

This museum weighs in as one of the largest in the Czech Republic, and has a whopping two million items in its collection. In all there are 6991 animals from 1210 species, and children will love the Humboldt Penguins and Pygmy Hippos, which have to be the cutest animals in the world! One ticket will also give you access to the botanical gardens and the DinoPark, inhabited by moving models of all your favourite dinosaurs. Forty of the species here are on the European Endangered Species Program and the zoo assists the breeding programmes for dwarf and fat-tailed dwarf lemurs. Following a big overhaul in 1996 the zoo has adhered to the highest European standards for animal-keeping. Source: flickr Siberian Tiger at Pilsen ZooĪ modern animal attraction that doesn’t believe in bars, Pilsen Zoo is officially Western Bohemia’s most popular day out. Post-war the building was renovated and today the Great Synagogue has a dual purpose, being a place of worship and a concert hall with its own orchestra because of its perfect acoustics and classical organ. Nowadays it’s more of a poignant reminder of a population that was ripped away from its home in the 20th century, but the interior has a decorative Moorish-style design well-worth seeing. This is one of the two remaining and is massive, ranking as the second-largest in Europe and third in the world after Jerusalem and Budapest. There has been a Jewish population in Pilsen since the 1300s, and at one point there were five synagogues in the city. Have a poke around and don’t forget to see the scale model of Pilsen’s historical centre just beyond the foyer.
#Best history programs in the czech republic free
Entrance to the Town Hall is free and there’s no need to join a guided tour. Above the first floor the facade has a sgraffito, a kind of fresco, depicting the city’s coat of arms and famous historical figures.

After a fire the Italian master-builder Giovanni de Statia was drafted in to give the building some decorative elan. It was purchased by the city in 1407 to be the Town Hall, as it was the largest building in Pilsen. It’s a great choice for people who want a “How it’s Made” style experience for the world’s favourite alcoholic beverage.Įver since the 15th century this building, loved for its magnificent renaissance facade, has held the same municipal purpose. You get to see the new and old brew houses, water purification plant, “lagering” caves and the packaging line. This SABMiIller facility is actually a number of breweries in one place, and English-speaking tours take place three times daily.

Urquell was the first-ever blond lager, created in 1842 and its game-changing bottom-fermentation process was the ancestor of around two-thirds of all beers consumed in the world today. Plzenské Pivovaryįor a starting point look no further than the brewery that exports Pilsner Urquell to more than 50 countries worldwide. They used to make and store beer down there too! Let’s explore the best things to do in Pilsen:Īlso see: Best places to visit in the Czech Republic. Here you’ll discover the Czech Republic’s tallest church tower, and the third-largest synagogue in the world, while you can also delve in the city’s underworld where endless subterranean tunnels have survived since medieval times. The old town has long ties with this industry, and is well worth your time, particularly the architecture around the Square of the Republic, where charming gothic and renaissance buildings are among the attractions that jostle for attention. You can tell from the name that Pilsner lager was born here, and this the perfect place to quench your curiosity for the Czech Republic’s most famous export. It doesn’t take a connoisseur to know that the city of Pilsen is the spiritual home of beer.
