Saaz Hop Museum: A journey to the origins of Bohemian beer

The Czech city of Žatec (in German: Saaz) is famous worldwide for its hops. Hops have been cultivated here since the early Middle Ages. Without these special, highly aromatic hops, the famous Pilsner beer would not exist in its current form. At the Hop Museum (Chmelařské muzeum), we were able to embark on an exciting journey of discovery all about hops.

From Warehouse to World Heritage: The History of the Museum

Until 1995, the museum building still housed a hop warehouse and a hop packaging station.

The idea of establishing a dedicated hop museum in Žatec originated as early as the late 1930s. Unfortunately, the outbreak of the Second World War ruined these early plans. It took many decades before the local hop cooperative made the decision to extensively renovate the massive, vacant halls and transform them into a museum.

A Chance Discovery from the Middle Ages: The Pottery Kiln

During excavations and renovation work, construction workers suddenly stumbled upon an intact medieval pottery kiln from the 14th century! This accidental historical discovery was saved and is a highlight of the exhibition today.

In 1997—just in time for the traditional Saaz Hop Festival (Dočesná)—the museum was opened, and in our opinion, a tour through the exhibition is highly worthwhile. Since 2023, the Saaz Hop Landscape and the city of Žatec have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Why Saaz Hops Rule the World of Beer

There are many hop-growing regions worldwide. For us, the first question was why the hops from this region are so unique that they not only have their own museum but are also on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The Secret of the “Green Gold”: Aroma and Tradition

Saaz hops (Czech: Žatecký chmel) are considered by brewers and beer lovers to be among the best and most noble hops in the world. In contrast to modern “craft beer” hops, which are often extremely fruity (citrus, passion fruit), Saaz hops are spicy, herbal, earthy, and slightly floral. They are famous for their fine, never harsh bitterness. This makes the beer highly drinkable and elegant.

These hops are inextricably linked to the invention of Pilsner beer. When Josef Groll brewed the first Pilsner (Pilsner Urquell) in Pilsen in 1842, he used Saaz hops. To this day, these hops define the taste of Bohemian Pilsner. A true Czech Pilsner practically has to taste like Saaz hops—it’s this unmistakable, slightly buttery, and spicy character that you recognize immediately.

The region and its hops enjoy an extremely high protection status, comparable to Champagne or Parma ham. Within the EU, only hops harvested and processed in the Žatec (Saaz) region are allowed to bear this name.

A Tour Through 4,000 m² of Hop History

The museum is located in a genuine, old hop warehouse from the late 19th century, to which a modern facade has been added. This facade stands so far in front of the building that there is ample space for the museum’s first exhibit. There stands a historic BRUFF hop-picking machine – a gigantic iron colossus.

The machine is so huge that it didn’t fit inside the building. We were truly impressed by the machine, and our thirst for knowledge drew us further into the museum. Here, we would learn how this “monster” was supposed to work. Tip: The tour inside the museum leads past the picking machine from above, allowing you to spot interesting details that aren’t visible from below.

After this first highlight, we finally entered the museum. Here, you notice very clearly that you are standing in an old building. The old wooden beams creak, the floor heights are adapted to the needs of that time, and there are still holes and fixtures present in the ceilings and floors.

Across a massive area of 4,000 square meters, we learned everything about the development of hop cultivation from the Middle Ages to the present day. The explanation of the exhibition tour route seems a bit strange at first. From the ground floor, you go to the 1st floor, then to the 3rd floor, and finally to the 2nd floor. Each floor is structured thematically and covers a specific topic. Because historical built-in structures were still present, they were naturally integrated into the tour in a sensible way. Now, the path leads through the hop museum, from cultivation to processing.

Of Criminal Forgers and Back-Breaking Labor

Old pictures and documents show not only how hops were traded in the past, but also how criminal things already were back then. Because Saaz hops were so valuable, they had to be strictly protected from cheap, inferior counterfeits as early as the Middle Ages.

On the various floors, we were able to marvel at old agricultural implements and tools that farmers used to need for their work in the fields. The working conditions that prevailed at the time are not glossed over, either.

I found the old machines needed for hop processing particularly fascinating. Man-sized hop sacks hung down from the intermediate ceilings. Workers had to climb inside and painstakingly tamp down the hops with their own feet before modern pressing machines took over this back-breaking work, which you can also see on display.

We probably spent two hours wandering through the museum. We really enjoyed the diverse exhibition.

Tip: There are QR codes on many of the exhibits. Behind them, you can also find explanations in German!

Visitor Information

Address

náměstí Prokopa Velkého 1952,
438 01 Žatec