowledge of communism and the Soviet Union, it was fascinating to learn about communism from Czechia’s perspective.
Afterwards, we went on a food tour. Starting at a trendy restaurant in the New Town, we explored innovative dishes and ingredients. The group was offered a choice of white or red wine. Here, we ate vegan dishes, which were wonderful and something new to try. I learned that veganism is an emerging trend in Prague and has been gaining popularity over the past few years. Next, the group visited a traditional restaurant where we were served Czech classics, such as sausages, fried cheese, and, of course, light and dark beers. Then, we enjoyed dessert with tea at a traditional café before ending the night at a bar lounge, where we sipped a classic Czech cocktail.