Pilsner region is a picturesque region of forests and tourist routes.
Slightly rolling wooded landscape with numerous rivers and artificial lakes, nearly untouched nature, picturesque little villages and numerous castles and chateaux are characteristic for this region. Plzeň (Pilsen) is the centre of the region as well as the economic, cultural and social metropolis of the whole western Bohemia.
Characteristics of the region
The town of Pilsen (Plzeň, pictured here; click for larger view) became world-famous for the pilsner beer style, which was invented here. The best-known Czech beer, Pilsner Urquell, is still brewed here to this day. The historical centre, founded in 1295 by King Wenceslas II on the confluence of four rivers, was declared a town conservation reserve thanks to its numerous historical sights. The Church of St. Bartholomew with its 102.6 m tall tower is the dominant of the town.
An extensive part of the Plzeňsko region is covered by woods; the best known is the Brdské lesy (Brdské woods) in the eastern part. The protected landscape area and the UNESCO biosphere reserve Křivoklátsko is partly located in this region. Some water areas (such as the Hracholusky reservoir on the Mže River, the Bolevecké Lakes on the outskirts of Pilsen, or the lakes of the southern Plzeňsko area).
The whole region is suitable for recreational, family or professional tourism. There are ideal conditions for walking tours, cycling and water sports. Sports fishing, hunting, agro-tourism, horseback-riding and ecotourism are among popular forms of recreation with domestic as well as foreign visitors.
Transport accessibility
European highways: Praha – Plzeň – Rozvadov – Germany. Main railways: Praha – Cheb – Nürnberk, Plzeň – Fürth im Wald.