Plzeňský Prazdroj (Pilsner Urquell)

Who they are

Plzeňský Prazdroj is the brewing company that has made Pilsner Urquell in Plzeň since 1842, the beer that gave its name to the pilsner style. Part of the same group are Gambrinus, also in Plzeň, Velkopopovický Kozel, in Velké Popovice, near Prague, and Radegast, in Nošovice, in Moravia; the booking email belongs to the Asahi group. Its visitor centre organises guided tours of the four breweries and of other beer sites in Plzeň.

What it organises in Plzeň

The Pilsner Urquell brewery tour lasts about 100 minutes and costs 430 Kč; it ends with unfiltered beer drawn from the cask. In 2024 it received the World Travel Awards prize for the best brewery tour in Europe. It is given in Czech, German and English; if there is no tour in Spanish, the SmartGuide app gives the tour in Spanish.

The historic underground of Plzeň is a labyrinth of cellars and passages beneath the old town, visited in an hour for 250 Kč. The Brewing Museum, at U Prazdroje 64/6, tells the history of beer since the Middle Ages in an hour, for 150 Kč, and its ticket is valid for any time of day. The Gambrinus brewery has a two-hour tour, in Czech only. There are also experiences such as beer-pouring courses and tastings, and the Na Spilce restaurant, inside the brewery.

Ages and discounts

Minors can go with an adult, but the tasting is only for over-18s. Children up to 3 go in free; from 3 to 6 there is a children's rate, and from 6 to 18, and from 18 to 26 with a student card, a student rate. Over-65s get a discount, and the family ticket is valid for two adults and up to three children aged 6 to 18. Discounts are checked before you start.

Booking and groups

Everything is bought on their website, with date, time and language, up to 60 minutes before the tour; after that, only at the ticket office. The ticket is shown on paper or on your phone and must be carried throughout the tour. You start at the brewery's visitor centre, at U Prazdroje 64/7, next to the monumental gate.

Groups of 15 or more in Plzeň book at least 24 hours ahead, and can cancel or change the number of people up to 48 hours before. Outside normal hours, tours are arranged for a supplement. The website has an English version.