Bathing in beer: A weekend at the Chodovar Brewery

Only a few minutes by car from the world-famous spa town of Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad) and just a few kilometers from the German border lies the small town of Chodová Planá. If you’re in the mood for a beery time with wellness, a brewery, good food, and of course, beer from the Chodovar family brewery, you’ve come to the right place.

More than just a brewery in West Bohemia

In the 12th century, beer was what water is today. It was one of the staple foods for people in the region. The problem, however, was storing the beer. There were no refrigerators, and a cooler environment was needed for better preservation. Where the town of Chodovar stands today, there was a castle at that time. The inhabitants created the first cellars in the massive granite rock to store their beer. These cellars still exist today, although the castle is no longer there, and are still in use.

It must have been around this time – so a legend goes – when the Labrador Albi discovered a spring with fresh mineral water during his wanderings near this castle. This legend is now part of the founding story of the family brewery. Albi can be found in the brewery’s coat of arms and is visible in almost every picture.

A Tradition Since 1573: The History of the Rock Cellar Brewery

The first written evidence of a brewery’s existence in the town dates from 1573. Over the years, production grew until a fire almost completely destroyed the brewery building in 1861. The owner at the time, Count Berchem, then built a new brewery just one year later directly above the old rock cellars.

After the Second World War, the brewery came under state control and became part of the Pilsner brewery group. The coat of arms with Albi disappeared, and there were even efforts to close the brewery entirely.

The Vision of the Plevka Family

After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the brewery was privatized again in 1992. The new partners were almost exclusively members of the Plevka family. A family that has been involved with Bohemian brewing for over 220 years and wanted to revive their family tradition in Chodovar. One of the first steps was the reintroduction of the dog Albi, who can now be seen on the coat of arms again.

Visiting the “Beer Wellness Land”

Even as we were planning our trip, the question arose, “Which beer experience do we want to enjoy?” It quickly became clear to us that if you plan for as much relaxation and beer as possible, you need at least 2 nights in the region.

The Centerpiece: The Unique Beer Wellness Experience (“Real Beer Bath®”)

The famous beer bath, which opened in 2006, is a cornerstone of the Chodovar experience and certainly a highlight for every visitor. Of course, this was also one of the activities that was high on our wish list.

The Real Beer Bath® is located in the cellar of the associated Hotel U Sládka. The meeting point is at the hotel reception about 5 minutes beforehand, and then you go down the stairs to the bathing area.

Bathing is done nude, with a large towel wrapping each guest until they reach the bathtub. These are already well-filled, and each tub is separated from the neighboring one by a curtain. Couples who come together can have the curtain left open upon request.

Upon entering the beer bath, you immediately feel the pleasant warmth of the mineral-rich water on your skin. The room is filled with the tart aroma of dark lager and hops. While you relax in the tub, you are served a freshly tapped Chodovar.

You spend about 20 minutes in the tub – time to enjoy and relax. The time went by way too quickly, and with a new beer in hand, we moved to the relaxation room. Wrapped up warmly, we enjoyed the effects of the bath for 20 minutes.

A truly wonderful experience that I will certainly repeat.

The Various Treatments: Massages and Other Wellness Offers

The spa menu is complemented by beer massages, heat packs with grain, and its own line of beer cosmetics.

Our wellness package included another treatment. A warm pack followed by a partial massage awaited us. The warm pack consisted of very well-tempered brewer’s grains (a “by-product” of beer brewing). Warmly wrapped up, I daydreamed for 20 minutes and enjoyed the pleasant feeling on my skin.

After a quick shower, I lay down on the massage table. My shoulders and extremely tense lower back are still saying “thank you” – it was very pleasant and beneficial.

A Look Behind the Scenes: The Brewery Tour

A brewery tour is, of course, part of the complete package for a stay in Chodovar. The regularly offered tours take place in German and Czech. The tour is deliberately kept general and not overly technical, making it accessible and entertaining for a wide audience.

The meeting point for the approximately 45-minute tour is at the reception of the Ve Skále (Rock Cellar) restaurant.

While we waited for the tour to begin, we could look at the small brewery museum. In the rock cellars, there are exhibits that tell a lot about the craft of brewing.

With the tour guide, we then went to the neighboring Chodovar brewery. Brewing only takes place here during the week, so if you want to enjoy the operation with all your senses, you should plan for that. To be honest, we enjoyed that our group consisted of only 4 people, it was quiet, and we didn’t have to pay attention to the ongoing operations.

The Stations of Our Tour:

Floor Maltings:
The tour often begins in the impressive and still fully functional floor maltings. This is a rare sight in today’s brewing landscape, as many breweries do not produce their own malt. At the Chodovar brewery, malting only takes place at cooler temperatures. So we were able to enter the large room that is otherwise full of grain.

The tour guide explained the process of malt production in a very simplified way but was also able to provide detailed answers to questions.

Brewhouse:
In the heart of the brewery, we enter the brewhouse with its copper kettles. The brewing process is well explained here – which kettle has which task – how does the beer flow through the pipelines of the brewhouse and where does it go next?

We did not see the storage tanks. They are partly located in the historic rock cellars. The right temperatures for the maturation and storage of the Chodovar brewery’s beer prevail there.

Fermentation Cellar:
Here we could take a look at the open fermentation.

Bottling:
Our path continued to the bottling plant. It was a shame here that no rattling belts were transporting the clinking bottles. In return, we could get a precise explanation of how bottling works without the noise.

The Beer Fountain:
The tour ended at a fountain in the brewery’s courtyard. It’s not a normal fountain, it’s a beer fountain! There is a tap that is directly connected to the brewery, and from it flowed the excellent Chodovar beer.

The exact times and prices for the tour can be found on the brewery’s website.

Culinary Discoveries: The Restaurants of Chodovar

The “beer wellness experience” is only complete with good food. The concept in Chodovar includes two different restaurants, which, although they offer similar food, are completely different in concept.

We ate in both restaurants – I couldn’t say for sure which one I liked better now.

Rustic Flair in the Rock Cellar: The “Ve Skále” Restaurant

The most unique culinary experience is probably offered by the restaurant “Ve Skále” (In the Rock), which is located directly in the 800-year-old granite cellars.

You reach the restaurant through long rock passages that lead deep into the mountain. The large tables are then located in different cellars. I found it cozy, rustic, and felt comfortable.

The menu offers a selection of hearty Czech and international cuisine. For example, we had apple strudel with vanilla ice cream here. In the evening, a hearty meal was possible in the restaurant as part of our half-board. After a tastefully excellent garlic soup, we enjoyed typical regional cuisine.

Of course, the meal includes beer from the in-house brewery or one of the lemonades from the brewery’s carbonated spring.

Modern Brewhouse Cuisine in the “Stará Sladovna”

The “Stará Sladovna” (Old Malt House) restaurant is housed in the historic stone building of the original malt house from the 1860s, located right next to the hotel.

There is a beer garden here, which also serves as a venue for the annual beer festival at the end of August and the European Championship in beer barrel rolling at the end of June.

The restaurant is closed on some weekdays, but we were lucky enough to be able to eat there as part of our half-board on one of the opening days. In addition to traditional Czech dishes, lighter options such as salad are also offered. Paired with a Chodovar beer – it was a wonderful way to end the day.

Staying at the Brewery Hotel: Chodovar Hotel U Sládka

The 3-star hotel is located on the grounds of the historic Chodovar brewery. In the courtyard, there is a paid parking lot for hotel guests, a mini-golf course, and a beautiful green recreational area with a fountain and a mineral spring.

The rooms are simply and comfortably furnished. Guests can choose between different room categories and sizes, all equipped with a shower or bath (there is no hairdryer!), toilet, satellite TV, and a minibar (full of beer!).

We stayed in a twin room, which we liked very much. It was simple, plain, and clean. The refrigerator was full of beer and mineral water from the house brewery.

Breakfast is offered in-house. It was very good, with a good selection of hot and cold dishes. I missed fresh fruit and a selection of different types of muesli. But the coffee was very good! As part of the half-board, you can eat from a special menu in the brewery’s restaurants.

The main attraction of the hotel is undoubtedly the “Beer Wellness Land.” Relaxation in the real beer bath, hop baths, massages, packs, and a sauna can be booked for a fee. The small swimming pool, which is available to hotel guests free of charge, is very nice.

Our Tip

Book a complete package with, for example, 2 nights, half-board, beer bath, massage, and a brewery tour. We liked it very much.

Good to know

Visitor Information

Address

Pivovarská 107,
348 13 Chodová Planá

Website

The stay took place in cooperation with the Czech Tourism Authority – CzechTourism in Berlin.