In 1842, a Bavarian brewer named Josef Groll brewed a new kind of beer in the town brewery of Plzeň: a clear, golden lager, crisp and hoppy, made with the soft local water, Saaz hops and pale malt. It was an instant success, and the style, named after the town, became the most imitated beer in the world. The original is still brewed here as Pilsner Urquell, and a tour of the brewery, with its historic cellars and a glass of unfiltered beer straight from the oak barrel, is the obvious thing to do. Save it for the end of the day, though; the Czech blood alcohol limit for riders is zero.
Pilsen is the fourth-largest city in the Czech Republic, an industrial centre with a handsome historic core. The main square is dominated by the Gothic cathedral of St. Bartholomew, whose tower is the tallest church tower in the country, and you can climb it for views over the city. The Great Synagogue, built in the late nineteenth century, is one of the largest synagogues in the world. The city was also the birthplace of the Škoda Works, the engineering firm founded by Emil Škoda, which made everything from locomotives to weapons.
In May 1945, Pilsen was liberated by the US Army, while the rest of the country was liberated by the Soviets, and the city celebrates the event every year with a festival of parades and military vehicles. Under communism, the American role was officially played down, and the festival has a special significance today.
For lunch, Pilsen has countless pubs and restaurants serving Czech food: svíčková, beef in a creamy vegetable sauce with dumplings, goulash, roast pork and fried cheese. Prices are low and portions generous. The roads around Pilsen are good for riding, winding through the hills, forests and villages of western Bohemia, with castles at every turn. The city itself has fuel and all services, though traffic can be heavy.