Which season is the best for taking a trip to Pilsen? All of them!
All of the main tourist attractions, such as the world-famous Pilsner Urquell Brewery, the historical city centre with the Gothic St. Bartholomew’s Cathedral, and the Renaissance-age City Hall, as well as the interiors by the celebrated architect Loos, are open all year round to visitors. Which season, however, is the best for visiting the fourth largest city in the Czech Republic? It’s hard to say, each offers something special, and even Pilsen’s locals can’t agree on a clear answer. The choice then is yours.
Spring
All the colours return to Pilsen in the spring. The trees, bushes, and flowerbeds in the green belt of gardens around the historical centre blossom and flourish. The garden cafés start popping up again, where you can enjoy a great coffee or something sweet in the first warming rays of sunlight.
The main tourist season begins in April. Plenty of historical sites extend their opening hours. Even some places that were closed for the winter start to open up, such as the Meditation Garden and the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art, located in the former Franciscan monastery.
Summer
Summer is the ideal season to visit Pilsen if you don’t feel like thoroughly planning your trip beforehand. Simply arrive and the city itself will offer you the best enjoyable, summer atmosphere. Various festivals each take their turn on the city’s historical streets. Concerts and the summer theatre come to life as well as the brewery grounds. Culture is also breathed into the banks of Pilsen’s rivers.
The long summer nights promise a relaxing time sitting outdoors with a good draft beer in hand (as well as other drinks). If you’re planning on spending multiple days here, you can even use Pilsen as a base to go on an array of other interesting trips through the whole region, or enjoy the good summer weather at the Bolevec Ponds or Pilsen Zoo.
Autumn
In Pilsen, the fun certainly doesn’t stop once the holiday season ends. The main season for beer festivals starts in September, among which you’ll find the famous celebration of Pilsner Urquell´s birthday and the Sun in a Glass Festival. The rich selection of social events also entices lovers of culture. The International Festival of Theatre and the Pilsner Busking Fest both offer unique experiences, as artists and street performers from all over the world come to perform.
By the end of October, the weather can be a bit unkind, nevertheless, this is the ideal time to take a tour of the Loos Interiors or attend any of the interesting museums. For instance, in the municipal armoury held in the Museum of West Bohemia, you’ll see a collection of historical weapons with significant European importance. Then in the interactive Puppet Museum, puppets come to life both behind the glass and in the palm of your hand.
Winter
Although winter doesn’t astronomically start until right before Christmas, we start decorating the Christmas tree on the first Advent Sunday, alongside the opening of the Christmas market. The atmosphere in the city completely transforms into one incredibly bright decoration. Winter in Pilsen also tempts visitors with its non-traditional experiences, such as enjoying a warm and peaceful trip to the beer spa or an action-packed hockey game on the winter stadium ice with the Pilsen Indians.
With the colder weather outside, you too have the ideal chance to spend some time studying Czech classic gastronomy, which is full of hot soups, creamy sauces, and bread dumplings that would weigh down the stomachs of inexperienced foodies too much during the hot summer season. Plus, any added kilos are easy to hide in any heavy winter clothing.
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