České Budějovice - Old Town and Brewery

Wɔatintim: 31.07.2023

Our tour of Budweis started at Premysl-Ottokar-II Square, which has an almost square layout.


View of Premysl-Ottokar-II Square
View of Premysl-Ottokar-II Square


Among the 48 historic houses, the representative appearance of the town hall stands out.


Premysl-Ottokar-II Square
Premysl-Ottokar-II Square


Not far from the square, we came to the Black Tower, where the city guard used to keep watch for dangers such as fires.


Black Tower and St. Nicholas Cathedral
Black Tower and St. Nicholas Cathedral


We climbed the 225 steps for a beautiful view.


View from Black Tower
View from Black Tower


Afterwards, we walked a bit further through the Old Town before taking a coffee break at the Grand Hotel Zvon on Premysl-Ottokar-II Square.


Budweis
Budweis


We then went past Piarist Square and headed north.


Church of the Virgin Mary of Sacrifice at Piarist Square
Church of the Virgin Mary of Sacrifice at Piarist Square


In the Old Town, we walked through small alleys, and as we left, the streets became bigger - and the houses uglier: Instead of ornate houses, we encountered streets with a more socialist charm.


Alley in Budweis
Alley in Budweis


Our destination was the Budweiser Brewery, located just outside the Old Town, which has its headquarters and a visitor center.


Budweiser Budvar Brewery
Budweiser Budvar Brewery


There are also guided tours available in German, for which we purchased tickets before going to the nearby Budvarka pub to grab something to eat.


Budvarka - Restaurant near Budweiser Budvar Brewery
Budvarka - Restaurant near Budweiser Budvar Brewery


The tour was fully booked - some visitors didn't get a spot. We were glad that we arrived a bit earlier and managed to get tickets.


Budweiser Budvar Brewery
Budweiser Budvar Brewery


The guide explained the production process to us and took us through the facility.


Brewing kettle in Budweiser Budvar Brewery
Brewing kettle in Budweiser Budvar Brewery


A particularly impressive part was the tour of the brewery's bottling plant.


Bottling plant of Budweiser Budvar Brewery
Bottling plant of Budweiser Budvar Brewery


The bottles are cleaned, filled, labeled, sealed, and packed into crates, all fully automated.


Bottling plant of Budweiser Budvar Brewery
Bottling plant of Budweiser Budvar Brewery


Of course, we also had a taste of the beer.


Tasting at Budweiser Budvar Brewery
Tasting at Budweiser Budvar Brewery


We then took the bus back to the parking area (as the 0.0 percent alcohol limit applies in the Czech Republic).

Anoyie

Czechia na ɛwɔ hɔ
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