Drinking pilsner in Pilsen, Czech Republic has always been on my beer bucket list. I love drinking any particular type of beer at its origin—like kölsch in Köln and rauchbier in Bamberg. I finally checked this off on my summer 2025 trip to Czech Republic and it was even better than I expected. Drinking pilsner in Pilsen has officially ruined me for drinking pilsners anywhere else.
This post covers some of the best places in Pilsen to drink pilsner as well as many other helpful tips for beer-drinking visitors. Na zdraví!
Also read: Prague Bucket List: 33+ Best (& Weirdest) Things to Do in Prague
Where is Pilsen?
Pilsen, Czech Republic (Czechia) is located near the far western edge of the country, about an hour from the German border. It’s about 60 miles (94km) west of Prague and 130 miles (210km) east of Nuremberg, Germany.
How to get to Pilsen
If you’re planning a trip to Prague from somewhere in Germany (or vice versa) and looking to stop in Pilsen on the way, driving is going to be the easiest way to get here. To Pilsen, it’s about a:
You can rent a car here if you need one.
Day trip to Pilsen from Prague
If you’re looking to take a day trip to Pilsen from Prague, you have two fast and affordable options:
Private options
If you’d prefer a more private option, there are also roundtrip Prague to Pilsen day trip options from companies like Viator and DayTrip.com.
Drinking Pilsner in Pilsen
You may not have heard of Pilsen before but you’ve certainly heard of pilsners (if you’re a beer drinker, which I assume you are). So yes, the town of Pilsen (Plzeň) in the Czech Republic is where pilsners—the world’s first pale lager—were born.
The Original Pilsner
The first pilsner was brewed in 1842 by the brewery we know as Pilsner Urquell. (In Czech, “Pilsner Urquell” translates to “Original Pilsner.” How about that?) Still today, this is the only place in the world that brews Pilsner Urquell.
You can visit the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Pilsen and most places in town sell it. There are several other places here that sell their own versions of it as well if you want a more “craft” experience. Pilsen is also the only place you can drink both filtered and unfiltered Pilsner Urquell.
Filtered vs. Unfiltered
In Pilsen you’ll be able to try both filtered and unfiltered Pilsner Urquell, which is something you can’t do anywhere else.
I personally prefer the regular ol’ filtered version since you can better taste the buttery/butterscotch flavor of the Diacetyl (a compound naturally produced during fermentation that gives Czech pilsners their signature flavor). The unfiltered version has a more hop-forward and bitter taste (which I don’t like, but to each his own).
How to Drink Pilsner in Pilsen
I’m sure you already know how to drink beer—it’s not a complicated process after all. But did you know that drinking beer in the Czech Republic is a little bit different? In Czechia, drinking beer isn’t just about the beer; it’s also about the foam. So, there are actually three different foam-forward ways you can order a beer here. They are:
- Hladinka (pronounced la-dinka)
- Šnyt (pronounced schnitt)
- Mlíko (pronounced mleeko)
Hladinka
When you simply order a beer at a pub here (without specifying any of the above), Hladinka is what you’ll get. This is a typical beer pour with about “three fingers” of foam on top. Hladinka stands for “smooth” or “even” and provides a perfect balance of flavors. You’ll notice when they pour it that they actually pour the foam first and then dispense the beer under it. The foam here is a “wet foam” and not just CO2 bubbles.
Šnyt
When you order a Šnyt, you get about 2 parts beer and 3 parts foam, with a little bit of an empty glass at the top. This is said to be less filling than beer (you don’t say!) and more refreshing. I’ll have to just take their word for it.
Mlíko
And Mlíko, which translates to “milk,” is basically a few drops of beer at the bottom and then a full glass of foam. This is supposed to heighten the aromas of the beer’s hops and maltiness. I simply don’t have the kind of palate meant for drinking just beer foam, but I have seen people in the Czech Republic order this. (And yes, Šnyt and Mlíko do cost less than a Hladinka.)
Na Dvakrát
A fourth way that you don’t see very often is Na Dvakrát—the “crisp” beer. To get this, they simply pour the beer like regular and then top it off with some CO2 bubbles which makes it taste extra crisp and carbonated. Fancy name aside, this is how beer is “normally” poured around the world and what you’re probably used to.
Where to Drink Pilsner in Pilsen
The following are some of the best and most traditional places to drink pilsner in Pilsen to help complete your beer bucket list. Enjoy!
Map of Where to Drink Pilsner in Pilsen
This map contains all the places to drink pilsner in Pilsen that I mention in this post (plus hotel recommendations, parking, and more). To save this map: Click on the star ⭑ next to the map’s title to save in your Google Maps. To use this map: When you get here, open Google Maps on your phone, click “Saved” at the bottom, then click “Maps.”
1. Pilsner Urquell Brewery
The Pilsner Urquell Brewery is, understandably, the most popular attraction in this small town. In fact, the brewery itself is so big it actually feels like a small town in itself. While here, you can:
- Take a tour of the working brewery
- Learn how to pour Czech beer (which will come in handy if you plan on visiting a beer spa during your trip)
- Visit the gift shop which has pretty much everything you could think of with Pilsner Urquell on it
- Drink beer at a couple different fun spots
Pilsner Urquell Brewery Tour
Pilsner Urquell offers guided tours so you can explore their historic brewery and learn all about how the world’s original pilsner is made. Tours last between 1.5 and 2 hours, cost 380CZK per person (≈$18US), and are available in English, German, and Czech.
The brewery tour includes a tasting of the unfiltered pilsner, but you don’t have to take the brewery tour in order to drink beer here. There are also pubs here near the main brewery entrance that anyone can visit.
2. Na Spilce Pub
The Na Spilce Pub (Hospoda Na Spilce) is a larger restaurant here at the brewery that also serves modern Czech cuisine. You can order both filtered and unfiltered pilsner here.
3. Pivní Bar Spilka
The Pivní Bar Spilka is a smaller, beer-only pub right inside the entrance to Na Spilce. You can also order both filtered and unfiltered pilsner here and it’s perfect if you only want to try some quick beers. No sitting required.
You can drink your beers inside or, if the weather’s nice, take them out front to the beer garden. You can often find another snack bar/pub stand over here in the beer garden too.
4. U Salzmannů
U Salzmannů opened in 1637 and is the oldest restaurant in Pilsen. (Which means it opened even before pilsners were invented.) This historic restaurant is a great place to go for lunch as they serve a large menu of traditional Czech cuisine and it’s located just off the main square.
You can order both filtered and unfiltered Pilsner Urquell here. I had a traditional unfiltered pilsner and the grilled goat cheese salad.
5. Lékárna Pub & Restaurant
Right around the corner from U Salzmannů and directly across from the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew is the Pub & Restaurant Lékárna. This is where you go to drink pilsners in Pilsen if you’re tired of eating Czech food. The menu here boasts some really delicious modern Austrian and Bavarian cuisine.
As for the beer, you can only get the traditional filtered Pilsner Urquell here but also a Velkopopovický Kozel if you like (another popular Czech pilsner produced nearby). Whatever you choose, Lékárna is said to pour a mean Šnyt.
6. Na Parkánu
Na Parkánu is another restaurant and pub in a historical building serving traditional Czech food. You can get both filtered and unfiltered Pilsner Urquell here as well as a Tmavý (Czech dark lager) if you’d like to switch it up.
The building Na Parkánu is in has a long history itself, but it’s also connected to Pilsen’s Brewery Museum. Stop by here before or after your visit and you can see the smallest beer mug in the world and tons of other weird and interesting beer *things.*
7. Lokál Pod Divadlem
I’m a big fan of the Lokál pubs and always visit them when I’m in Prague so I was happy to see they have one here too so you can actually drink their pilsners in Pilsen.
Lokál is famous for having their beer tanks right there inside their glass bar so your beer is as close to fresh as it can get. Lokál also has great food, friendly service, and always a chill atmosphere. They only serve filtered Pilsner Urquell here (but also unfiltered Kozel black if you’re interested).
8. Švejk Restaurant U Petatřicátníků
Here at the second-largest restaurant in Pilsen, you can get fresh (filtered) Pilsner Urquell that’s served by “some of the finest bartenders in the country.” In fact, some of the bartenders here were finalists in the Pilsner Urquell Master Bartender competition. Check out the photo on their website and you’ll see you’re sure to have a great time here.
They also serve both traditional and modern Czech cuisine as well as meat from their own farm. And they have both indoor and outdoor seating.
9. Plzeňka Plzeň
Right across the street from Švejk Restaurant U Petatřicátníků you’ll find Plzeňka Plzeň. Contrary to most of the other places you’ll drink pilsner in Pilsen, Plzeňka is a refreshingly modern space. They offer incredible cuisine and an extensive drink menu which includes filtered Pilsner Urquell.
However, another reason to visit is because this is one of the few places in town where you can try beers from the Elektrárna Brewery (Pivovar Elektrárna). This is Pilsner Urquell’s experimental brewery where they get to toss aside 180 years of tradition and go nuts.
10. Gambrinus Brewery
Another beer you’ll find all over the Czech Republic is Gambrinus. Gambrinus is another Czech pilsner brewed by the Pilsner Urquell company and has been since 1869. Its brewery is located in the same massive brewery space as Pilsner Urquell, but you’ll need to sign up for a separate tour if you want to visit. Every Gambrinus brewery tour includes a beer tasting and tap pouring lesson as well. (Mine would be all Mlíkos, let’s be real.)
Where to Park in Pilsen
If you’ll be stopping by Pilsen to, say, have one beer and then continue on, here are a couple of easy and centrally-located parking areas. All three are just a couple minutes’ walk from the main center and most of these great pubs.
If you’ve booked a Pilsner Urquell brewery tour, you can also park (for free) in their dedicated parking inside the main gate at the brewery (on the left). There’s also paid parking just outside the main gate on the right.
Where to Stay in Pilsen
If you plan to hang out for a while and check out some (or all) of these great places to drink pilsner in Pilsen, it’s best to stay the night since drinking and driving don’t mix. Here are some quick Pilsen hotel recommendations:
You can see all Pilsen hotel options here.
What Else to Do in Pilsen
If you’d like to do more in Pilsen than just drink pilsners (gasp!), here are a few more popular ways to spend your time:
More info for your trip to the Czech Republic
Like this post? Have questions about drinking pilsner in Pilsen? Let me know in the comments below. Enjoy your trip!
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