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{{Short description|City in the Czech Republic}}
{{Short description|City in the Czech Republic}}
{{About|the Czech city|other uses|Pilsen (disambiguation){{!}}Pilsen}}
{{About|the Czech city|other uses|Pilsen (disambiguation){{!}}Pilsen}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
{{Infobox settlement
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<!-- images -->
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| image_skyline          = Plzeň Montage I.png
| image_skyline          = Plzeň Montage I.png
| image_caption          = '''From top''': [[Náměstí Republiky, Plzeň|Republic Square]]; [[Cathedral of St. Bartholomew (Plzeň)|Cathedral of St. Bartholomew]]; Renaissance City hall, [[Great Synagogue (Plzeň)|Great Synagogue]]; [[Techmania Science Center]]; Lochotín park, [[New Theatre (Plzeň)|New Theatre]]; Prazdroj brewery gate; and brewery water tower
| image_caption          = '''From top''': [[Náměstí Republiky, Plzeň|Náměstí Republiky]]; [[Cathedral of St. Bartholomew (Plzeň)|Cathedral of St. Bartholomew]]; City Hall, [[Great Synagogue (Plzeň)|Great Synagogue]]; [[Techmania Science Center]]; Lochotín park, [[New Theatre (Plzeň)|New Theatre]]; Prazdroj brewery gate; and brewery water tower
| image_flag              = Flag of Plzen.svg
| image_flag              = Flag of Plzen.svg
| image_shield            = Plzen_small_CoA.png
| image_shield            = Plzen_small_CoA.png
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| area_total_km2          = 137.65
| area_total_km2          = 137.67
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'''Plzeň''' ({{IPA|cs|ˈpl̩zɛɲ|-|Cs-Plzen.ogg}}), also known in English and German as '''Pilsen''' ({{IPA|de|ˈpɪlzn̩|lang|De-Pilsen.ogg}}), is a city in the [[Czech Republic]]. It is the [[Statutory city (Czech Republic)|fourth most populous city]] in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about {{convert|78|km|abbr=off}} west of [[Prague]], at the confluence of four rivers: [[Mže]], [[Úhlava]], [[Úslava]] and [[Radbuza]], together forming the [[Berounka]] River.
'''Plzeň''' ({{IPA|cs|ˈpl̩zɛɲ|-|Cs-Plzen.ogg}}), also known in English and German as '''Pilsen''' ({{IPA|de|ˈpɪlzn̩|lang|De-Pilsen.ogg}}), is a city in the [[Czech Republic]]. It is the [[Statutory city (Czech Republic)|fourth most populous city]] in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about {{convert|78|km|abbr=off}} west of [[Prague]], at the confluence of four rivers: [[Mže]], [[Úhlava]], [[Úslava]] and [[Radbuza]], together forming the [[Berounka]] River.<ref>{{cite web |title=English version |url=https://en.plzensky-kraj.cz/pilsen-region |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=en.plzensky-kraj.cz}}</ref>


Founded as a royal city in the late 13th century, Plzeň became an important town for trade on routes linking [[Bohemia]] with [[Bavaria]]. By the 14th century it had grown to be the third largest city in Bohemia. The city was besieged three times during the 15th-century [[Hussite Wars]], when it became a centre of resistance against the Hussites. During the [[Thirty Years' War]] in the early 17th century the city was temporarily occupied after the [[Siege of Plzeň]].  
Founded as a royal city in the late 13th century, Plzeň became an important town for trade on routes linking [[Bohemia]] with [[Bavaria]]. By the 14th century, it had grown to be the third-largest city in Bohemia. The city was besieged three times during the 15th century [[Hussite Wars]], when it became a centre of resistance against the Hussites. During the [[Thirty Years' War]] in the early 17th century, the city was temporarily occupied after the [[Siege of Plzeň]].  


In the 19th century, the city rapidly industrialised and became home to the [[Škoda Works]], which became one of the most important engineering companies in [[Austria-Hungary]] and later in [[Czechoslovakia]]. The city is known worldwide as the home of [[Pilsner]] beer, created by [[Bavaria]]n brewer [[Josef Groll]] in the city in 1842; today, the [[Pilsner Urquell Brewery]] is the largest brewery in the Czech Republic.
In the 19th century, the city rapidly industrialised and became home to the [[Škoda Works]], which became one of the most important engineering companies in [[Austria-Hungary]] and later in [[Czechoslovakia]]. The city is known worldwide as the home of [[Pilsner]] beer, created by [[Bavaria]]n brewer [[Josef Groll]] in the city in 1842; today, the [[Pilsner Urquell Brewery]] is the largest brewery in the Czech Republic.
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==Geography==
==Geography==
[[File:Chlum (416 m) od Mikulky, 18. 8. 2007.jpg|thumb|Chlum, the highest point in Plzeň]]
[[File:Chlum (416 m) od Mikulky, 18. 8. 2007.jpg|thumb|Chlum, the highest point in Plzeň]]
Plzeň is located about {{convert|78|km|abbr=on}} west of [[Prague]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Distance from Motol, Prague 5 to Plzeň|url=https://cs.distance.to/Motol,Praha-5,Praha,Hlavn%C3%AD-m%C4%9Bsto-Praha,CZE/Plze%C5%88|website=cs.distance.to|access-date=20 October 2023}}</ref> The city is situated at the confluences of four rivers: [[Mže]], [[Úhlava]], [[Úslava]] and [[Radbuza]]. From the confluence of the Mže and Radbuza, the river is known as the [[Berounka]]. Plzeň lies mostly in the [[Plasy Uplands]], with small parts of the municipal territory extending into the [[Švihov Highlands]] to the east and south. The highest point is the hill Chlum at {{convert|416|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. The lowest point is the river bed of the Berounka at {{convert|293|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sedm plzeňských NEJ. Hledali jsme na dně i na vrcholu|url=https://www.e15.cz/magazin/sedm-plzenskych-nej-hledali-jsme-na-dne-i-na-vrcholu-849838|publisher=E15|language=cs|access-date=2023-05-23}}</ref> The largest body of water is the České údolí Reservoir, built on the Radbuza. A system of fishponds is located on the northern edge of the city.
Plzeň is located about {{convert|78|km|abbr=on}} west of [[Prague]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Distance from Motol, Prague 5 to Plzeň|url=https://cs.distance.to/Motol,Praha-5,Praha,Hlavn%C3%AD-m%C4%9Bsto-Praha,CZE/Plze%C5%88|website=cs.distance.to|access-date=2023-10-20}}</ref> The city is situated at the confluences of four rivers: [[Mže]], [[Úhlava]], [[Úslava]] and [[Radbuza]]. From the confluence of the Mže and Radbuza, the river is known as the [[Berounka]]. Plzeň lies mostly in the [[Plasy Uplands]], with small parts of the municipal territory extending into the [[Švihov Highlands]] to the east and south. The highest point is the hill Chlum at {{convert|416|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level. The lowest point is the river bed of the Berounka at {{convert|293|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sedm plzeňských NEJ. Hledali jsme na dně i na vrcholu|url=https://www.e15.cz/magazin/sedm-plzenskych-nej-hledali-jsme-na-dne-i-na-vrcholu-849838|work=[[E15 (newspaper)|E15]]|language=cs|access-date=2023-05-23}}</ref> The largest body of water is the České údolí Reservoir, built on the Radbuza. A system of fishponds is located on the northern edge of the city.


===Climate===
===Climate===
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===Middle Ages===
===Middle Ages===
The first written mention of Plzeň Castle is from 976. The city of New Plzeň was founded nearby in 1295 by King [[Wenceslaus II of Bohemia|Wenceslaus II]]. The old settlement then became known as [[Starý Plzenec]] and New Plzeň became known as Plzeň. It quickly became an important city on trade routes leading from [[Bohemia]] to [[Nuremberg]] and [[Regensburg]]. The first written mention about beer brewing is from 1307. In the 14th century, the city had about 3,000 inhabitants on an area of {{cvt|20|ha}}, making it the third largest city in Bohemia after Prague and [[Kutná Hora]].<ref name=history>{{cite web |title=Po stopách historie města|url=https://plzen.eu/o-meste/historie/po-stopach-historie/|publisher=City of Plzeň|language=cs|access-date=2024-09-25}}</ref>
The first written mention of Plzeň Castle is from 976. The city of New Plzeň was founded nearby in 1295 by King [[Wenceslaus II of Bohemia|Wenceslaus II]]. The old settlement then became known as [[Starý Plzenec]] and New Plzeň became known as Plzeň. It quickly became an important city on trade routes leading from [[Bohemia]] to [[Nuremberg]] and [[Regensburg]]. The first written mention of beer brewing is from 1307. In the 14th century, the city had about 3,000 inhabitants on an area of {{cvt|20|ha}}, making it the third largest city in Bohemia after Prague and [[Kutná Hora]].<ref name=history>{{cite web |title=Po stopách historie města|url=https://plzen.eu/o-meste/historie/po-stopach-historie/|publisher=City of Plzeň|language=cs|access-date=2024-09-25}}</ref>


During the [[Hussite Wars]], it was the centre of Catholic resistance to the [[Hussites]]: [[Prokop the Great]] unsuccessfully [[Siege of Pilsen (1433-1434)|besieged]] it three times, and it joined the league of Catholic nobles against King [[George of Poděbrady]]. In the 1470s and 1480s, the city had the first [[printing press]] in Bohemia. The first book printed here and therefore the oldest book in Bohemia is ''Statuta'' written by [[Arnošt of Pardubice]], which was printed in 1476.<ref name=history/>
During the [[Hussite Wars]], it was the centre of Catholic resistance to the [[Hussites]]: [[Prokop the Great]] unsuccessfully [[Siege of Pilsen (1433-1434)|besieged]] it three times, and it joined the league of Catholic nobles against King [[George of Poděbrady]]. In the 1470s and 1480s, the city had the first [[printing press]] in Bohemia. The first book printed here and therefore the oldest book in Bohemia is ''Statuta'' written by [[Arnošt of Pardubice]], which was printed in 1476.<ref name=history/>
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===17th century===
===17th century===
[[File:Plzen 1602 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Engraving of Plzeň from 1602]]
[[File:Plzen 1602 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Engraving of Plzeň from 1602]]
Emperor [[Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor|Rudolf II]] made Plzeň his seat from 1599 to 1600. During the [[Thirty Years' War]] the town was taken by [[Peter Ernst, Count of Mansfeld|Mansfeld]] in 1618 after the [[Siege of Plzeň]] and it was not recaptured by Imperial troops until 1621. [[Albrecht von Wallenstein|Wallenstein]] made it his winter quarters in 1633. Accused of treason and losing the support of his army, he fled the town on 23 February 1634 to [[Cheb|Eger/Cheb]] where he was assassinated two days later. The town was increasingly threatened by the [[Swedish Empire|Swedes]] in the last years of the war. The city commander [[Jan van der Croon]] strengthened the fortifications of Plzeň from 1645 to 1649. Swedish troops passed the town in 1645 and 1648 without attacking it. The town and region have been staunchly Catholic despite the Hussite Wars.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mikovec|first=Ferdinand Břetislav|author-link=Ferdinand Břetislav Mikovec|date=1860|title=Malerisch-historische Skizzen aus Böhmen|language=de|volume=3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j_s92r60yIAC&pg=PA352|publisher=Hölzel|place=Vienna/Olomouc|pages=352–355}}</ref>
Emperor [[Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor|Rudolf II]] made Plzeň his seat from 1599 to 1600. During the [[Thirty Years' War]], the town was taken by [[Peter Ernst, Count of Mansfeld|Mansfeld]] in 1618 after the [[Siege of Plzeň]], and it was not recaptured by Imperial troops until 1621. [[Albrecht von Wallenstein|Wallenstein]] made it his winter quarters in 1633. Accused of treason and losing the support of his army, he fled the town on 23 February 1634 to [[Cheb|Eger/Cheb]], where he was assassinated two days later. The town was increasingly threatened by the [[Swedish Empire|Swedes]] in the last years of the war. The city commander [[Jan van der Croon]] strengthened the fortifications of Plzeň from 1645 to 1649. Swedish troops passed the town in 1645 and 1648 without attacking it. The town and region have been staunchly Catholic despite the Hussite Wars.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mikovec|first=Ferdinand Břetislav|author-link=Ferdinand Břetislav Mikovec|date=1860|title=Malerisch-historische Skizzen aus Böhmen|language=de|volume=3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j_s92r60yIAC&pg=PA352|publisher=Hölzel|place=Vienna/Olomouc|pages=352–355}}</ref>


From the end of the 17th century, the architecture of Plzeň has been influenced by the [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] style.
From the end of the 17th century, the architecture of Plzeň has been influenced by the [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] style.


===19th century===
===19th century===
In the second half of the 19th century Plzeň, already an important trade centre for [[Bohemia]], near the Bavarian/German border, began to industrialise rapidly. In 1869 [[Emil Škoda]] founded the [[Škoda Works]], which became the most important and influential engineering company in the country and a crucial supplier of arms to the [[Austro-Hungarian Army]]. By 1917 the [[Škoda Works]] employed over 30,000 workers.
In the second half of the 19th century, Plzeň, already an important trade centre for [[Bohemia]], near the Bavarian/German border, began to industrialise rapidly. In 1869 [[Emil Škoda]] founded the [[Škoda Works]], which became the most important and influential engineering company in the country and a crucial supplier of arms to the [[Austro-Hungarian Army]]. By 1917, the [[Škoda Works]] employed over 30,000 workers.


[[File:Wilson Bridge in Europe (4515218794).jpg|thumb|Plzeň in the interbellum]]
[[File:Wilson Bridge in Europe (4515218794).jpg|thumb|Plzeň in the interbellum]]
After 1898 the second largest employer was the National Railways train workshop, with about 2,000 employees: this was the largest rail repair shop in all [[Austria-Hungary]]. Between 1861 and 1877, the Plzeň railway junction was completed and in 1899 the first tram line started in the city. This burst of industry had two important effects: the growth of the local [[Czechs|Czech]] population and of the urban poor. After 1868 the first Czech mayor of the city was elected.
After 1898, the second largest employer was the National Railways train workshop, with about 2,000 employees: this was the largest rail repair shop in all [[Austria-Hungary]]. Between 1861 and 1877, the Plzeň railway junction was completed, and in 1899, the first tram line started in the city. This burst of industry had two important effects: the growth of the local [[Czechs|Czech]] population and of the urban poor. After 1868, the first Czech mayor of the city was elected.


===World War II===
===World War II===
Following [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak]] independence from [[Austria-Hungary]] in 1918 the ethnic German minority in the countryside bordering the city of Plzeň hoped to be united with Austria and were unhappy at being included in Czechoslovakia. Many allied themselves to the [[Nazis]] after 1933 in the hope that [[Adolf Hitler]] might be able to unite them with their German-speaking neighbours.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}
Following [[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak]] independence from [[Austria-Hungary]] in 1918, the ethnic German minority in the countryside bordering the city of Plzeň hoped to be united with Austria and were unhappy at being included in Czechoslovakia. Many allied themselves to the [[Nazis]] after 1933 in the hope that [[Adolf Hitler]] might be able to unite them with their German-speaking neighbours.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}


Following the [[Munich Agreement]] in 1938, Plzeň became a frontier town as the creation of the [[Sudetenland]] moved [[Nazi Germany]]'s borders closer to the city's outer limits. During the [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia|German occupation]] from 1939 to 1945, the [[Škoda Works]] in Pilsen was forced to provide armaments for the ''[[Wehrmacht]]'', and Czech contributions, particularly in the field of tanks, were noted. The Nazis operated a [[Gestapo]] prison in the city,<ref>{{cite web |title=Gestapogefängnis Pilsen|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=100000353|website=bundesarchiv.de|language=de|access-date=2021-11-07}}</ref> and a [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] camp in the Karlov district.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arbeitserziehungslager Pilsen-Karlow|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=100000331|website=bundesarchiv.de|language=de|access-date=2021-11-07}}</ref>
Following the [[Munich Agreement]] in 1938, Plzeň became a frontier town as the creation of the [[Sudetenland]] moved [[Nazi Germany]]'s borders closer to the city's outer limits. During the [[German occupation of Czechoslovakia|German occupation]] from 1939 to 1945, the [[Škoda Works]] in Pilsen was forced to provide armaments for the ''[[Wehrmacht]]'', and Czech contributions, particularly in the field of tanks, were noted. The Nazis operated a [[Gestapo]] prison in the city,<ref>{{cite web |title=Gestapogefängnis Pilsen|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=100000353|website=bundesarchiv.de|language=de|access-date=2021-11-07}}</ref> and a [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labour]] camp in the Karlov district.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arbeitserziehungslager Pilsen-Karlow|url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/zwangsarbeit/haftstaetten/index.php?action=2.2&tab=7&id=100000331|website=bundesarchiv.de|language=de|access-date=2021-11-07}}</ref>
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On 6 May 1945, in the final days before the [[end of World War II in Europe]], Plzeň was liberated from Nazi Germany by the [[16th Armored Division (United States)|16th Armored Division]] of General [[George Patton]]'s [[United States Army Central|Third Army]]. Also participating in the liberation of the city were elements of the 97th and 2nd Infantry Divisions supported by the Polish [[Holy Cross Mountains Brigade]]. Other Third Army units liberated major portions of Western Bohemia. The rest of [[Czechoslovakia]] was liberated from German control by the Soviet [[Red Army]]. Elements of the 3rd Army, as well as units from the 1st Army, remained in Plzeň until late November 1945.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plzeň osvobodil Patton, komunisté o něm ale po únoru 1948 mlčeli|url=https://www.echo24.cz/a/SQpGJ/plzen-osvobodil-patton-komuniste-o-nem-ale-po-unoru-1948-mlceli|work=Echo24.cz|language=cs|date=2020-05-06|access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref>
On 6 May 1945, in the final days before the [[end of World War II in Europe]], Plzeň was liberated from Nazi Germany by the [[16th Armored Division (United States)|16th Armored Division]] of General [[George Patton]]'s [[United States Army Central|Third Army]]. Also participating in the liberation of the city were elements of the 97th and 2nd Infantry Divisions supported by the Polish [[Holy Cross Mountains Brigade]]. Other Third Army units liberated major portions of Western Bohemia. The rest of [[Czechoslovakia]] was liberated from German control by the Soviet [[Red Army]]. Elements of the 3rd Army, as well as units from the 1st Army, remained in Plzeň until late November 1945.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plzeň osvobodil Patton, komunisté o něm ale po únoru 1948 mlčeli|url=https://www.echo24.cz/a/SQpGJ/plzen-osvobodil-patton-komuniste-o-nem-ale-po-unoru-1948-mlceli|work=Echo24.cz|language=cs|date=2020-05-06|access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref>


After the end of the war, the city's ethnic German minority population was [[expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia|expelled]] and their property was confiscated in accordance to the provisions of the [[Potsdam Agreement]].
After the end of the war, the city's ethnic German minority population was [[expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia|expelled]] and their property was confiscated in accordance with the provisions of the [[Potsdam Agreement]].


===Communist era===
===Communist era===
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==Economy==
==Economy==
Plzeň is a centre of business in the western part of the Czech Republic. Plzeň produces about two-thirds of the Plzeň Region GDP, even though it contains only 30% of its population.<ref>{{cite web |title=Základní informace o kraji|url=https://www.plzensky-kraj.cz/plzensky-kraj|publisher=Plzeň Region|language=cs|access-date=2025-03-17}}</ref> While part of this is explained by commuters to the city, it is one of the most prosperous cities in the Czech Republic.
Plzeň is a centre of business in the western part of the Czech Republic. Plzeň produces about two-thirds of the Plzeň Region's GDP, even though it contains only 30% of its population.<ref>{{cite web |title=Základní informace o kraji|url=https://www.plzensky-kraj.cz/plzensky-kraj|publisher=Plzeň Region|language=cs|access-date=2025-03-17}}</ref> While part of this is explained by commuters to the city, it is one of the most prosperous cities in the Czech Republic.


Plzeň is the seat of many large corporations. The largest employers with its headquarters in Plzeň and at least 1,000 employees are:<ref>{{cite web |title=Registr ekonomických subjektů|url=https://csu.gov.cz/registr_ekonomickych_subjektu|work=Business Register|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|language=cs|access-date=2025-03-17}}</ref>
Plzeň is the seat of many large corporations. The largest employers with their headquarters in Plzeň and at least 1,000 employees are:<ref>{{cite web |title=Registr ekonomických subjektů|url=https://csu.gov.cz/registr_ekonomickych_subjektu|work=Business Register|publisher=Czech Statistical Office|language=cs|access-date=2025-03-17}}</ref>


{| class="wikitable sortable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
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| [[Daikin|Daikin Industries Czech Republic]] || 1,500–1,999 || Manufacture of air conditioning technology
| [[Daikin|Daikin Industries Czech Republic]] || 1,500–1,999 || Manufacture of air conditioning technology
|-
|-
| Autoneum || 1,000–1,599 || Manufacture of textiles for the automotive industry
| Autoneum || 1,000–1,499 || Manufacture of textiles for the automotive industry
|-
|-
| [[Doosan Škoda Power]] || 1,000–1,499 || Manufacture of steam turbines
| [[Doosan Škoda Power]] || 1,000–1,499 || Manufacture of steam turbines
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|}
|}


The [[Škoda Works|Škoda]] company, established in Plzeň in 1859, has been an important element of Austro-Hungarian, Czechoslovak and Czech engineering, and one of the biggest European arms factories. During the Communist era of the country (1948–1989), the company's production had been directed to the needs of the [[Eastern Bloc]]. Disarray in the era after the [[Velvet Revolution]], and unsuccessful efforts to gain new Western markets, resulted in sales problems and debts. After a huge restructuring process, the company was divided into several subsidiaries, which were later sold. The most important successors companies are [[Škoda Transportation]] and [[Doosan Škoda Power]].
The [[Škoda Works|Škoda]] company, established in Plzeň in 1859, has been an important element of Austro-Hungarian, Czechoslovak and Czech engineering, and one of the biggest European arms factories. During the Communist era of the country (1948–1989), the company's production had been directed to the needs of the [[Eastern Bloc]]. Disarray in the era after the [[Velvet Revolution]], and unsuccessful efforts to gain new Western markets, resulted in sales problems and debts. After a huge restructuring process, the company was divided into several subsidiaries, which were later sold. The most important successor companies are [[Škoda Transportation]] and [[Doosan Škoda Power]].


The Stock company, located in the Božkov district, is the largest producer of [[liquor]]s in the Czech Republic. [[Fernet Stock]] has long been the best-selling herbal liqueur on the Czech market.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stock letos očekává, že vyrobí asi 30 mil. litrů lihovin, podobně jako loni|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/stock-letos-ocekava-ze-vyrobi-asi-30-mil-litru-lihovin-podobne-jako-loni/2289550|work=České noviny|publisher=[[Czech News Agency]]|language=cs|date=2022-11-23|access-date=2025-03-17}}</ref>
The Stock company, located in the Božkov district, is the largest producer of [[liquor]]s in the Czech Republic. [[Fernet Stock]] has long been the best-selling herbal liqueur on the Czech market.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stock letos očekává, že vyrobí asi 30 mil. litrů lihovin, podobně jako loni|url=https://www.ceskenoviny.cz/zpravy/stock-letos-ocekava-ze-vyrobi-asi-30-mil-litru-lihovin-podobne-jako-loni/2289550|work=České noviny|publisher=[[Czech News Agency]]|language=cs|date=2022-11-23|access-date=2025-03-17}}</ref>
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Plzeň is well known for the [[Pilsner Urquell]] (since 1842) and [[Gambrinus (beer)|Gambrinus]] (since 1869) [[brewery|breweries]], currently owned by Asahi Group Holdings.
Plzeň is well known for the [[Pilsner Urquell]] (since 1842) and [[Gambrinus (beer)|Gambrinus]] (since 1869) [[brewery|breweries]], currently owned by Asahi Group Holdings.


Plzeň is an important city in the history of beer, including the development of [[Pilsner]].<ref name="Hampson9">{{cite book |last=Hampson|first=Tim|url=https://archive.org/details/beerbook0000unse_y0h6/page/9/mode/2up|title=The Beer Book|date=2008|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|isbn=978-1405333016|location=London|page=9|url-access=registration}}</ref> In 1375, Bohemian King [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] endowed the Dobrow Monastery near Plzeň with the beer right, and it is one of the oldest breweries to survive to modern times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/beeritshistoryit00sale|title=Beer : its history and its economic value as a national beverage|first=F. W. (Frederick William)|last=Salem|year=1880|publisher=Hartford, Conn. : F. W. Salem & Co.|access-date=2023-10-11|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aT-lIt3VBe0C&pg=PA33|title=Medicinal and Food Plants: With 200 Illustrations for Artists and Craftspeople|first1=Ernst|last1=Lehner|first2=Johanna|last2=Lehner|year=2006|publisher=Courier Corporation|isbn=9780486447513|access-date=2023-10-11|via=Google Books}}</ref> Many breweries were located in the interconnected deep cellars of the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plzen Historical Underground|url=https://web.zcu.cz/plzen/underground/|website=zcu.cz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230132008/https://web.zcu.cz/plzen/underground/|archive-date=2019-12-30|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pilsen Historical Underground|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pilsen-historical-underground|work=Atlas Obscura|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208061341/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pilsen-historical-underground|archive-date=2017-12-08|url-status=live}}</ref>
Plzeň is an important city in the history of beer, including the development of [[Pilsner]].<ref name="Hampson9">{{cite book |last=Hampson|first=Tim|url=https://archive.org/details/beerbook0000unse_y0h6/page/9/mode/2up|title=The Beer Book|date=2008|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|isbn=978-1405333016|location=London|page=9|url-access=registration}}</ref> In 1375, Bohemian King [[Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles IV]] endowed the Dobrow Monastery near Plzeň with the beer right, and it is one of the oldest breweries to survive to modern times.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://archive.org/details/beeritshistoryit00sale|title=Beer : its history and its economic value as a national beverage|first=F. W. (Frederick William)|last=Salem|year=1880|publisher=Hartford, Conn. : F. W. Salem & Co.|access-date=2023-10-11|via=Internet Archive}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aT-lIt3VBe0C&pg=PA33|title=Medicinal and Food Plants: With 200 Illustrations for Artists and Craftspeople|first1=Ernst|last1=Lehner|first2=Johanna|last2=Lehner|year=2006|publisher=Courier Corporation|isbn=9780486447513|access-date=2023-10-11|via=Google Books}}</ref> Many breweries were located in the interconnected deep cellars of the city.<ref>{{cite web |title=Plzen Historical Underground|url=https://web.zcu.cz/plzen/underground/|website=zcu.cz|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230132008/https://web.zcu.cz/plzen/underground/|archive-date=2019-12-30|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pilsen Historical Underground|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pilsen-historical-underground|work=Atlas Obscura|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171208061341/https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/pilsen-historical-underground|archive-date=2017-12-08|url-status=live}}</ref>


The officials of Plzeň founded a city-owned brewery in 1839, {{lang|de|Bürger Brauerei}} (Citizens' Brewery, now [[Plzeňský Prazdroj]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prazdroj.cz/en/about-the-company/history|title=Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s.|publisher=prazdroj.cz|access-date=2009-10-17}}</ref> and recruited Bavarian brewer [[Josef Groll]] (1813–1887) who produced the first batch of modern Pilsner beer on 5 October 1842. This included mastering the art of triple [[Mashing#Decoction mashing|decoction mashing]].<ref name="Hampson9"/> The combination of pale colour from the new malts, Plzeň's remarkably soft water, [[Saaz hops|Saaz]] [[noble hops]] from nearby [[Žatec]] (''Saaz'' in German) and Bavarian-style [[lager]]ing<!-- ice-cooled --> produced a clear, golden beer which was regarded as a sensation. Improving transport meant that this new beer was soon available throughout Central Europe and {{lang|de|Pilsner Brauart}}-style brewing was widely imitated.
The officials of Plzeň founded a city-owned brewery in 1839, {{lang|de|Bürger Brauerei}} (Citizens' Brewery, now [[Plzeňský Prazdroj]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prazdroj.cz/en/about-the-company/history|title=Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s.|publisher=prazdroj.cz|access-date=2009-10-17}}</ref> and recruited Bavarian brewer [[Josef Groll]] (1813–1887) who produced the first batch of modern Pilsner beer on 5 October 1842. This included mastering the art of triple [[Mashing#Decoction mashing|decoction mashing]].<ref name="Hampson9"/> The combination of pale colour from the new malts, Plzeň's remarkably soft water, [[Saaz hops|Saaz]] [[noble hops]] from nearby [[Žatec]] (''Saaz'' in German) and Bavarian-style [[lager]]ing<!-- ice-cooled --> produced a clear, golden beer which was regarded as a sensation. Improving transport meant that this new beer was soon available throughout Central Europe, and {{lang|de|Pilsner Brauart}}-style brewing was widely imitated.


In 1859, "Pilsner Bier" was registered as a brand name at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Plzeň. In 1898, the [[Pilsner Urquell]] trade mark was created to put emphasis on this being the brewery where the style originated.
In 1859, "Pilsner Bier" was registered as a brand name at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Plzeň. In 1898, the [[Pilsner Urquell]] trade mark was created to emphasize this being the brewery where the style originated.


==Transport==
==Transport==
[[File:EVO2 v Plzni 20190910.jpg|thumb|EVO2 tram in Plzeň]]
[[File:EVO2 v Plzni 20190910.jpg|thumb|EVO2 tram in Plzeň]]
[[File:Plzen main station 2019-09-12 01.jpg|thumb|Plzeň main railway station]]


===Trams, trolleybuses and buses===
===Trams, trolleybuses and buses===
{{main|Trams in Plzeň}}
{{main|Trams in Plzeň}}
The Plzeň metropolitan area is largely served by a network of trams, [[trolleybus]]es and buses operated by the PMDP. Like other continental European cities, tickets bought from vending machines or small shops are valid for any transport run by the city of Plzeň. For residents of the city, a Plzeň Card can be purchased and through a system of "topping up" be used on any public transport with no limitations, as long as it is paid up and valid. Tickets can be purchased in vehicles with a contactless smart card.<ref>{{cite web |title=Platby bezkontaktními kartami ve vozech MHD v Plzni|url=https://www.pmdp.cz/pro-media/tiskove-zpravy/doc/platby-bezkontaktnimi-kartami-ve-vozech-mhd-v-plzni-1824/newsitem.htm|publisher=Plzeňské městské dopravní podniky|language=cs|date=2016-05-18|access-date=2025-04-15}}</ref>
 
The Plzeň metropolitan area is largely served by a network of trams, [[trolleybus]]es and buses operated by the PMDP. Like other continental European cities, tickets bought from vending machines or small shops are valid for any transport run by the city of Plzeň. For residents of the city, a Plzeň Card can be purchased and, through a system of "topping up" be used on any public transport with no limitations, as long as it is paid up and valid. Tickets can be purchased in vehicles with a contactless smart card.<ref>{{cite web |title=Platby bezkontaktními kartami ve vozech MHD v Plzni|url=https://www.pmdp.cz/pro-media/tiskove-zpravy/doc/platby-bezkontaktnimi-kartami-ve-vozech-mhd-v-plzni-1824/newsitem.htm|publisher=Plzeňské městské dopravní podniky|language=cs|date=2016-05-18|access-date=2025-04-15}}</ref>


===Rail===
===Rail===
Plzeň is an important centre of Czech railway transport, with the crossing of five main railway lines:
[[File:Plzen main station 2019-09-12 01.jpg|thumb|[[Plzeň hlavní nádraží]], main railway station]]
* line Nr. 170: [[Prague]] – [[Beroun]] – '''Plzeň''' – [[Cheb]]
The main ralway station, [[Plzeň hlavní nádraží]], is an important centre of Czech railway transport, with the crossing of five main railway lines:
* line Nr. 180: '''Plzeň''' – [[Domažlice]] – [[Furth im Wald]] (Germany)
* line No. 170: [[Prague]] – [[Beroun]] – Plzeň – [[Cheb]]
* line Nr. 183: '''Plzeň''' – [[Klatovy]] – [[Železná Ruda]]
* line No. 180: Plzeň – [[Domažlice]] – [[Furth im Wald]] (Germany)
* line Nr. 160: '''Plzeň''' – [[Žatec]]
* line No. 183: Plzeň – [[Klatovy]] – [[Železná Ruda]]
* line Nr. 190: '''Plzeň''' – [[České Budějovice]]
* line No. 160: Plzeň – [[Žatec]]
 
* line No. 190: Plzeň – [[České Budějovice]]
[[Plzeň main railway station]] (''Plzeň hlavní nádraží'') serves all five of these lines.


===Road===
===Road===
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===Air===
===Air===
A public domestic and private international airport is located 11&nbsp;km south-west from Plzeň, at the nearby village of [[Líně]].
Plzeň is served by the Plzeň Líně Airport, which is a public domestic and private international airport. It is located southwest of Plzeň, just outside of the territory of Plzeň and named after the municipality of [[Líně]].


==Religion==
==Religion==
[[File:Great Synagogue in Pilsen-2010.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Great Synagogue (Plzeň)|Great Synagogue]] in Plzeň]]
[[File:Great Synagogue in Pilsen-2010.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Great Synagogue (Plzeň)|Great Synagogue]] in Plzeň]]
Since 31 May 1993 Plzeň has been the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň]]. The first bishop (current bishop emeritus) was František Radkovský. The current bishop is Tomáš Holub. The diocese covers an area with a total of 818,700 inhabitants.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} The diocesan see is in St. Bartholomew's Cathedral on Republiky Square in Plzeň. The diocese is divided into 10 vicariates with a total of 72 parishes.
Since 31 May 1993, Plzeň has been the seat of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň]]. The first bishop (current bishop emeritus) was František Radkovský. The current bishop is Tomáš Holub. The diocese covers an area with a total of 818,700 inhabitants.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} The diocesan see is in St. Bartholomew's Cathedral on Republiky Square in Plzeň. The diocese is divided into 10 vicariates with a total of 72 parishes.


The seat of the West Bohemian seniorate (literary presbytery; Central European protestant equivalent of a diocese) of [[Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren]] is currently set in Plzeň. The current senior is Miroslav Hamari, the preacher of Koranda parish congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Plzeň, commonly known as Koranda congregation located in the city centre of Plzeň. The senioral churchwarden is Josef Beneš, the parish churchwarden of the same congregation. There are two other parish congregations of Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in the [[Plzeň-City District]] – The Western congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Plzeň, known as The Western congregation located in the Western part of the city in the borough of Jižní předměstí and The Congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Chrást located in [[Chrást (Plzeň-City District)|Chrást]] in the very east of Plzeň-City District.
The seat of the West Bohemian seniorate (literary presbytery; Central European protestant equivalent of a diocese) of [[Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren]] is currently set in Plzeň. There are two other parish congregations of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in the [[Plzeň-City District]] – The Western congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Plzeň, known as The Western congregation, located in the Western part of the city in the borough of Jižní předměstí, and The Congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Chrást, located in [[Chrást (Plzeň-City District)|Chrást]] in the very east of Plzeň-City District.


The seat of Plzeň diocese of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church is located in Plzeň (although the bishop has resided in [[Mirovice]] for several years due to a reconstruction of episcopacy). The current bishop is Filip Štojdl.
The seat of the Plzeň diocese of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church is located in Plzeň (although the bishop has resided in [[Mirovice]] for several years due to a reconstruction of the episcopacy). The current bishop is Filip Štojdl.


The Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church is headquartered in Plzeň.<ref name="luterani.cz">{{Cite web|url=https://www.luterani.cz/|title=Luterani CZ|website=Luterani CZ|accessdate=11 October 2023}}</ref> St. Paul's Lutheran Church is a church of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plzeň.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://celc.info/membership/member-churches/czech-evangelical-lutheran-church/|title=Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church|website=celc.info|accessdate=11 October 2023}}</ref>
The Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church is headquartered in Plzeň.<ref name="luterani.cz">{{cite web |url=https://www.luterani.cz/|title=Luterani CZ|website=luterani.cz|access-date=2023-10-11}}</ref> St. Paul's Lutheran Church is a church of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plzeň.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://celc.info/membership/member-churches/czech-evangelical-lutheran-church/|title=Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church|website=celc.info|access-date=2023-10-11}}</ref>


The other churches also present in Plzeň are the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Czech Republic, the United Methodist Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Brethren, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, the Greek Catholic Church, and others.
The other churches also present in Plzeň are the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Czech Republic, the United Methodist Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Brethren, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, the Greek Catholic Church, and others.


==Education==
==Education==
The [[University of West Bohemia]] in Plzeň is well known for its Faculty of Law, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Faculty of Applied Science in particular.
The [[University of West Bohemia]] was founded in Plzeň 1991. It comprises nine faculties and has approximately 12,000 students.<ref>{{cite web |title=About us|url=https://www.zcu.cz/en/University/About-us/index.html|publisher=University of West Bohemia|access-date=2025-10-09}}</ref>


The Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University ([[Czech language|Czech]]: ''Lékařská fakulta v Plzni Univerzity Karlovy'') is one of the five [[Medical schools in Czech Republic|medical faculties]] of [[Charles University]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-16 |title=Domů {{!}} Lékařská fakulta v Plzni |url=https://lfp.cuni.cz |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=lfp.cuni.cz |language=cs}}</ref>
The Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University ({{langx|cs|Lékařská fakulta v Plzni Univerzity Karlovy}}) is one of the five [[Medical schools in Czech Republic|medical faculties]] of [[Charles University]]. It has about 2,000 students.<ref>{{cite web |title=About faculty|url=https://lfp.cuni.cz/en/about-faculty/|publisher=Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University|access-date=2025-10-09}}</ref>


Martin Luther Elementary School (Základní škola Martina Luthera) is a private Christian school of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plzeň.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sml.cz/|title=Základní Škola Martina Luthera Plzeň|website=www.sml.cz|accessdate=11 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="luterani.cz" />
Martin Luther Primary School (''Základní škola Martina Luthera'') is a private Christian school of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plzeň.<ref>{{cite web |title=Základní Škola Martina Luthera Plzeň|url=https://www.sml.cz/|website=sml.cz|access-date=2023-10-11}}</ref><ref name="luterani.cz" />


==Culture==
==Culture==
Line 416: Line 414:
The ice hockey club [[HC Škoda Plzeň]] plays in the [[Czech Extraliga]]. The team plays its home games at [[Logspeed CZ Arena|Home Monitoring Aréna]]. The football club [[FC Viktoria Plzeň]] plays in the [[Czech First League]] and belongs among the most successful clubs in the Czech Republic. Viktoria Plzeň has played in the [[UEFA Champions League]] and [[UEFA Europa League]]. The team plays its home games at [[Doosan Arena]]. Handball club [[Talent Plzeň]] plays in the [[Czech Handball Extraliga]].
The ice hockey club [[HC Škoda Plzeň]] plays in the [[Czech Extraliga]]. The team plays its home games at [[Logspeed CZ Arena|Home Monitoring Aréna]]. The football club [[FC Viktoria Plzeň]] plays in the [[Czech First League]] and belongs among the most successful clubs in the Czech Republic. Viktoria Plzeň has played in the [[UEFA Champions League]] and [[UEFA Europa League]]. The team plays its home games at [[Doosan Arena]]. Handball club [[Talent Plzeň]] plays in the [[Czech Handball Extraliga]].


The [[motorcycle speedway]] team [[PK Plzeň]] race at the [[Plzeň speedway track]]. The track has hosted significant speedway events including qualifying rounds of the [[Speedway World Team Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/wtc60.htm |title=1960 World Team Cup, Central European round |website=International Speedway |access-date=2024-01-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/wtc61.htm |title=1961 World Team Cup, Central European round|website=International Speedway|access-date=2024-01-24}}</ref>
The [[motorcycle speedway]] team [[PK Plzeň]] races at the [[Plzeň speedway track]]. The track has hosted significant speedway events including qualifying rounds of the [[Speedway World Team Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/wtc60.htm |title=1960 World Team Cup, Central European round |website=International Speedway |access-date=2024-01-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/wtc61.htm |title=1961 World Team Cup, Central European round|website=International Speedway|access-date=2024-01-24}}</ref>


==Sights==
==Sights==
[[File:Plzeň 12.3.2012.jpg|thumb|St. Bartholomew's Cathedral]]
[[File:Pilsen (35459109143).jpg|thumb|[[Náměstí Republiky, Plzeň|Náměstí Republiky]] with the [[Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, Plzeň|Cathedral of St. Bartholomew]]]]
 
===Historic city centre===
[[File:Rathaus-pilsen crop.jpg|thumb|180px|City Hall]]
[[File:Západočeské muzeum v Plzni - panoramio.jpg|thumb|West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň]]
The historic centre of Plzeň, which is formed by the [[Náměstí Republiky, Plzeň|Náměstí Republiky]] square and adjacent streets, has been protected as an [[Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations|urban monument reservation]] since 1989. The most prominent landmark of Plzeň is the [[Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, Plzeň|Cathedral of St. Bartholomew]], built in the Gothic style in the late 13th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=Městská památková rezervace Plzeň|url=https://www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity/mestska-pamatkova-rezervace-plzen|publisher=CzechTourism|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref> It is protected as a [[Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations|national cultural monument]]. Its tower is the highest in the Czech Republic at {{convert|102.6|m|abbr=on|sp=us}}. The interior contains hundreds of works of art, the most valuable of which is the statue called the Plzeň Madonna. It is one of the most valuable Gothic monuments in the Czech Republic.<ref>{{cite web |title=Katedrála sv. Bartoloměje v Plzni|url=https://www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity/kostel-sv-bartolomeje-v-plzni|publisher=CzechTourism|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>
 
Other notable sight at the square is the City Hall, also protected as a national cultural monument. This Renaissance monument was built in 1554–1559 by the Italian architect Giovanni de Statia, on the site of two late Gothic houses, whose fragments have survived to this day. In 1907–1912, it was reconstructed in the Neo-Renaissance style and decorated with [[sgraffito|sgraffiti]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Radnice|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/radnice-15036158|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref> The plague column on the square near the City Hall is the work of local sculptor Kristian Widman and dates back to 1681.<ref>{{cite web |title=Radnice na náměstí Republiky v Plzni|url=https://www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity/radnice-na-namesti-republiky-v-plzni|publisher=CzechTourism|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>
 
The [[Franciscan Monastery, Plzeň|Franciscan Monastery]] is a Gothic structure from the 14th century. The monastery complex includes the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Chapel of Saint Barbara and Chapterhouse. The main building houses the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art of the Diocese of Plzeň.<ref>{{cite web |title=Klášter františkánů|url=https://www.pamatkovykatalog.cz/klaster-frantiskanu-18977541|publisher=CzechTourism|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref> Next to the monastery is the main building of the West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň. The museum was founded in 1878 and, in terms of the scope of its collections, it is one of the largest museum institutions in the Czech Republic. The West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň is the administrator of several other museums in the region, including the museum in the Franciscan Monastery.<ref>{{cite web |title=Profil muzea|url=https://zcm.cz/o-muzeu/profil|publisher=West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>
 
Among the oldest monuments in the city centre are the remains of the Gothic city fortifications. They date from the second quarter of the 14th century and a late Gothic reconstruction took place during the 15th century. In 1618–1659, modern Baroque bastion fortification was made. Most of the walls were demolished, but a few fragments survive, often as part of new townhouses.<ref>{{cite web |title=Městské opevnění|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/mestske-opevneni-18979801|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>
 
Beneath the historic city centre is an underground labyrinth of tunnels and cellars. With a total length of {{cvt|20|km}}, it is the third largest such labyrinth in the country. The corridors were gradually built since the 13th century. Almost {{convert|800|m|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} of the corridors are open to the public. The entrance to the labyrinth is from the Brewing Museum.<ref>{{cite web |title=Historické podzemí|url=https://www.visitplzen.eu/poznej-plzen/plzen-pro-deti/historicke-podzemi/|publisher=City of Plzeň|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>
 
===Jewish monuments===
The [[Great Synagogue (Plzeň)|Great Synagogue]] is the second largest synagogue in Europe (after the [[Dohány Street Synagogue]] in [[Budapest]]). It is situated just outside the urban monument reservation. It was constructed in 1892–1893 and is an example of the [[Romanesque Revival architecture|Neo-Renaissance architecture]]. It is used both for religious services and for organizing cultural events for the public.<ref>{{cite web |title=Synagoga s rabínským domem|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/synagoga-s-rabinskym-domem-19160131|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>


The most prominent sights of Plzeň are the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] [[Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, Plzeň|St. Bartholomew's Cathedral]], founded in the late 13th century, whose tower, at {{convert|102|m|abbr=on|sp=us}}, is the highest in the Czech Republic, the [[Renaissance]] Town Hall, and the [[Moorish Revival architecture|Moorish Revival]] [[Great Synagogue (Plzeň)|Great Synagogue]], the second largest synagogue in Europe, after the [[Dohány Street Synagogue]] in [[Budapest]]. There is also a {{convert|20|km|abbr=on}} historic tunnel and cellar network, among the longest in Central Europe. Part of this network is open to the public for tours of about {{convert|750|m|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} in length and down to a depth of {{convert|12|m|abbr=on}}.
The Old Synagogue was built in the Neo-Renaissance in 1875. It was built next to the Jewish school (1857–1859). Today, the synagogue is occasionally used for cultural events and the Jewish school serves as a museum in memory of the deported Jews of Plzeň.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stará synagoga a židovská škola|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/stara-synagoga-a-zidovska-skola-18541307|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>


Built in 1532, the former water tower was integrated into the city's fortification system at Prague Gate. Another storey was added in 1822 in French Imperial style. The Gothic portal dating from the 1500s and coming from another house, which had been demolished, was added in 1912. Above the portal there is a commemorative plaque dedicated to Dr [[Joseph Škoda|Josef Škoda]] (a professor at the [[University of Vienna|Vienna University]]), who was born next door on 10 December 1805.
===Popular tourist destinations===
A popular tourist attraction is the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery tour, where visitors can discover the history and process of beer brewing in Plzeň. The tour also includes historic cellars.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prohlídka pivovaru Pilsner Urquell|url=https://www.kudyznudy.cz/aktivity/za-historii-piva-pilsner-urquell-musite-do-plzne|publisher=CzechTourism|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref> A notable landmark and technical monument in the premises of the brewery is the historic water tower. It was built in 1905–1907 and its visit is part of the brewing tour.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vodárenská věž|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/vodarenska-vez-184506457|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>


A popular tourist attraction is the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery tour where visitors can discover the history of beer.
In 2024, the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery was the most visited tourist destination in the Plzeň Region and the 12th most visited tourist destination in the country. Other popular tourist destinations in the city include [[Plzeň Zoo|Plzeň Zoo and Botanical Garden]], DinoPark Plzeň (amusement park with moving dinosaur models), and [[Techmania Science Center]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Návštěvnost turistických cílů 2024|url=https://tourdata.cz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Navstevnost-turistickych-cilu-2024.pdf|publisher=CzechTourism|language=cs|date=2025|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>


===Museums===
===Folk architecture===
* [[Franciscan Monastery, Plzeň|Franciscan Monastery]] – Museum of Christian Art
The centres of Božkov, Černice and Koterov, which were once separate municipalities, have a well-preserved historic character and folk architecture, and are protected as [[Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument reservations|village monument reservations]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Památkové rezervace|url=https://www.npu.cz/cs/uop-plzen/pamatky-v-nasem-kraji/pamatkove-rezervace|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref> The last of the three national cultural monuments in Plzeň is the Bolevec Homestead, located in Plzeň-Bolevec. The reason for the protection of this Neoclassical rural homestead is its exceptional state of preservation. It is a notable example of the development of rural folk architecture in the [[Plzeň Region]] in the 18th–20th centuries. The homestead was first documented on maps in 1781, but it is certain that it has medieval origins. Today it houses an [[open-air museum]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Venkovská usedlost|url=https://pamatkovykatalog.cz/venkovska-usedlost-14253814|publisher=National Heritage Institute|language=cs|access-date=2025-11-14}}</ref>
* [[Techmania Science Center]] - Interactive museum/playground for kids
* Západočeské muzeum v Plzni


==Notable people==
==Notable people==
Line 499: Line 512:
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
CZ-Plz-nam-republ-01 crop.jpg|''[[Náměstí Republiky, Plzeň|Náměstí Republiky]]'', the city's main square
West Bohemia University.jpg|Research Library
West Bohemia University.jpg|Research Library
Plzeň_radnice.JPG|Town hall
Pilseno, Teatro Josef Kajetán Tyl, 13.jpg|[[Josef Kajetán Tyl Theatre]]
Pilseno, Teatro Josef Kajetán Tyl, 13.jpg|[[Josef Kajetán Tyl Theatre]]
Západočeské muzeum v Plzni - panoramio.jpg|Museum of Western Bohemia
Plzeň, sokolovna.jpg|[[Sokol movement|Sokol]] Hall
Plzeň, sokolovna.jpg|[[Sokol movement|Sokol]] Hall
Fakulta právnická ZČU.jpg|Faculty of Law of the [[University of West Bohemia]]
Fakulta právnická ZČU.jpg|Faculty of Law of the [[University of West Bohemia]]

Latest revision as of 18:49, 14 November 2025

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "about". Template:Use dmy dates Template:Main otherScript error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Main other Plzeň (Script error: No such module "IPA".), also known in English and German as Pilsen (Script error: No such module "IPA".), is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the fourth most populous city in the Czech Republic with about 188,000 inhabitants. It is located about Template:Convert west of Prague, at the confluence of four rivers: Mže, Úhlava, Úslava and Radbuza, together forming the Berounka River.[1]

Founded as a royal city in the late 13th century, Plzeň became an important town for trade on routes linking Bohemia with Bavaria. By the 14th century, it had grown to be the third-largest city in Bohemia. The city was besieged three times during the 15th century Hussite Wars, when it became a centre of resistance against the Hussites. During the Thirty Years' War in the early 17th century, the city was temporarily occupied after the Siege of Plzeň.

In the 19th century, the city rapidly industrialised and became home to the Škoda Works, which became one of the most important engineering companies in Austria-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia. The city is known worldwide as the home of Pilsner beer, created by Bavarian brewer Josef Groll in the city in 1842; today, the Pilsner Urquell Brewery is the largest brewery in the Czech Republic.

Plzeň serves as the main business centre of West Bohemia and the capital of the Plzeň Region. The city is a cultural heritage zone known for its Baroque architecture, and was European Capital of Culture in 2015. Plzeň is home to football club FC Viktoria Plzeň and ice hockey club HC Škoda Plzeň.

Administrative division

Plzeň consists of ten self-governing boroughs.[2] In addition, Plzeň consists of 25 municipal parts, whose borders do not respect the boundaries of boroughs (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[3] Template:Div col

  • Plzeň 1 (48,572)
    • Bolevec (29,697)
    • Severní Předměstí (18,875)
  • Plzeň 2-Slovany (36,000)
    • Božkov (2,254)
    • Černice (2,482)
    • Doudlevce (537)
    • Hradiště (1,876)
    • Koterov (2,325)
    • Lobzy (3,101)
    • Východní Předměstí (23,425)
  • Plzeň 3 (55,363)
    • Doudlevce (3,828)
    • Jižní Předměstí (30,858)
    • Litice (1,109)
    • Nová Hospoda (968)
    • Radobyčice (1,476)
    • Skvrňany (12,802)
    • Valcha (1,459)
    • Vnitřní Město (1,621)
    • Východní Předměstí (1,242)
  • Plzeň 4 (23,819)
    • Bukovec (567)
    • Červený Hrádek (1,228)
    • Doubravka (11,605)
    • Lobzy (7,643)
    • Újezd (2,670)
    • Východní Předměstí (106)
  • Plzeň 5-Křimice (2,429)
    • Křimice (2,429)
  • Plzeň 6-Litice (2,229)
    • Litice (2,229)
  • Plzeň 7-Radčice (1,090)
    • Radčice (1,090)
  • Plzeň 8-Černice (1,868)
    • Černice (1,868)
  • Plzeň 9-Malesice (945)
    • Dolní Vlkýš (154)
    • Malesice (791)
  • Plzeň 10-Lhota (1,692)
    • Lhota (1,692)

Template:Div col end

Geography

File:Chlum (416 m) od Mikulky, 18. 8. 2007.jpg
Chlum, the highest point in Plzeň

Plzeň is located about Template:Convert west of Prague.[4] The city is situated at the confluences of four rivers: Mže, Úhlava, Úslava and Radbuza. From the confluence of the Mže and Radbuza, the river is known as the Berounka. Plzeň lies mostly in the Plasy Uplands, with small parts of the municipal territory extending into the Švihov Highlands to the east and south. The highest point is the hill Chlum at Template:Convert above sea level. The lowest point is the river bed of the Berounka at Template:Convert.[5] The largest body of water is the České údolí Reservoir, built on the Radbuza. A system of fishponds is located on the northern edge of the city.

Climate

Plzeň has a cool and temperate Oceanic climate (Cfb). The average annual precipitation is Template:Convert. The annual average temperature is Template:Convert. The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from Template:Convert on 12 February 1985 to Template:Convert on 27 July 1983.[6]

Template:Weather box

History

Middle Ages

The first written mention of Plzeň Castle is from 976. The city of New Plzeň was founded nearby in 1295 by King Wenceslaus II. The old settlement then became known as Starý Plzenec and New Plzeň became known as Plzeň. It quickly became an important city on trade routes leading from Bohemia to Nuremberg and Regensburg. The first written mention of beer brewing is from 1307. In the 14th century, the city had about 3,000 inhabitants on an area of Template:Cvt, making it the third largest city in Bohemia after Prague and Kutná Hora.[7]

During the Hussite Wars, it was the centre of Catholic resistance to the Hussites: Prokop the Great unsuccessfully besieged it three times, and it joined the league of Catholic nobles against King George of Poděbrady. In the 1470s and 1480s, the city had the first printing press in Bohemia. The first book printed here and therefore the oldest book in Bohemia is Statuta written by Arnošt of Pardubice, which was printed in 1476.[7]

17th century

File:Plzen 1602 (cropped).jpg
Engraving of Plzeň from 1602

Emperor Rudolf II made Plzeň his seat from 1599 to 1600. During the Thirty Years' War, the town was taken by Mansfeld in 1618 after the Siege of Plzeň, and it was not recaptured by Imperial troops until 1621. Wallenstein made it his winter quarters in 1633. Accused of treason and losing the support of his army, he fled the town on 23 February 1634 to Eger/Cheb, where he was assassinated two days later. The town was increasingly threatened by the Swedes in the last years of the war. The city commander Jan van der Croon strengthened the fortifications of Plzeň from 1645 to 1649. Swedish troops passed the town in 1645 and 1648 without attacking it. The town and region have been staunchly Catholic despite the Hussite Wars.[8]

From the end of the 17th century, the architecture of Plzeň has been influenced by the Baroque style.

19th century

In the second half of the 19th century, Plzeň, already an important trade centre for Bohemia, near the Bavarian/German border, began to industrialise rapidly. In 1869 Emil Škoda founded the Škoda Works, which became the most important and influential engineering company in the country and a crucial supplier of arms to the Austro-Hungarian Army. By 1917, the Škoda Works employed over 30,000 workers.

File:Wilson Bridge in Europe (4515218794).jpg
Plzeň in the interbellum

After 1898, the second largest employer was the National Railways train workshop, with about 2,000 employees: this was the largest rail repair shop in all Austria-Hungary. Between 1861 and 1877, the Plzeň railway junction was completed, and in 1899, the first tram line started in the city. This burst of industry had two important effects: the growth of the local Czech population and of the urban poor. After 1868, the first Czech mayor of the city was elected.

World War II

Following Czechoslovak independence from Austria-Hungary in 1918, the ethnic German minority in the countryside bordering the city of Plzeň hoped to be united with Austria and were unhappy at being included in Czechoslovakia. Many allied themselves to the Nazis after 1933 in the hope that Adolf Hitler might be able to unite them with their German-speaking neighbours.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Following the Munich Agreement in 1938, Plzeň became a frontier town as the creation of the Sudetenland moved Nazi Germany's borders closer to the city's outer limits. During the German occupation from 1939 to 1945, the Škoda Works in Pilsen was forced to provide armaments for the Wehrmacht, and Czech contributions, particularly in the field of tanks, were noted. The Nazis operated a Gestapo prison in the city,[9] and a forced labour camp in the Karlov district.[10]

Between 17 and 26 January 1942, the majority of the city's Jewish population, over 2,000 people, were deported by the Nazis to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in Terezín.

File:Plzeň, pomník osvobození U Práce.JPG
Memorial to the 16th Armored Division of the United States Army at the top of Americká, the main commercial boulevard

In April 1945, as World War II neared its end, Plzeň endured its most devastating air raids. On 17 April, British Royal Air Force bombers targeted the city's marshalling yard, aiming to disrupt German military logistics. The attack resulted in significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction of residential areas. Just days later, on 25 April, the U.S. Eighth Air Force launched a major bombing mission against the Škoda Works armament factory in Plzeň. This operation marked the last heavy bomber mission by the Eighth Air Force against an industrial target in Europe. The raids caused extensive damage to the city's infrastructure and left a lasting impact on its inhabitants. These attacks were part of the Allies' final efforts to cripple Nazi Germany's war capabilities.[11]

On 6 May 1945, in the final days before the end of World War II in Europe, Plzeň was liberated from Nazi Germany by the 16th Armored Division of General George Patton's Third Army. Also participating in the liberation of the city were elements of the 97th and 2nd Infantry Divisions supported by the Polish Holy Cross Mountains Brigade. Other Third Army units liberated major portions of Western Bohemia. The rest of Czechoslovakia was liberated from German control by the Soviet Red Army. Elements of the 3rd Army, as well as units from the 1st Army, remained in Plzeň until late November 1945.[12]

After the end of the war, the city's ethnic German minority population was expelled and their property was confiscated in accordance with the provisions of the Potsdam Agreement.

Communist era

After the 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état, the government launched a currency reform in 1953, which caused a wave of discontent, including the Plzeň uprising. On 1 June 1953, over 20,000 people, mainly workers at the Škoda Works, began protesting against the government. Protesters forced their way into the town hall and threw communist symbols, furniture and other objects out of the windows. The protest caused a retaliation from the government, which included the destruction of the statue of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia. The statue has since been re-erected.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Demographics

Template:Historical populations

Economy

Plzeň is a centre of business in the western part of the Czech Republic. Plzeň produces about two-thirds of the Plzeň Region's GDP, even though it contains only 30% of its population.[13] While part of this is explained by commuters to the city, it is one of the most prosperous cities in the Czech Republic.

Plzeň is the seat of many large corporations. The largest employers with their headquarters in Plzeň and at least 1,000 employees are:[14]

Economic entity Number of employees Main activity
University Hospital Plzeň 5,000–9,999 Health care
University of West Bohemia 3,000–3,999 Education
Pilsner Urquell Brewery 2,500–2,999 Brewery
Škoda Transportation 2,500–2,999 Manufacture of railway vehicles
Regional Police Directorate of the Plzeň Region 2,500–2,999 Public administration
City of Plzeň 2,000–2,499 Public administration
Daikin Industries Czech Republic 1,500–1,999 Manufacture of air conditioning technology
Autoneum 1,000–1,499 Manufacture of textiles for the automotive industry
Doosan Škoda Power 1,000–1,499 Manufacture of steam turbines
HP-Pelzer 1,000–1,499 Automotive industry
JTEKT Czech Republic 1,000–1,499 Automotive industry
Lasselsberger 1,000–1,499 Manufacture of ceramic tiles
Plzeňské městské dopravní podniky 1,000–1,499 Urban and suburban passenger transport
Safran Cabin CZ 1,000–1,499 Manufacture of aircraft equipment
Škoda Electric 1,000–1,499 Manufacture of electric drives

The Škoda company, established in Plzeň in 1859, has been an important element of Austro-Hungarian, Czechoslovak and Czech engineering, and one of the biggest European arms factories. During the Communist era of the country (1948–1989), the company's production had been directed to the needs of the Eastern Bloc. Disarray in the era after the Velvet Revolution, and unsuccessful efforts to gain new Western markets, resulted in sales problems and debts. After a huge restructuring process, the company was divided into several subsidiaries, which were later sold. The most important successor companies are Škoda Transportation and Doosan Škoda Power.

The Stock company, located in the Božkov district, is the largest producer of liquors in the Czech Republic. Fernet Stock has long been the best-selling herbal liqueur on the Czech market.[15]

Since the late 1990s, the city has experienced high growth in foreign investment. In 2007, Israeli mall developer Plaza Centers opened the Plzeň Plaza, a Template:Convert shopping mall and entertainment centre featuring a multiplex cinema from Cinema City Czech Republic.

The Plzeň agglomeration was defined as a tool for drawing money from the European Structural and Investment Funds. It is an area that includes the city and its surroundings, linked to the city by commuting and migration. It has about 328,000 inhabitants.

Pilsner beer

File:Pilsner Urquell Brewery.jpg
Traditional fermenting building (centre) and modern fermenting building (left)
File:Pilsner.Urquell.JPG
Pilsner Urquell

Plzeň is well known for the Pilsner Urquell (since 1842) and Gambrinus (since 1869) breweries, currently owned by Asahi Group Holdings.

Plzeň is an important city in the history of beer, including the development of Pilsner.[16] In 1375, Bohemian King Charles IV endowed the Dobrow Monastery near Plzeň with the beer right, and it is one of the oldest breweries to survive to modern times.[17][18] Many breweries were located in the interconnected deep cellars of the city.[19][20]

The officials of Plzeň founded a city-owned brewery in 1839, Script error: No such module "Lang". (Citizens' Brewery, now Plzeňský Prazdroj),[21] and recruited Bavarian brewer Josef Groll (1813–1887) who produced the first batch of modern Pilsner beer on 5 October 1842. This included mastering the art of triple decoction mashing.[16] The combination of pale colour from the new malts, Plzeň's remarkably soft water, Saaz noble hops from nearby Žatec (Saaz in German) and Bavarian-style lagering produced a clear, golden beer which was regarded as a sensation. Improving transport meant that this new beer was soon available throughout Central Europe, and Script error: No such module "Lang".-style brewing was widely imitated.

In 1859, "Pilsner Bier" was registered as a brand name at the Chamber of Commerce and Trade in Plzeň. In 1898, the Pilsner Urquell trade mark was created to emphasize this being the brewery where the style originated.

Transport

File:EVO2 v Plzni 20190910.jpg
EVO2 tram in Plzeň

Trams, trolleybuses and buses

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The Plzeň metropolitan area is largely served by a network of trams, trolleybuses and buses operated by the PMDP. Like other continental European cities, tickets bought from vending machines or small shops are valid for any transport run by the city of Plzeň. For residents of the city, a Plzeň Card can be purchased and, through a system of "topping up" be used on any public transport with no limitations, as long as it is paid up and valid. Tickets can be purchased in vehicles with a contactless smart card.[22]

Rail

File:Plzen main station 2019-09-12 01.jpg
Plzeň hlavní nádraží, main railway station

The main ralway station, Plzeň hlavní nádraží, is an important centre of Czech railway transport, with the crossing of five main railway lines:

Road

The most important transport link in the city is the D5 highway connecting Prague and Nuremberg.

Air

Plzeň is served by the Plzeň Líně Airport, which is a public domestic and private international airport. It is located southwest of Plzeň, just outside of the territory of Plzeň and named after the municipality of Líně.

Religion

File:Great Synagogue in Pilsen-2010.jpg
Great Synagogue in Plzeň

Since 31 May 1993, Plzeň has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň. The first bishop (current bishop emeritus) was František Radkovský. The current bishop is Tomáš Holub. The diocese covers an area with a total of 818,700 inhabitants.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The diocesan see is in St. Bartholomew's Cathedral on Republiky Square in Plzeň. The diocese is divided into 10 vicariates with a total of 72 parishes.

The seat of the West Bohemian seniorate (literary presbytery; Central European protestant equivalent of a diocese) of Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren is currently set in Plzeň. There are two other parish congregations of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in the Plzeň-City District – The Western congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Plzeň, known as The Western congregation, located in the Western part of the city in the borough of Jižní předměstí, and The Congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in Chrást, located in Chrást in the very east of Plzeň-City District.

The seat of the Plzeň diocese of the Czechoslovak Hussite Church is located in Plzeň (although the bishop has resided in Mirovice for several years due to a reconstruction of the episcopacy). The current bishop is Filip Štojdl.

The Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church is headquartered in Plzeň.[23] St. Paul's Lutheran Church is a church of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plzeň.[24]

The other churches also present in Plzeň are the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Czech Republic, the United Methodist Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Brethren, the Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, the Greek Catholic Church, and others.

Education

The University of West Bohemia was founded in Plzeň 1991. It comprises nine faculties and has approximately 12,000 students.[25]

The Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University (Template:Langx) is one of the five medical faculties of Charles University. It has about 2,000 students.[26]

Martin Luther Primary School (Základní škola Martina Luthera) is a private Christian school of the Czech Evangelical Lutheran Church in Plzeň.[27][23]

Culture

Plzeň was a European Capital of Culture in 2015, along with Mons in Belgium.

Sport

File:Czech Republic 2 1 Iceland.jpg
Doosan Arena

The ice hockey club HC Škoda Plzeň plays in the Czech Extraliga. The team plays its home games at Home Monitoring Aréna. The football club FC Viktoria Plzeň plays in the Czech First League and belongs among the most successful clubs in the Czech Republic. Viktoria Plzeň has played in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The team plays its home games at Doosan Arena. Handball club Talent Plzeň plays in the Czech Handball Extraliga.

The motorcycle speedway team PK Plzeň races at the Plzeň speedway track. The track has hosted significant speedway events including qualifying rounds of the Speedway World Team Cup.[28][29]

Sights

File:Pilsen (35459109143).jpg
Náměstí Republiky with the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew

Historic city centre

File:Rathaus-pilsen crop.jpg
City Hall
File:Západočeské muzeum v Plzni - panoramio.jpg
West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň

The historic centre of Plzeň, which is formed by the Náměstí Republiky square and adjacent streets, has been protected as an urban monument reservation since 1989. The most prominent landmark of Plzeň is the Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, built in the Gothic style in the late 13th century.[30] It is protected as a national cultural monument. Its tower is the highest in the Czech Republic at Template:Convert. The interior contains hundreds of works of art, the most valuable of which is the statue called the Plzeň Madonna. It is one of the most valuable Gothic monuments in the Czech Republic.[31]

Other notable sight at the square is the City Hall, also protected as a national cultural monument. This Renaissance monument was built in 1554–1559 by the Italian architect Giovanni de Statia, on the site of two late Gothic houses, whose fragments have survived to this day. In 1907–1912, it was reconstructed in the Neo-Renaissance style and decorated with sgraffiti.[32] The plague column on the square near the City Hall is the work of local sculptor Kristian Widman and dates back to 1681.[33]

The Franciscan Monastery is a Gothic structure from the 14th century. The monastery complex includes the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Chapel of Saint Barbara and Chapterhouse. The main building houses the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art of the Diocese of Plzeň.[34] Next to the monastery is the main building of the West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň. The museum was founded in 1878 and, in terms of the scope of its collections, it is one of the largest museum institutions in the Czech Republic. The West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň is the administrator of several other museums in the region, including the museum in the Franciscan Monastery.[35]

Among the oldest monuments in the city centre are the remains of the Gothic city fortifications. They date from the second quarter of the 14th century and a late Gothic reconstruction took place during the 15th century. In 1618–1659, modern Baroque bastion fortification was made. Most of the walls were demolished, but a few fragments survive, often as part of new townhouses.[36]

Beneath the historic city centre is an underground labyrinth of tunnels and cellars. With a total length of Template:Cvt, it is the third largest such labyrinth in the country. The corridors were gradually built since the 13th century. Almost Template:Convert of the corridors are open to the public. The entrance to the labyrinth is from the Brewing Museum.[37]

Jewish monuments

The Great Synagogue is the second largest synagogue in Europe (after the Dohány Street Synagogue in Budapest). It is situated just outside the urban monument reservation. It was constructed in 1892–1893 and is an example of the Neo-Renaissance architecture. It is used both for religious services and for organizing cultural events for the public.[38]

The Old Synagogue was built in the Neo-Renaissance in 1875. It was built next to the Jewish school (1857–1859). Today, the synagogue is occasionally used for cultural events and the Jewish school serves as a museum in memory of the deported Jews of Plzeň.[39]

Popular tourist destinations

A popular tourist attraction is the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery tour, where visitors can discover the history and process of beer brewing in Plzeň. The tour also includes historic cellars.[40] A notable landmark and technical monument in the premises of the brewery is the historic water tower. It was built in 1905–1907 and its visit is part of the brewing tour.[41]

In 2024, the Plzeňský Prazdroj brewery was the most visited tourist destination in the Plzeň Region and the 12th most visited tourist destination in the country. Other popular tourist destinations in the city include Plzeň Zoo and Botanical Garden, DinoPark Plzeň (amusement park with moving dinosaur models), and Techmania Science Center.[42]

Folk architecture

The centres of Božkov, Černice and Koterov, which were once separate municipalities, have a well-preserved historic character and folk architecture, and are protected as village monument reservations.[43] The last of the three national cultural monuments in Plzeň is the Bolevec Homestead, located in Plzeň-Bolevec. The reason for the protection of this Neoclassical rural homestead is its exceptional state of preservation. It is a notable example of the development of rural folk architecture in the Plzeň Region in the 18th–20th centuries. The homestead was first documented on maps in 1781, but it is certain that it has medieval origins. Today it houses an open-air museum.[44]

Notable people

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Twin towns – sister cities

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Gallery

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Sister project Template:Wikivoyage

Template:Plzeň-City District Template:Czech Seats Template:European Capital of Culture

Template:Authority control

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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