Who doesn’t immediately think of beer when they think of Plzen – but Plzen has so much more to offer than just beer and has proven to be a true holiday tip for us in the Czech Republic.
Plzen is an industrial city that owes its economic importance mainly to two companies. In 1842, the Plzner Urquell brewery delivered the first beer and in 1869 the Škoda factory was founded in the city. Both companies still exist today and have made Plzen the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic.
During the Second World War, the Škoda factory produced military goods. As a result, the city was the target of military air raids several times. In May 1945, American troops under General Patton conquered the city. After the war, Plzen, like all of Czechoslovakia, belonged to the Warsaw Pact.
The historic old town is worth a visit. There are many interesting museums to see. Of course, you can’t miss a visit to the Plzen Brewery either.
Travel information about Plzen
Arrival
By plane
The nearest airport is in Prague, about 90 kilometres from Plzen.
By train
From Germany / Bavaria, Deutsche Bahn and Alex offer a low-priced Bavaria-Bohemia ticket that allows you to travel all the way to Plzen.
Trains leave almost every hour from Prague’s main station to the main station in Plzen. The journey takes about 1.5 hours and costs the equivalent of about €4.
By bus
Buses run regularly from Prague’s Florenc bus station to Plzen. The journey takes about 1h40min.
There are long-distance bus services to Plzen from Munich and Regensburg.
By car
Plzen is accessible via several European roads (E49, E50, E53) and the D5.
Parking
In the city centre and the surrounding area, parking is almost exclusively for a fee.
You should really be careful where you park your car. The police like to put parking claws on parking violators.
On the northern edge of the historical centre there is the multi-storey Rychtářk car park (Truhlářská ulice street). You can park your car here around the clock.
In addition, there is a large car park in the street sady Pětatřicátníků, which is open from 7 am – 2 pm.
Public transport
In the city centre of Plzen, you can actually reach everything on foot. If you still prefer to be driven, you can use the services of the PMDP. All buses, trams and trolleybuses within the Plzen city area are operated by this provider.
Tickets are available from ticket machines at the bus stops and in some cases also in the vehicles. Tickets can also be purchased at newsstands and from the bus driver for an additional charge. Tickets must be validated in the vehicle.
Riding a bike in Plzen
In Plzen there are about 24 kilometres of combined foot and cycle paths and 25 kilometres of pure cycle paths.
There are several well-signposted cycle routes around Plzen.
The international cycle route 3 leads from Regensburg via Plzen to Prague, three other supra-regional cycle routes connect Plzen with other Czech cities.
Plzen holidays- Tips from us
We have compiled our impressions from Plzen here.
Sightseeing in Plzen
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Beer in Plzen
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Insider tips in Plzen
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